Confirmation of leading US academics Jesse Ausubel and Dr Michael Economides as keynote speakers coincide with news today of record-breaking registrations at this year’s APPEA conference and exhibition which,.
Ausubel is Rockefeller University’s director of the Program for the Human Environment. He is speaking on “The Future Environment for Energy Business” at the Conference’s opening plenary session on Monday April 16.
Ausubel's recent presentations across the northern hemisphere include comments that there will inevitably be a large increase in demand for energy and that investment in innovation is need now to enable us to meet it without an unacceptably large environmental footprint.
Industry observers see his optimism as being at odds with key Australian commentators on global warming. The New Scientist has described Ausubel of being "the optimistic environmentalist" who sees the energy supply system growing 5-10 times this century but believes we can corral greenhouse gases to "emitting little or nothing harmful."
Dr Economides is the Conference’s closing speaker on Wednesday April 18. He will speak on “Energy Geopolitics”.
Economides says that with global warming and curbing greenhouse emissions now dominating the national debate in Australia, the “typical confusion" found in Europe and increasingly in the United States is now repeated in Australia daily as a fact.
“The ideologically driven debate has generated other major issues, all in some way or another connected with the current debate or generated by it,” he says.
Economides argues that: carbon trading proposals are at best shaky, at worst preposterous; that Australia needs to exploit its hydrocarbon wealth regardless of fears over global warming; and Australia must decide how best to use its uranium resources.
“Greenhouse gas rhetoric is generating an entire slew of new business opportunities, some real, some clearly made up,” he says.
“The Australians have taken a decisive direction. The question is at what cost and what shape will it take eventually. What it is certain is that the cost is bound to be painful, whether direct or through government subsidies and regulations or indirect, in changing lifestyles and the standard of living.
“Exactly how painful remains to be seen.”
Keynote speakers at APPEA 2007’s Wednesday morning session “Managing the Sustainable with the Commercial” include:-
• WWF chief executive Greg Bourne;
• Rare Consulting principal Mark McKenzie; and
• Australian Industry Greenhouse Network chief executive John Dale.
