Presented in partnership with Walking Mountains
Holly & Buck Elliott generously underwrite the Environmental Awareness series
Cindy Engles generously underwrites the summer season of programming
Clean and renewable energy sources are a focus of international policy and business investment but fuels based on hydrocarbons including crude oil, natural gas and coal can’t–and perhaps shouldn’t–be simply “switched off.”
The changing climate is a reality in 2023 but how will the world realistically meet its growing energy needs? Technologists tout new developments in clean energy solutions but the media may overstate how quickly and effectively green energy will replace current hydrocarbon-based energy sources. Some areas of debate among experts include the viability of battery resources that depend on scarce metals and whether exponential technology development can impact solutions waiting on innovations that haven’t yet arrived.
Are the economic, political, and technological pathways able to facilitate change at the pace required? Are there sufficient incentives to attract capital to the commercialization of technological innovation and implementation? Is there a political will to pass drastic changes to allow these solutions a path to market?
The panelists are experts in green technology innovation and hydrocarbon technologies. The discussion will range from the realistic timing and economics of advances in current green technology and the need for hydrocarbons throughout an energy transition to innovations on the horizon that we can expect to have a major impact in climate change solutions.
