MEDIA CONTACT: Thai Phi Stone
tpstone@gwu.edu; 202-994-6424

ACCELERATING GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTIONS

Sustainability Experts to Discuss Policy, Technology and the Law
APRIL 15, 2009

EVENT:  

What steps may the nation take to adopt innovative new greenhouse gas reduction technologies? Experts at the "Accelerating Greenhouse Gas Reductions" symposium will discuss state-of-the-art greenhouse gas reduction technologies and the role public policy and the law can play in advancing or constraining technology development and deployment related to carbon capture storage and the next generation of personal transportation.

GW President Steven Knapp and Frederick Lawrence, dean of GW Law School, will provide opening remarks. The keynote speaker Graham M. Pugh, senior policy analyst at the Climate Change Policy and Technology, Office of Policy and International Affairs, U.S. Department of Energy, will address "A Three-Legged Stool for Climate Protection: Pricing Carbon, Complementary Policies and Sectoral Approaches." 

WHEN:  

Wednesday, April 15, 2009; 7:30am - 5:30pm

WHERE:  

The George Washington University
Media and Public Affairs Building  
Jack Morton Auditorium
805 21st St., NW, Washington, D.C. 
Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro Station (Orange and Blue lines)

AGENDA:  

8:30 - 9:45am: Session I - Welcome
Welcome: Frederick Lawrence, dean, GW Law School
Opening Remarks: Steven Knapp, president, GW
Keynote Address on "A Three-Legged Stool for Climate Protection: Pricing Carbon, Complementary Policies and Sectoral Approaches": Graham M. Pugh, senior policy analyst, Climate Change Policy and Technology, Office of Policy and International Affairs, U.S. Department of Energy

10am - 12:30pm: Session II - Carbon Capture Storage
Robert Nordhaus (moderator), professorial lecturer in law, GW Law School
Steve Caldwell, regional policy coordinator, The Pew Center on Global Climate Change
Edward S. Rubin, alumni professor of environmental engineering and science, Carnegie Mellon University

Carbon Capture Storage Policy and Law
Preeti Verma, research analyst, World Resources Institute
Douglas A. Henderson, partner, Troutman Sanders

12:30 - 2pm: Luncheon - Prospects for Large-Scale Solar Energy Production
(Held at Marvin Center, Continental Ballroom, 800 21st St. NW, Third Floor)
Introduction by Mark Starik, chair of GW's Department of Strategic Management and Public Policy, GW School of Business
Presentation by Ken Zweibel, director, GW Institute for the Analysis of Solar Energy

2:15 - 3:30pm: Session III - Next Generation of Personal Transportation
Jonathan Deason (moderator), professor of environmental and energy management, GW School of Engineering and Applied Science
Judi Greenwald, vice president of innovative solutions, The Pew Center on Global Climate Change
Susan Zielinski, managing director, University of Michigan SMART program
Steve Rosenstock, manager, energy solutions, Edison Electric Institute.

3:30 - 4:45pm: Session IV - The Role of Low Emissions Vehicles
Jeff Alson, senior engineer, Transportation and Climate Division, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, U.S. EPA
Tom Stricker, director-corporate manager, Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
Keith Cole, director, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Environment and Technology, General Motors
Kathryn Clay, director of research, The Automobile Alliance

4:45 - 5:30pm: Session V - Closing Panel Discussion and Audience Questions

5:30pm: The Edison Electric Institute will offer a demonstration of the Toyota Prius, converted to a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle with a Hymotion system. The electric car will be available for viewing all day outside of the Marvin Center at 800 21st Street, NW.

RSVP: 

The event is free and open to the public. RSVP by April 10 to info@scottcircle.com or 202-265-5383. Media interested in attending should contact Thai Phi Stone at 202-994-6424 or tpstone@gwu.edu.

BACKGROUND:
 
The event is hosted by The George Washington University and sponsored by Troutman Sanders and American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity. Due to the generosity of our sponsors, the University has purchased carbon offsets through TerraPass to account for the estimated 900 pounds of carbon dioxide that will be created during the symposium. These offsets make the symposium a "carbon neutral" event.

Participants also can tweet about the symposium at #GW_ghg, follow the University's sustainability efforts at http://twitter.com/Sustain_GW or join the Facebook group: Sustainable George.

GW is committed to operating the University's programs and activities in ways that express our responsibilities as a pre-eminent institutional citizen of the nation's capital.

For more information on the University's sustainability initiatives, visit http://sustainability.gwu.edu.

For more news about The George Washington University, visit www.gwnewscenter.org.

- GW -