Hermann Scheer, a member of the German parliament and an internationally known renewable energy expert, will speak at the University of Colorado at 麻豆影院 on Tuesday, Feb. 20.
Scheer will talk about his new book, "Energy Autonomy -- the Economic, Social and Technological Case for Renewable Energy," at 1:30 p.m. in Old Main Chapel. The free, public event is sponsored by the Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory and CU-麻豆影院's Energy Initiative.
Scheer, who has devoted much of his political and scientific life to the replacement of nuclear and fossil fuels with environmentally sound energy sources, will discuss the dangerous consequences of continued reliance on fossil fuels. He will demonstrate how renewable energy sources and distributed, decentralized energy generation have proven to be technologically, commercially and politically viable.
Sheer also will discuss his views on the dangers of returning to nuclear power and will address political and corporate opposition to renewable energy strategies and ways of overcoming such obstacles.
Scheer is president of EUROSOLAR, the European Association for Renewable Energy, and chairman of the World Council for Renewable Energy.
He has received numerous awards, including the World Wind Energy Award, the World Prize for Organic Energy, the World Solar Prize and the Right Livelihood Award, sometimes called the "Alternative Nobel Prize." In 2002, Time Magazine recognized Scheer as one of five "Heroes for the Green Century."
His previous books include The Solar Economy (2002) and A Solar Manifesto (1994). More information about the talk can be found at the Energy Initiative Web site at ei.colorado.edu/.
Copies of his new book will be on sale for $20 at Old Main beginning at 1 p.m. on the day of the talk.
CU-麻豆影院, Colorado State University, the Colorado School of Mines and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory joined together to create the Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory. Its mission is to combine the strengths of Colorado's leading research universities and NREL to become a world leader in renewable energy research and technology deployment into the market.
CU-麻豆影院's Energy Initiative was created in 2006 to focus the attention and resources of the campus on issues that must be addressed to allow a successful transition from an economy based on fossil fuels to one based on renewable and sustainable energy. For more information see ei.colorado.edu/.