Mar 1, 2007

Stanford energy conference kicks off

Meetings cover U.S. dependence on foreign oil

By Banks Albach / Daily News Staff Writer

"Clean, secure and prosperous" is the motto of the Energy Crossroads Conference, a student-driven event that kicks off today at Stanford University.

Organized by a group of 10 Stanford undergraduate students, the conference focuses on how the United States should balance national security, environmental stewardship and economic prosperity. American dependence on foreign oil, a driving force in U.S. foreign policy and a culprit in global warming, will take center stage.

"I have always been frustrated by the fact that so many of the problems that we face are unsolvable because of our dependence on oil," said conference Chair Lyuba Wolf, a senior with a major in international relations.

The conference runs through Saturday, but on-site registration is available only for Friday's panels.

Speakers include James Woolsey, former director of the CIA; Vijay Vaitheeswaran, correspondent for The Economist; Steve Westwell, vice president of British Petroleum Alternative Energy; and Ralph Cavanagh, co-director the Natural Resource Defense Council's energy program. New York Times columnist and author Thomas Friedman will deliver a keynote speech on Friday.

Bringing on such well-known figures was a surprise to the students.

"We didn't expect this," said publicity director Mikhal Sofer, a senior in international relations. "We couldn't believe it."

The organizers included students and faculty from the university's engineering, environmental studies, business and political science departments. That mixture is evident in the breadth of conference speakers, who range from policy to business to environmental lobbying - the exact combination Wolf said is key to working toward the conference motto.

For more information on the Energy Crossroads Conference at Stanford University, go to http://www.energycrossroads.org/.

E-mail Banks Albach at balbach@dailynewsgroup.com.