Friday, February 10, 2012

STORYLINE Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase

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The Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase keynote speaker Daniel Sperling is an internationally-renowned expert on transportation, energy and sustainability issues. In December he co-authored the book Two Billion Cars which projects that within 20 years the number of motor vehicles on the planet will double from its current total of one billion due primarily to growth in India and China.

Sperling is a Professor of Engineering and Environmental Science & Policy at the University of California, Davis, and Founding Director of the university's Institute of Transportation Studies. He also serves on the California Air Resources Board, chairs the Future of Mobility Council of the Davos World Economic Forum, and has authored 10 books and over 200 technical papers and reports on transportation and energy.

Recently, The Clean Tech staff sat down with Dan Sperling to discuss the future of green technologies in the Sacamento region and the upcoming Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase.

CleanTech: How important will green technologies be to the economic growth of the Sacramento region?

Dan Sperling: Green technologies could provide a large economic boost to the Sacramento area. UC Davis and Sacramento State provide the knowledge base and, very importantly, the scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs needed to build green technology companies. Angel and venture capital investors are key to launching entrepreneurial start-ups, while larger biotech and IT companies have the resources to expand their Sacramento initiatives.

CleanTech: Can you give us a preview of your keynote address?

Dan Sperling: We need to transform our vehicles, fuels, and mobility systems if we are to significantly reduce oil use and greenhouse gases. It is less a question of cost than vision, leadership, and will. Most vehicles of the future will be powered by electricity, hydrogen and biofuels. Such a future transportation system would be very efficient and could be very low carbon.

The two places with the most troublesome emissions problems - California and China - are taking the lead in developing effective strategies that can help wean us from our reliance on conventional, petroleum-fueled cars.

California's embrace of eco-friendly policies, supported by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and China's willingness to confront the twin environmental and energy crises wrought by exponential growth in cars, suggest that if they can develop ingenious and effective solutions, there really is reason for hope.

The Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase features some of the nation's key thought leaders on green and clean technology. It is the ideal venue to network with experts, explore new technologies, navigate regulations and examine workforce concerns.

The Clean Tech Showcase will be held Friday, October 16 at Sacramento State University. For more information or to register, visit www.cleanstart.org.

The Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase is produced by CleanStart, an initiative of SARTA (Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance) designed to accelerate the development of clean technology ventures within the Greater Sacramento Region. SARTA is a non-profit organization founded to foster entrepreneurial growth and attract investment capital to the greater Sacramento region.

Join the Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase Facebook Page

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carson

October 14, 2009 | 9:44 AM

This conversion from the existing paradigm to a 'cleaner', more sustainable energy source landscape can be a 'top-down' or 'bottom-up' process. I see effort in both approaches being made, but it is not reaching 'critical mass'. The structure of our economy, culture and vested interests trumps something insidious we cannot experience in a tactile way. How do we get past the intitial cost resistance without damaging the economy further today? Academically, it all makes perfect sense. In the business world, it's a slow - often profitless - process to contribute to reduction on carbon footprint, switch to currently more expensive fuel sources, instigate use of inefficient transportation networks, etc. Don't even get me started on the rail system in Sacramento!....As a knowledgeable developer and resident, my take is it's nearly useless. The State Capital of the 7th largest economy in the World can't get people to the airport from the Capital Building....enough said.
I am an energy systems cost management and Efficiency Upgrade professional at the moment and truly support change to a sustainable transportation and energy consumption economy, but still find the halls of academia are filling the air with sound (another form of pollution), not results.

Any great idea needs 'funding', and in a free capitalist country the application of capital needs to show some 'bang for the buck'. Thus far, we haven't been able to achieve that in California due to CEQA and various other impediments. We are legislating ourselves out of practical solutions - leaving only very cost-heavy, minimally potent, compromise driven attempts to accomplish a modicum of progress toward the crucial goals so eloquently supported by the research community. How do we ALL close the loop? That's my open question to anyone reading this.

-Have a nice Day!

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