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More On Long Now Debate on Nuclear Energy

By Eric McErlain
Stewart Brand is passing a note around via blogs and email about the Friday night debate on nuclear energy in San Francisco:
Long Now Presents "Nuclear Power, Climate Change, and the Next 10,000

Fri, Jan 13

Environmentalists are at their best when they disagree publicly. Then discussion can dive through emotional stances to the level of intriguing details and complex tradeoffs, where intelligent opinion forms and smart policy takes shape.

Both of the conversants this Friday night have energy expertise and an environmental agenda. Ralph Cavanagh, co-director of the Energy Program at the Natural Resources Defense Counsel, advisor to the US Secretary of Energy ('93-'03), opposes expansion of nuclear power. Peter Schwartz, a former board member of Rocky Mountain Institute, former head of scenario planning at Royal Dutch/Shell, now chair of Global Business Network, was persuaded by recent research on abrupt climate change to support the expansion of nuclear power.

It's not exactly a debate Friday night, but possibly something better. The format requires each speaker to draw out the other's views and then restate them in a way that satisfies the opponent,"That's right. You got it." Which speaker goes first will be decided by the audience and how they (you!) think the discussion should be framed. If the question is, "Is nuclear power too risky to be an option for dealing with climate change?" then Cavanagh should perhaps go first, stating the affirmative position. If, on the other hand, the question is, "Should nuclear power be an option for dealing with climate change?" then it might be Schwartz's affirmative view that leads off. You decide, live, Friday night.

This is one of a monthly series of Seminars About Long-term Thinking organized by The Long Now Foundation, usually on second Fridays, usually at Fort Mason (though not this one). Future speakers in the series include Stephen Lansing (on a thousand years of finesse in Bali's irrigation system). If you would like to be notified by email of forthcoming talks, please contact Simone Davalos --- 415-561-6582.

You are welcome to forward this note to anyone you think might be interested. The Herbst is a nice big theater.
--Stewart Brand

Venue:
The Herbst Theater
401 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco

Additional Info:
415-561-6581
Http://www.longnow.org
Thanks to Squid List for the pointer.

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