Abstract
Rocky Mountain Institute's multi-year, 61-author, peer-reviewed Reinventing Fire synthesis showed in 2011 how the United States can realistically run the officially projected 2.6 times bigger economy in 2050 with no oil, coal, or nuclear energy, one-third less natural gas, 82–86% lower carbon emissions, tripled end-use efficiency, and 74% renewable supplies (and for electricity, 80% — half-distributed and highly resilient). This transition, at historically reasonable rates, could be led by business for profit, applying normal sectoral rates of return, with no new inventions nor Acts of Congress but some innovative subnational and administrative policies. Excluding carbon emissions and all other externalities, the net present value would be $5 trillion more favorable than business-as-usual, averaging a 14% Internal Rate of Return. The United States progress since 2010 meets or beats these targets. Preliminary findings from a similar exercise in China suggest an even greater potential there.
About the speaker
Dr Amory Lovins entered Harvard College in 1964. After two years there, he transferred to Magdalen College, Oxford University, where he studied physics and other topics. He became a Junior Research Fellow at Merton College, Oxford in 1969, where he had served as a university don and received his MA degree. He had been Regents’ Lecturer at the University of California both in Energy and Resources and in Economics and Grauer Lecturer at the University of British Columbia. In 1982, he cofounded the Rocky Mountain Institute – an independent, entrepreneurial, nonprofit think-and-do tank that drives the efficient and restorative use of resources. He is currently Chief Scientist and Chairman Emeritus of the Institute.
Dr Lovins is an active innovator and practitioner in energy and its links to security, development, environment, and economy. He has advised the energy and other industries for four decades as well as the US Departments of Energy and Defense. He has briefed 23 heads of state and advised major firms and governments worldwide, recently including the leadership of Coca-Cola, Deutsche Bank, Ford, Holcim, Interface, and Wal-Mart.
Dr Lovins’ work in over 50 countries has been recognized by numerous awards including the “Alternative Nobel”- the Right Livelihood Award, the Blue Planet, Volvo, Zayed, Onassis, Nissan, Shingo, and Mitchell Prizes, the Benjamin Franklin and Happold Medals, and the MacArthur and Ashoka Fellowships, etc. In 2009, he was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine, and one of the 100 top global thinkers by Foreign Policy. He is a Foreign Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences.
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