So Alex and I (Jesse) had the opportunity to present at the World Future Energy Conference on the second day. We were part of the Green Energy Showcase, a little ‘theater’ in the middle of the Expo where individuals were given 20 minutes to present. We, along with two Swedish students, had an hour and a half! Alex and I took the first 30 minutes and spoke to a packed audience. Oops, I actually have to go, driving back up to Tufts, but maybe Alex will fill this out, and I’ll look into posting the video of us presenting on here, I think it can be done.-Jesse
Archive for the 'UAE 2008' Category
Disclaimer: So I am actually sitting in Jared’s house outside of NYC because after the conference ended we went out to dinner with some of the other students attending the WFES and then got right on our plane home. 32 hours later counting time zones, and I almost passed out in my dinner plate when out to dinner in NYC.
Post: Speechless.
No, seriously. Jared and I stopped by the office of the organizers in the morning, and the executive director (Lynne Evans) chatted with us about how their own expectations for the conference were blown away. Continue reading ‘Last Day of Conference (general chit-chat)’
We were fortunate enough to spend a few minutes speaking with William McDonough, author of Cradle to Cradle and one of Time Magazines “Heroes of the Planet”. He explained to us his theory about the necessity for products to be designed from the beginning to either be recycled into its components at their original quality or be returned back to nature with no impact. He told us about how he has worked with Nike to actually create a shoe sole that will biodegrate into nutrients that can actually feed plants as the shoe wears down. He designed the rest of the shoe so that every component can be used to make a new shoe of the same quality. This life-cycle product design is a truly sustainable process in which our finite resources can be used infinitely. He has also worked with such companies as Proctor and Gamble and has designed a number of green buildings that adhere to this product design methodology.
I have to hand it to Alex and her networking skills. Moments after we entered the mindblowingly lavish hotel ($4 billion and the most gold in the world), she found a high-up in a VIP-like area that she had sat next to at the conference and consequently impressed with her questions. He in turn introduced us to some of the day’s financing panel speakers. The guy from Cleantech was amazing and talked to us for such a long time…he mentioned a company 20 mins from my house that deals with financing small/medium businesses to combat climate change and poverty while promoting clean energy. It was like…all my current focuses rolled into a nice package. Couldn’t make it up if I tried. He said some interesting things also about the disconnect between the macrolevel and microlevel – that people’s mindsets had changed, but that our institutional structure was not conducive to real change, since it was designed for a world of the 19th century. Later on I left my bag at the table and returned to find it gone. I was then contacted by – get this – a TUPD officer. The person who had my bag (a cool German guy at our table) found Officer Morales’ card in my wallet and contacted him. TUPD was so into solving a crime 9 time zones away, they emailed me, contacted my boyfriend through facebook, and called my house. I’m hoping no one at home picked up, or else I’ll be beheaded upon arrival back in New Jersey.
Can’t wait to show you guys the video of me, Alex, Jared and Jayson model-walking down the massive Emirates Palace lobby. Today’s speakers were mostly symbolic (though we could decode some interesting messages) but tomorrow should be more substantive! Also Shell gave us a goody bag containing crank cell phone chargers, solar flashlights (“torches”…whatever) and USB drives! Ridiculous, guys. RIDICULOUS.
Off to bed,
Renee
Wow. Just…. Wow. So we approach Dr. Jaber in the crowd, he’s already presented as one of the Keynote speakers, and he looks rather friendly, but super busy. So I go up to one of the many people around him who seems to be “with” him, and ask if I can have a moment of his time. I tell the guy I’m a student, and he says, “of course!” and introduces me to the Dr. right away.
First, the background… Continue reading ‘Dr. Sultan Jaber, CEO MASDAR’
After the United States Secretary of Energy Sam Bodman spoke on battling climate change and fostering future energy, Jayson, Jesse, and I (Jared) sped to the front of the conference room. Jayson exclaimed, “Mr. Bowman. . . Mr. Bowman!!!,” not knowing his actual name. Delegates in the front row eyed us curiously. Mr. Bodman’s security detail was ushering him to go and meet with Dr. Sultan, head of MASDAR, the Abu Dhabi renewable energy company that is responsible for building the world’s first zero emissions, zero energy, zero waste city in the desert nearby. Mr. Bodman stopped and shook our hands, since we were American students. He told us to look him up, “. . .the next time you’re in town!” (meaning D.C.) Mr. Bodman then went on to recommend us to Dr. Sultan. We soon met with Dr. Sultan. . .
I can’t describe the energy at this conference. It may be one of the most excited events I have ever attended!
After the meeting with Ali bin Towaih, we hightailed it on over to the Executive Towers and rode up to the 37th floor to meet with a member of the Executive Council of Dubai. He said he was no energy expert, but he fielded our questions agreeably and gave us some thought-provoking answers. I – Renee – personally got a lot out of this meeting because he was really candid about some interesting topics. He gave me a lot of food for thought on my topic, which deals with the UAE’s development model – while Ali bin Towaih suggested that the reason for its success was the leadership of the Sheikh, and therefore wasn’t transferable to the other Gulf countries, Walid Tabanji suggested that it also had to do with the UAE’s tolerance for foreigners and moderate foreign policy, coupled with the drive for economic success (“That’s why we’re called Dubai, Inc.,” he said). What surprised me is that afterwards, he volunteered some information about the situation with the migrant laborers – I hadn’t been asking about it because I was under the impression that it was a sensitive subject. He said that basically, the government is really supportive of migrant laborer rights but that the companies often infringe upon them, and that there needs to be better enforcement. Okay, now Alex needs to use the comp before the wireless runs out!–Renee
Internet City! Mr. Ali is the Executive Director of EnPark, a free-zone which will focus on energy efficiency and a New Urbanist development model, which tends to include mixed-use (commercial and residential) construction, walkable neighborhoods, and a more traditional sense of community. Mr. Ali cites the lack of quality of life and community in Dubai as the motivation to pursue New Urban development principles. Dense and mixed-use development is more sustainable than sprawl development that has covered Dubai, and the other Emirates. Alternative energy, transit, and efficiency initiatives coupled with this development project, EnPark will become a standard model for other similar developments across the United Arab Emirates.
We made it! Check back soon…we’ll be posting over the next few days as we start our interviews – Jayson
