Gustavus Adolphus College - Nobel Conference

Announcing the 2007 Nobel Conference®: "Energy and the Future"

Harnessing and using energy has played a key role in both the development and the decline of civilizations since the dawn of human existence. The rapid technological advances and prosperity enjoyed in the 20th century were driven by the use of fossil fuels—namely, coal and oil. In the 21st century, however, energy demand and prices are soaring, conflicts threaten political stability in the most oil-rich region of the world, and we are realizing the effects of a rapidly warming planet. In the United States, oil production has been declining since the early 1970s, and dependence on foreign oil continues to increase amid the threat of terrorism arising from the oil-rich Middle East. What will be the energy sources of the future? Several new and exciting technologies are on the horizon, including hydrogen, solar and wind power, biofuels, and advanced nuclear power.

The 2007 Nobel Conference will consider the problems of global warming and declining oil reserves, drawing upon world-renowned energy and resource experts to put our current energy dilemma into perspective and examine new and advancing technologies. Join us on October 2 and 3, 2007, for Nobel Conference® 43!