The Institute for Principled Leadership in Public Service at Bradley University, in collaboration with Peoria NEXT, the Dirksen Congressional Center, and the Bipartisan Public Center sponsored a national Workshop on Energy Sustainablity. This workshop involved both natural and social scientists.
The workshop has one goal and two objectives. The goal is to significantly diminish the United States' dependency on foreign oil through the recommendation of a more throughtful, comprehensive national energy strategy that takes into account solutions developed by both natural and social scientists. The first objective focuses on the research and development of existing and emerging energy resources and technologies. This includes a consideration of the use of biofuels and the impact these have food production. The second objective focuses on public policy changes needed at the national level to expeditiously advance these energy resources and technologies.
These objectives were accomplished through presentations, panel discussions, and question and answer sessions involving local, national, and international speakers and presenters in the fields of energy, agriculture, and public policy.
NSF support has enabled 50 Bradley undergraduates to attend this workshop. These students have seen first hand how natural scientists and social scientists are needed to addressed these complicated problems.
