Driving Tech Innovation and Economic Growth
by mouraq ~ October 13th, 2009. Filed under: Uncategorized.The cab driver test – you know how it goes. You get in the cab and you ask them a burning question – like “what do you think about this whole climate change deal?” And you get a response that is totally anecdotal but always interesting. Terry Tamminen started this session with his own story which gave an example of both ends of the response spectrum.
The line-up for this plenary included: Governor Ted Kulongoski from Oregon, Governor Jim Doyle from Wisconsin, Theodor Craver, CEO of Edison International, David Cush, CEO of Virgin America, Premier Danny Williams from Nfld & Laborador, Michael Rea from the Carbon Trust in the UK, and, Pablo Mandeville, Uruguay Resident Coordinator for UN.
Noted without attribution (notice how as the conference proceeded my note-taking lagged!)
- Oregon is pushing ahead on clean-tech jobs – 1 out of 100 workers now in clean tech jobs.
- Wisconsin is investing in research — especially alternative energy – they have already invested in Life Sciences and Medicine. Now it is the energy sector’s turn.
- Newfoundland/Labrador – energy warehouse of Canada. Detailed ocean mapping technologies key. Made the comment that our Canadian stimulus packages should have been about the green economy. Hear. Hear.
- Airlines like Virgin America are looking for efficient flight paths to minimize fuel. Mentioned the need for a public policy context to make change in the airline industry.
And the next blog will be on Oceans.
October 13th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
A balance between the public and the private sector will allow us to set the stage for a post carbon economy. The US experience with the failure of their financial markets (Wall Street) and the failure of the housing market is not to be embraced as a model. The suburban ashpalt infrastucture program of the current government program is so out of date.
Future global demand is going to be green and pacific oriented; ocean science and technology must be part of that. Current economic priorites are not equiping us to participate.