September 14, 2009

CORVALLIS, Ore. - The Department of Geosciences at Oregon State University will sponsor a spring seminar series titled "Geoscience Perspectives on Energy, Environment and the Future," featuring some prominent scientists in this field from around the nation.

The presentations will be made each Tuesday during April, May and early June, beginning at 4 p.m. in Gilfillan Auditorium on the OSU campus. The events are free and open to the public.

"Energy production and its relationship to environmental problems like global warming, endangered species, and hazardous waste disposal is a critical issue for the 21st century," said Ed Brook, a professor of geosciences. "The speakers in this seminar series will address diverse issues related to this topic, from the environmental impacts of removing hydroelectric dams to the impacts of wind power on rural communities and the fate of waste products from energy production."

Speakers will include international experts on the fate of fossil fuel carbon dioxide, efforts to sequester it in geological formations, unconventional energy supplies, and experts in energy policy and renewable energy, Brook said.

The presenters and their topics include:

  • April 4: "Oregon Energy Policy," presented by Mike Grainey, director of the Oregon Department of Energy;
  • April 11: "Impacts of Dam Removal," by Gordon Grant, USDA Forest Service and OSU;
  • April 25: "Long Term Fate and Impact of Fossil Fuel CO2," by David Archer, University of Chicago;
  • May 2: "Sustainable Development and the Minerals Industry," by Jeremy Richards, University of Alberta;
  • May 9: "Methane Hydrates," by Anne Trehu, Oregon State University;
  • May 16: "Wind Power and Rural Communities," by Larry Flowers, National Renewable Energy Laboratory;
  • May 23: "Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage for Geological Formations," by Sally Benson, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory;
  • May 30: "Nuclear Waste Disposal," by Russ Dyer, U.S. Department of Energy;
  • June 6: "Petroleum Biodegradation and Tar Sands," by Steve Larter, University of Calgary.
    • Source: 

    Ed Brook,
    541-737-8197

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