Last spring, I attended my first Green Energy Summit. As I sat in the main hall, I listened in awe to local, regional, national and international speakers, such as:
 Professor Lonnie Thompson, who climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, drilled samples of the earth’s core, and returned with the frozen samples to Ohio State University to reveal the history from centuries past.
 Arctic explorer Will Steger, who shared his first-hand experience as he watched glaciers melt at a pace faster than years before.
 Actor and activist Ed Begley, Jr., who talked about the environment, his failed home energy assessment, and the monthly check he receives since purchasing a wind powered turbine nearly 30 years ago.
Where else could I meet such an ensemble of professionals for the price of my time? But there was more. During breakout sessions, I learned that gen-Y’s prefer mass transit and living downtown, while baby boomers prefer highways and living in the suburbs. I toured exhibits featuring electric cars, solar tube and wind power displays, energy assessments and green jobs. Yes, I said jobs.
The summit is coming again to the Frontier Airline Center on March 9-12, 2011. The theme of the 8th annual Green Energy Summit is “Green Frontiers, Historic Changes, Unprecedented Opportunities”. Each day has a different focus: green business, green energy, green career pathway and sustainability, and workshops and field trips. Come to hear
Will Allen, CEO and founder of Growing Power wil be speaking Wednesday morning. Educators should catch Debra Rowe, President of the U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development, who will present on Friday. There is something for everyone.
MATC students can register for free at the http://greenenergysummit.us. Check the web site for updated information. Look for the next issue of the MATC Times for
the latest news about the
summit.