Press Advisory

Global Warming and the Future of Coal

The Path to Carbon Capture and Storage – a New CAP Report

Washington, DC – Coal-fired electricity is a key element of our current and future energy mix. However, managing the greenhouse gas emissions generated by coal combustion remains a serious challenge in the face of global warming. Congress is now considering several bills that would help stabilize and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases if the planet is to avoid the serious consequences of global warming.

As part of the Center for American Progress’ “Energy Opportunity” series, CAP is presenting this event to release the report “Global Warming and the Future of Coal: The Path to Carbon Capture and Storage.” The report describes a legislative path to begin the capture and storage of the carbon dioxide produced by coal combustion so that new coal plants do not worsen global warming.

Featured Speakers:

Kenneth Berlin, Report Author; Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom

Robert M. Sussman, Report Author; Partner, Latham & Watkins, Former Deputy Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Carol M. Browner, Principal, The Albright Group LLC; Former Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

John Deutch, Institute Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Former Director, Central Intelligence Agency

David Hawkins, Director, Climate Center, Natural Resources Defense Council

 

Thursday, May 31, 2007 Program: 9:00am to 10:30am Admission is free.

Center for American Progress 1333 H St. NW, 10th Floor Washington, DC 20005 Map & Directions

Nearest Metro: Blue/Orange Line to McPherson Square or Red Line to Metro Center

RSVP for this Event

For more information, please call 202.741.6246.

Biographies

Kenneth Berlin heads the Environmental Practice at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. He is a leading expert and frequent speaker on approaches to address global warming and on the impact of greenhouse gas issues on project development and utility and manufacturing companies. He has authored many articles on environmental issues. Berlin is a former Chairman of the Board of the Environmental Law Institute and a former member of the Board of the Environmental Alliance, the current Chairman of the Board of the American Bird Conservancy, and a member of the Boards of the Earth Day Network and the Center for International Environmental Law. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia Law School.

Carol M. Browner served as head of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a $7 billion, 18,000-employee agency responsible for protecting the public’s air, water, and the health of their communities. She served as a member of the president’s cabinet for eight years. Browner, an attorney, is widely recognized for her innovative partnerships with the business community and non-governmental organizations, forging common sense, cost-effective solutions to public health and environmental challenges. Accomplishments during her tenure included enacting the strongest-ever national air pollution standards, creating innovative and flexible alternatives to traditional regulatory programs, and leveraging more than $1 billion in public and private funds to clean up brownfields.

John Deutch is an Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is widely published. Deutch has been a member of the MIT faculty since 1970 and has served as Chairman of the Department of Chemistry, Dean of Science, and Provost. Following several high positions in the Departments of Defense and Energy, he served as Director of Central Intelligence from 1995 through 1996. Deutch has served on many commissions during several presidential administrations. In addition, he has received numerous Public Service Medals, fellowships, and honors, for example from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1978). Deutch serves as director for the following publicly held companies: Citigroup, Cummins, Raytheon and Schlumberger Ltd. He is a trustee of Resources for the Future, the Urban Institute, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. He earned a B.A. from Amherst College, and both a B.S. in chemical engineering and Ph.D. in physical chemistry from MIT.

David G. Hawkins is the director of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s climate center. He joined NRDC as an attorney in 1971 and worked on air pollution issues until 1977, when he was appointed assistant administrator for Air, Noise, and Radiation at the Environmental Protection Agency during the Carter administration. Hawkins returned to NRDC in 1981 and worked throughout the next decade primarily on reauthorizing the Clean Air Act. He was the director of NRDC’s air and energy program from 1990 to 2001, until he became director of the newly created climate center. Hawkins is a recognized expert on advanced coal technologies and carbon capture and storage, and is working with Congress to design a legislative mechanism to reduce global warming emissions. Hawkins has an English degree from Yale College and a law degree from Columbia University.

Robert M. Sussman is a partner at the law firm of Latham & Watkins and chaired the firm’s environmental practice in Washington, D.C. from 1996 to 2006. He is a leading expert on climate change and energy policy. Sussman served as Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency during the Clinton administration. He has published several articles on environmental and energy issues, including climate change. Sussman is on the Board of Directors of the Environmental Law Institute and was on the Board of the Environmental Alliance. He also served on the Steering Committee of the Enterprise for the Environment initiative and on the National Academy of Sciences Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology. He is a graduate of Yale College and Yale Law School.