| Date | November 9, 2017 |
| Time | 1:00pm – 3:00pm MST |
| Location | Arizona State University, ISTB-4 781 Terrace Rd Tempe, AZ 85281 |
Join us for a discussion with Lieutenant General Norman Seip USAF (Ret.), and our distinguished panel of experts on how energy security and climate resiliency impacts our national and global security, why this matters to the military, and why this should matter to the business community and citizens in Arizona.
The impacts of climate and energy insecurity are far reaching and the consequences will continue to create some serious challenges in the future for Arizona, the nation, and the world. The US Department of Defense (DOD) has long recognized that these issues have a significant impact on, and are a threat to, our national security and global stability. The military is faced with both the challenge of securing energy for reliable and sustainable operational capacity for bases in the United States, and operational effectiveness in the forward operating bases that are often in remote and austere environments.
The challenge of ensuring a global energy system that delivers the services humans need while also not doing serious damage to the environment is a quintessential wicked problem —involving complex interdependencies and/or conflicting objectives where there may be no evident solutions. The military also has the more pressing task of ensuring their energy systems provide unimpeded continuity of operations and do not inhibit their mission effectiveness. Numerous technologies and approaches such as renewable energy, microgrids, on-site battery storage, and energy efficiency measures have already shown great promise in providing operationally effective, reliable, and clean sources of energy for military missions at home and overseas.
The keynote presentation and moderated panel will address these key issues, why they matter to you, and to discuss what the military, research institutions, businesses, and others are doing to address these critical issues.
Speaker Biographies:
Lieutenant General Norman R. Seip, USAF (Ret)
Lieutenant General Norman R. Seip, USAF (Ret) served in the Air Force for 35 years. His last assignment was Commander of 12th Air Force, (Air Forces Southern), Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. comprised of seven active-duty wings and two direct-reporting units in the Western and Midwestern United States. The fighter and bomber wings under his command possessed over 400 aircraft and had more than 33,000 active-duty military and civilian assigned personnel. He was a command pilot with more than 4,500 flying hours, primarily in fighter aircraft and has flown in support of numerous military operations and contingencies around the world.
The Honorable Sharon Burke – Senior Advisor, International Security Program and Resource Security Program at New America
The Honorable Sharon E. Burke is a senior advisor to New America, where she focuses on international security and a new program, Resource Security, which examines the intersection of security, prosperity, and natural resources. Before joining New America, Burke served in the Obama Administration as the assistant secretary of defense for operational energy, a new office that worked to improve the energy security of U.S. military operations. Prior to her service at DoD, Burke held a number of senior U.S. government positions, including at the Department of State in the George W. Bush Administration, and was a vice president and senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. She attended Williams College and Columbia University, where she was a Zuckerman and International fellow at the School of International and Public Affairs. She serves as an advisor to Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Decarbonizing Energy, and the Pew Project on National Security, Energy, and Climate.
Dr. Nadya Bliss – Director of the Global Security Initiative at Arizona State University
Dr. Gary Dirks – Director of the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University
Dr. Wesley Herche (panel moderator) – Global Security Initiative at Arizona State University
