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Thunderbird Professor, Trustee Join Forum on Energy Solutions(Ascribe Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) GLENDALE, Ariz., May 30 (AScribe Newswire) -- A Thunderbird professor of global business and a member of the school's board of trustees will join a select group of worldwide experts to discuss the world's increasing energy demand at the Future Trends Forum in Madrid, Spain, May 31 to June 2. Dr. Greg Unruh, Director of the Lincoln Center at Thunderbird, the Garvin School of International Management, and Diane Wittenberg, a member of the school's board of trustees and president of the California Climate Action Registry, will join other experts gathered by the Bankinter Foundation of Innovation to discuss Energy and Solutions to the World's Increasing Energy Demand through 2030. The Future Trends Forum is an exclusive group of international opinion leaders who anticipate the near future, detect social, economic, scientific and technological trends, and analyze potential scenarios and impacts on current business models. This is a great opportunity to discuss an issue of global importance with some of the leading thinkers in the world. We are approaching a turning point in our energy economy as supplies of oil and gas tighten in the face of growing demand from economic juggernauts like China and India, Unruh said. Perhaps even more important is the growing evidence that climate change is not only a scientific fact, but that it is already under way and changing the planetary conditions that mankind has depended on for millennia. He said climate trends will force the world to undergo major changes. If done correctly, they promise a cleaner, more prosperous future. If done poorly, we may end up impoverished both economically and ecologically, he said. Unruh said it is important for Thunderbird to be involved in this debate, because the school is training the global business leaders that will play a big role in guiding this transition. It is vital that, as a school, we are involved in the debate and thought leadership in this area, he said. Wittenberg, who is president of the California Climate Action Registry, a nonprofit organization that helps businesses measure and voluntarily reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, said she is looking forward to participating in the forum. Energy solutions today need the kind of connecting-the-dots thinking that the Future Trends Forum embraces, Wittenberg said. The future of energy needs big changes and big ideas. The urgency of addressing climate change as part of our planning cannot be overstated and is why we need 'high-wattage' leadership on the issue. - - - - CONTACT: Carol Sunnucks, Thunderbird Public Relations, 602-978-7272, [email protected] ABOUT GREG UNRUH: Professor Unruh has done extensive research into the issues of technological innovation in the energy sector, mostly on the challenges of addressing global climate change. He formerly was an assistant professor of International Environmental Policy for Columbia University's Earth Institute, led by development economist Jeffrey Sachs. Trained as a graduate in international environmental and technology policy at Tufts University, he co-founded the Center for Eco-Intelligent Management with the renowned designer William McDonough and directed the International Environment and Resource Policy Program at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. ABOUT DIANE WITTENBERG: Prior to joining the California Climate Action Registry, Wittenberg spent 15 years with Edison International where she was president of several energy businesses, including Edison EV and Edison Utility Alliances. She also was vice president for corporate communications for Edison International. She serves on several boards of directors, including as a trustee of Thunderbird, the Garvin School of International Management. ABOUT THUNDERBIRD: Currently celebrating its 60th year, Thunderbird, The Garvin School of International Management is the oldest graduate management school focused exclusively on global business. As the leading authority on developing global leadership talent, Thunderbird is dedicated to the task of producing global leaders who contribute to sustainable prosperity worldwide. Thunderbird teaches the development of a global mindset, the practice of global citizenship, and the skills of global entrepreneurship. Ranked #1 in international business by The Wall Street Journal and U.S. News and World Report, Thunderbird is sought out not only by students worldwide, but also by companies to provide management education solutions to a variety of business challenges. |