Energy
in
the
21st
Century
–
The
Energy
Conversation
with
the
Cebrowski
Institute
By
Mass
Communication
Specialist
John
R.
Fischer
In
today’s
situation
of
energy
dependence
and
sustainability,
would
a
naturalist,
a
civil‐spiritual
leader,
and
a
general
who
fought
in
two
World
Wars
agree
on
the
way
we
let
our
lives
revolve
around
energy?
Or
would
the
lessons
they
taught
us
and
the
beliefs
and
values
they
stood
for,
albeit
from
vastly
different
perspectives,
actually
coalesce
into
a
message
for
today’s
society
to
rally
behind
in
honor
of
a
better
way
and
a
better
life
for
those
who
follow
behind
us?
Jim
Woolsey,
former
Under
Secretary
of
the
Navy
and
Director,
CIA,
asked
that
very
question
in
regards
to
John
Muir,
father
of
the
American
environmental
movement,
Mahatma
Gandhi,
the
leader
of
the
Indian
independence
movement,
and
Gen.
George
S.
Patton,
an
exemplar
of
a
true
modern
warrior.
“So
keeping
in
mind
those
three
gentlemen,
or
at
least
their
ghosts,
I
want
to
say
a
word
about
the
two
types
of
energy
systems
we
have
in
the
country
and
the
two
major
types
of
threats
to
them,”
said
Woolsey
during
an
address
May
11,
2009.
“Electricity
on
the
one
hand
and
transportation
on
the
other.”
Woolsey's
audience
was
the
attendees
of
the
32nd
Energy
Conversation,
an
evening
seminar
series
aimed
at
opening
minds
to
new
energy
usage
concepts
and
practices.
The
voluntary
collaboration
efforts
of
various
interagency,
interdepartmental
and
cross‐sector
individuals
have
kept
the
Energy
Conversation
fresh
and
always
abreast
of
new
information
and
points
of
view.
Staying
true
to
the
idea
that
it’s
not
possible
to
please
all
of
the
people,
all
of
the
time,
Woolsey
used
the
different
perspectives
of
the
three
men
to
discuss
reformation
of
the
energy
grid
and
alternative
ways
to
reduce
the
nation’s
oil
dependency.
Woolsey
also
performed
as
the
keynote
speaker
at
the
first
Energy
Conversation
event
on
March
29,
2006.
CNA
was
the
executor
for
the
series,
and
the
Office
of
Defense
Transformation,
under
the
leadership
of
Vice
Adm.
Arthur
K.
Cebrowski,
was
the
primary
sponsor.
Today,
the
executor
for
the
series
is
the
Cebrowski
Institute
at
the
Naval
Postgraduate
School;
and
the
program
has
sponsorship
through
the
Office
of
the
Under
Secretary
of
Defense
for
Acquisition,
Technology
and
Logistics.
”We
continue
to
move
forward
on
the
energy
front
by
presenting
relevant
topics
and
a
forum
for
open
discussion
and
collaborative
networking
at
The
Energy
Conversation,
so
that
the
solutions
that
are
already
out
there
can
be
implemented
in
a
timely
manner.”
Mitzi
Wertheim,
an
NPS
Professor
as
well
as
Founder
and
Director
of
The
Energy
Conversation,
said,
“We
see
greater
instability
in
climate,
geopolitics
and
economics.
Energy
remains
a
central
theme
to
both
the
problems
and
solutions.
We
continue
to
move
forward
on
the
energy
front
by
presenting
relevant
topics
and
a
forum
for
open
discussion
and
collaborative
networking
at
The
Energy
Conversation,
so
that
the
solutions
that
are
already
out
there
can
be
implemented
in
a
timely
manner.”
With
over
29
government
agencies
in
collaboration
with
the
goals
of
The
Energy
Conversation,
it
stands
as
a
pivotal
tool
within
which
to
break
stovepipes,
collaborate,
share
information
and
work
toward
the
common
good
using
the
most
strategic
tool
of
postmodernity
–
networking.
Said
Wertheim,
“When
we
live
in
a
world
that
continues
to
perpetuate
a
way
of
life
that
is
unsustainable,
it
becomes
self‐evident
that
the
thinking
that
got
us
into
this
mess
will
not
get
us
out
of
it.
New
solutions
must
be
found,
and
through
a
collaborative
effort,
The
Energy
Conversation
is
bringing
these
solutions
to
the
public
and
the
government
in
a
way
that
allows
people
to
feel
comfortable
enough
to
communicate
their
concerns
openly.”
The
Cebrowski
Institute,
which
sponsors
cross‐discipline
research
projects
that
support
global
security
through
innovations
in
information
technology,
networking,
and
network
operations,
recognizes
the
networking
potential
of
a
project
like
The
Energy
Conversation.
“The
task
is
to
help
this
project
share
information
between
what
the
Energy
Conversation
community
has
been
doing
and
how
to
best
share
it
with
other
communities,”
said
Sue
Higgins,
Deputy
Director
of
the
Cebrowski
Institute.
“We’re
used
to
[the
concept
of]
need‐to‐know
[information
practices].
We
want
this
to
be
need‐to‐share.”
The
Energy
Conversation
emerged
as
a
grassroots
campaign,
but
with
all
the
major
players
starting
at
the
top
of
their
respective
fields.
With
the
Cebrowski
Institute’s
expertise
in
network
strategy,
they
hope
to
bring
information
about
The
Energy
Conversation
to
everyone’s
attention.
“This
is
an
area
that
we
want
permeability
in,”
explained
Higgins:
“Who’s
learning
what
about
alternative
energy,
information
sharing
and
best
practices.”