Throughout my studies, I have have focused on energy issues.  In a self-designed degree, “Environmental Economics and Entrepreneurship,” I have researched and written extensively on policies, regulations, breakthrough technologies and innovative business models and last year, received two entrepreneurship awards for executive summaries and elevator pitches.  Recently, I was asked to guest lecture at an entrepreneurship course by a former professor.  I have become particularly interested in system-improving technologies, such as Smart Grid, which will foster marketable innovations and create jobs across many sectors while fomenting significant overall improvements in the energy industry, reducing carbon emissions and educating consumers.

In pursuit of this interest and with my desire to contribute in an international capacity, I spent this past spring in Beijing as a research analyst with the Joint U.S. China Cooperation on Clean Energy (JUCCCE), where I began conducting an economic feasibility study for Smart Grid development in China.  I am continuing that study, this semester, helping JUCCCE with the development of its online “Energy Blueprint for Action” forum, and have been asked to serve as an expert panelist for a start-up called, sofarsoGREEN.com.  I am also working with a team of students to help a local solar service provider hone its business plan and marketing strategy while helping them prepare for the uncertain future of state rebates.

Having had some experience at various levels in addressing the complex issues of energy system change, I have gained exposure to some of the barriers.  Here, I’ve broken them down into three basic categories:

At the “base,” modern and/or traditional comforts, conveniences, habits, and financial constraints hold sway.  Catalyzing behavioral changes in individuals or across groups is always challenging, but getting people to change from something, without given them a clear vision and incentive for changing to something is a grassroots effort set up to fail.  In the “middle,” communities and towns and cities have, in some instances, established progressive plans and made great strides, but financial constraints, poor oversight, small-mindedness and/or local politics limit many efforts.  At the “top,” politics is king.  Strong, clear, decisive, progressive, and/or sufficient leadership on national and international climate change issues is impotent, if it exists at all.

While thousands of people around the world are working diligently and with various degrees of success to make great change happen, there is a lot of work to do.  Global Warming is not a problem for “other” people to deal with – we all own it, and we’ll all experience the outcome.