A Conversation with Daniel Yergin

Last night I attended an event that my boss, Patricia, had invited me to go to in her place. It turned out to be a fascinating event that was intellectually stimulating and intriguing. The New Yorker sponsored the event. There was a three person panel there to discuss sustainability. Michael Specter is a staff writer for The New Yorker, and he led the conversation of the three panelists. He asked most of the questions, but at the end he took questions from the audience. I unfortunately did not get to ask my question.


The panel included Dan Barber who is an award-winning chef and co-owner of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Farms in New York City. He was there to speak about the sustainability of industrial farming in the United States and how it impacts the environment, climate change, food prices, food quality, and other aspects of our daily lives. His key point was that the food we buy from the supermarket has a cost that is beyond what we pay in the checkout line.

The event also featured the former EPA administrator under the Clinton Administration, Carol Browner, who is now a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. She pointed out that the key to sustainability is the next generation. They need to become active in their communities. The problem of sustainability is impossible to accomplish by government policy alone. It requires grassroots movements and individual effort by the next generation, i.e. my generation.

The third, and most influential panelist in my opinion, was Daniel Yergin. Dr. Yergin is one of the most influential voices on energy in the world and a highly respected authority on international politics and economics. He received the Pulitzer Prize for his book The Prize, which became a number one best seller. He was also selling his book The Quest which is about energy, security and remaking the modern world.

Following the conversation with the panel there was a reception. I had the opportunity to buy Dr. Yergin's book and have him sign it. We even had a brief conversation about US energy policy, specifically renewable transportation fuels, which is the topic of my policy paper. I have a feeling his book will be a great source to use in my paper.

- JPG