The Oil Drum: Local

Mayor Mike Bloomberg is currently in the middle of a strong effort to make environmental sustainability one of the top priorities of his last 3 years in office, capped off nicely with his recent announcements to create a new Office of Sustainability and Long Term Planning and build 200 miles of new bike lanes.

Just this Summer, he successfully passed a controversial 20 year solid waste management plan with an independent recycling office and he called for greater energy conservation and increased efficiency of current power plants around the periods of peak energy demand instead of calling for new power plants to be constructed.

If New York City, which already is one of the most energy efficient cities in the country (multi-unit attached housing, high rates of walking/mass transit), is seeking to become even greener and more environmentally friendly, the total impact of this effort may only partially be what happens on the ground here in NYC. Given NYC's immense economic importance on the surrounding region, policies in NYC could emanate out and influence the development of whole new markets for environmentally sustainable products and services, all under the watchful eye of the major national and international media news services.

New York University School of Law will host a panel discussion on the future of U.S. oil on Thurs., Oct. 20, 4-5:45 p.m. at NYU's Tischman Auditorium, Vanderbilt Hall, 40 Washington Square South (betw. Sullivan and MacDougal Streets). Participants include the following: Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University; James Woolsey, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency; Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour; Roger Altman, former deputy secretary of the treasury; Charles Fox, New York's deputy secretary for transportation, energy and environment; and Amory Lovins, CEO of Rocky Mountain Institute. The event will be moderated by NYU Law Dean Richard Revesz and chaired by Jeffrey Tannenbaum, president of Fir Tree Partners. Participants will discuss investment opportunities in the transition from oil dependence, the role of energy in national security, the role of defense in leading technology advances, and the legal and regulatory implications of a transformed energy sector.