Michigan peak oil conference begins today

The International Conference on Peak Oil and Climate Change: Paths to Sustainability begins today in Grand Rapids, Michigan with an introduction by U.S. Congressional Peak Oil Caucus member Vern Ehlers and a keynote by Dr. David Goodstein, author of Out of Gas: The End of the Age of Oil.

It has been exactly four months since the date was set. More elaborate than a wedding, and no less expensive to host, the first “International Conference on Peak Oil and Climate Change: Paths to Sustainability” starts today.

I’ve just completed, or almost completed, updating the web site with information on all forty breakout seminars. Looking over some of the presentations as they are submitted, there are some amazing breakout presentations.

In addition, the final agenda, which effectively squeezes a four day conference into a single weekend, is complete. Main stage speakers include Dr. David Goodstein, Richard Heinberg, Julian Darley, Stephanie Mills, Pat Murphy, Megan Quinn Bachman, Aaron Wissner, Peter Sinclair, Dawn Moncrief, Dr. Dan O’Keefe, Bill Wilson, Dr. Jan Bartlett, Dr. Linda Schweitzer, and Dr. Olaf Lidums.

Over the course of the conferenceover fifty presenters will speak either on the main stage or during one of the ten concurrent breakout sessions.

Local media has been picking up on the conference, which is being billed by some as a “Gas Price Conference”: on Friday, WYCE radio; on Saturday, the Grand Rapids Press; on Sunday, WZZM TV sent a camera crew to my house(which video is available online); and on Tuesday, a WGVU (an NPR affiliate) radio interview. More media coverage is expected as the conference advisory committee has been making repeated contacts to various local and national outlets. Reporter Kelsie Wilson of TruthOut.org is flying in today from California.

Prorated and also single day pricing will be available at the door and listed on the conference registration page.

The conference starts at 5 p.m. today and runs through 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 1 at the Calvin College Fine Arts Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Additional information is available at the web site: PeakOilConference.org.