Lecture series on energy and the environment begins Nov. 29 with a panel on the future of oil

A three-part lecture series on the future of energy and the environment begins with a panel discussion on oil at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, at the Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center on the Stanford University campus. The lecture series is free and open to the public.

The Nov. 29 event—titled "The End of Oil?"—will feature three faculty members from Stanford's School of Earth Sciences. Professor Stephan Graham will start the evening with a primer on oil—how it formed, where it's found and its role as a vital commodity. Professors Amos Nur and Steven Gorelick will then offer two perspectives on how much oil is left in the world. A question-and-answer period will follow.

The second lecture in the series, "Carbon, Climate and Consequences," will take place on Feb. 21, 2006, and the third, "Moving Toward Energy Alternatives," on March 7, 2006. All lectures will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be held in McCaw Hall at the Arrillaga Center, 326 Galvez Street, Stanford.

Co-sponsored by the School of Earth Sciences and the Stanford Institute for the Environment, the lecture series is designed to frame the global problems of energy and climate in a scientific context. Recognizing the central role of fossil fuels in providing energy and in greenhouse gas-driven climate change, the lectures will aim to clarify issues that are often shrouded in uncertainty, misinformation and political bias.

For more information on the lecture series, call (650) 725-4395.

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