Development in energy supply debate
Description
Dominic Boot was chairman VNPI, Vereniging Nederlandse Petroleum Industrie, for 12 years. In his talk, he will give his personal view on the developments of the energy supply debate and draw attention to the split that has emerged between political desirability and scientific reality.
VNPI is directly involved in discussions with government and environmental groups on energy supply, particularly on loosening the "fossil drip". This desire to phase out the use of fossil fuels was born out of concerns around security of supply and, increasingly, the perception that fossil fuel use is one of the causes of climate change.
Boot will give his personal view on the climate change debate, in which emotion plays a major role and in which alleged facts are proclaimed and defended with great vigour. However, many of these facts are based on a series of assumptions, not all of which are well founded.
The debate is further complicated by the dilemma that many scenarios conclude that fossil fuels remain an indispensable link in the energy supply of the world, the EU and also the Netherlands. Moreover, the oil industry and Dutch refineries make an important contribution to the Dutch economy and employment.
Reducing anthropogenic CO2 emissions by brute force seems to have little chance of success as a unilateral means of halting climate change. Other far-reaching means to reduce climate change are therefore being considered but some of these seem worse than the disease.
The conclusion is that the real solution will have to be found through carefully considered research and development of means to bring a radical change in the energy intensity of the world's growing population and its growing ambitions."
Mr Boot also held a lecture for KIVI NIRIA Oil and Gas Technology on 12 April 2007 entitled 'The sense and nonsense of biofuels'. For that lecture, see the OG website: www.kiviniria.nl/og
Speaker(s)
Bio Drs. J.C.D.Boot :
Dominic Boot (1939) obtained his doctorate in Organic Chemistry in 1964 with philosophy as an optional subject. After a brief stint as a teacher of chemistry and physics, he started his Shell career in 1965. He worked as a technologist in the Trinidad and Curacao refineries, worked in London and became General Manager manufacturing training in 1975. This was followed by periods as director of refining in Pernis, general manager in Berre (France), Stanlow (UK) and Singapore. He became a director of the Netherlands Petroleum Industry Association in 1999. He has been teaching non-Dutchmen in the Schilderswijk district of The Hague for several years
Location
KIVI NIRIA building, Great Hall
Prinsessegracht 23, 2514 AP The Hague
Organiser
Oil and Gas Technology
Name and contact details for information
For more information, please contact Govert Baak