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Session Q05 - Federal Policy Initiatives and Physics Research Aspects of Sustainable Technology
Invited session, Friday morning, March 24, 8:00
Ballroom A6, San Jose Convention Center
Environmental technologies which rely on resource efficiency have a high economic payoff. According to the Department of Energy, investments in these technologies create more jobs than any other federal infrastructure investment. Dollars saved through energy efficiency and spent elsewhere in the economy multiply job creation 2-3 times. The most urgent need for more sustainable technology in the U.S. is in the transportation sector. Crude oil and petroleum supply 97% of U.S. transportation energy and are responsible for \ dollar;51 billion (38%) of the U.S. trade deficit. Vehicle miles traveled have increased 43% and transportation energy consumption has increased 14% since 1980. The previous talks have shown that there are important physics aspects of research on sustainable technologies. This talk will open a discussion of how physicists can become involved in such research-- or even get jobs doing it. All the panelists will answer questions on this topic and how it relates to federal R&D policy.