December 30, 2009 Episode

Five engineers and scientists experienced in large scale electrical energy production are today's featured guests. Topics: how California's energy follies have damaged Oregon and Washington State; why making fuel out of food may be the dumbest idea the US has ever pursued; why the US has not been building nuclear power plants even though France now uses them to generate almost 80% of its electricity, so much that France frequently exports electricity to its neighboring nations; potential problems with 'cap and trade'; and the astounding--and yet mandated--federal energy planning model which insists that oil will deflate in price by almost 2% per year for the next 30 years. Hosted by Stephen Euin Cobb, this is the December 30, 2009 episode of The Future And You. [Running time: 42 minutes] This panel was recorded on July 11, 2009 at LibertyCon in Chattanooga TN. The five panel members included:Robert G. Kennedy (author and engineer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory);Tom Trumpinski (physical chemist, formerly of Fermi Lab, and science writer);Dan Hoyt (programmer in the field of rocket science, and science fiction writer);Kenneth I. Roy (author and engineer with the US Department of Energy);Tim Bolgeo (electrical engineer, retired from The Tennessee Vally Authority. Also founder and chairman of LibertyCon in Chattanooga, where he is affectionately known as Uncle Timmy). Special thanks go to the Atlanta Radio Theatre Company for the use of their mics, sound board, and sound man; as well as to Derek Spraker (a LibertyCon organizer) who arranged for ARTC's assistance.