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--></style><title>LFEE Seminars (Nov 10) Can Hydrogen be Part of the
Nea</title></head><body>
<div><font color="#000000">Environment and Sustainability Seminar
Series</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">Sponsored by the MIT Laboratory for Energy
and the Environment (LFEE)<br>
<br>
<b>NEXT TWO SEMINARS:<br>
<br>
THIS WEEK -<br>
<br>
"Can Hydrogen be Part of the Near Term "Energy Equation"?"<br>
<br>
Prof. Ahmed Ghoniem<br>
</b>Department of Mechanical Engineering, MIT<br>
<br>
<b>Wednesday, November 10<br>
12:00 - 1:30 pm<br>
E40-496<br>
<br>
</b>With the debate on the merits and perils of the "hydrogen
economy" getting "red-hot", other scenarios should be considered
in the effort to improve fossil-based energy conversion efficiency.
These include the "hydrogen" option in other forms, such as
hydrogen-enriched combustion, reforming through chemical recuperation,
cascading cycles for waste heat recovery, etc. The first option
promises near-term performance enhancements with less onerous demand
on the support infrastructure, and it could offer gradual and smooth
transition towards "pure hydrogen", or other "chemical energy
carriers" that could be synthesized during short or long term
shortage of fossil-based hydrocarbons. Furthermore, it enables
expanding the available energy conversion hardware; the use of
"smart" systems; and better economic control over emissions. I
will present evidence and trends that support this scenario; the
technical background confirming the benefit of hydrogen enrichment;
and work underway to take advantage of this development.<br>
</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000"><b>NEXT WEEK -<br>
<br>
"NGO Proposals to Reform International Trade Finance Rules:
Boon for Clean Energy Exports or Boondoggle?"<br>
<br>
Peter C. Evans<br>
</b>Center for International Studies, MIT<br>
<br>
<b>Wednesday, November 17th<br>
12:00 - 1:30 pm<br>
E40-496<br>
<br>
</b>NGOs have been highly critical of the international regime that
governs official trade finance. They have challenged the regime
for failing to sufficiently regulate the negative environmental
externalities associated with large pipelines, dams, nuclear power
plants and other energy projects. Given climate change concerns,
NGOs have also criticized the substantial credit support that
exporting governments provide for fossil fuel based capacity additions
in developing countries compared to the meager support provided to
renewable energy. <br>
<br>
The industrialized member countries of the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) established the regime governing
official trade finance in the 1970s. These rules were designed to
curtail trade distortions caused by the subsidization of credits
issued by export credit agencies (ECAs) and the abuse of Official
Development Assistance (ODA) through "tied-aid" and other
potentially predatory trade practices. These rules now affect
approximately $100 billion in projects financed annually with medium
to long-term credits backed by OECD governments, including a wide
range of energy infrastructure projects in the developing world.<br>
<br>
In this talk, Peter Evans will examine the criticisms leveled by NGOs,
the prospects for reforms they propose, and the consequences for
cleaner energy exports. Mr. Evans, a Senior Associate at
Cambridge Energy Research Associated (CERA) from 1996-2003, has
written extensively about energy and export credit issues.
He is currently completing his PhD at MIT's Department of Political
Science. His dissertation examines the international regime
governing official trade finance.<br>
<br>
_________________________________________________________________<br>
Part of a series of brown bag talks on issues of energy, environment,
and sustainability sponsored by the MIT Laboratory for Energy and the
Environment. Bring your lunch - cookies and drinks will be
provided.</font><br>
<font color="#000000"></font></div>
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<div><font
color="#000000">_________________________________</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">Karen L. Gibson</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">Program Assistant</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">MIT Laboratory For Energy and the
Environment</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">77 Massachusetts Avenue,
E40-469</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">(1 Amherst St., E40-469 - for DHL and
FedEx)</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">Cambridge, MA 02139 USA</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">Tel: 1 (617) 258-6368; Fax: 1
(617) 258-6590</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">http://lfee.mit.edu</font></div>
<div><font
color="#000000">http://globalsustainability.org</font></div>
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