SPOKANE – With oil prices on the rise and fears that the supply is disappearing, Washington State University this week hosts a major conference on the future of energy.
Experts will discuss how much crude oil is left in the world, and what technical and political barriers exist to extracting it, said Melissa Ahern, an economist at WSU’s Spokane campus.
“There are a lot of reasons why there is a growing gap between demand and supply,” she said.
The conference is a first step in planning how the Pacific Northwest can deal with the looming shortages, she said.
The conference runs today and Wednesday, and is presented by WSU’s Thomas S. Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service.
Some of the nation’s leading experts on oil production, energy demand and alternative energy will discuss the national and international energy outlook.
Meanwhile, the Bush administration unveiled a national campaign Monday to highlight how families, businesses and the federal government can save energy and reduce expenses.
The Energy Department is joining the Alliance to Save Energy, a consumer group, to encourage greater use of conservation tactics, such as home insulation and programmable thermostats.
To help promote the campaign, the administration will release a series of public service announcements to 4,500 radio stations, identifying easy ways to save energy in the home and gasoline in cars.
One focuses on automobile maintenance and offers driving tips to get the most out of every gallon of gas, such as reducing driving speeds.
The radio broadcasts will feature the Energy Department’s cartoon mascot, the Energy Hog, to warn consumers about the dangers of wasting energy. Much like Smokey Bear and McGruff the Crime Dog, the Energy Hog – a pig wearing blue jeans and a leather jacket – is intended to serve as the visual symbol of the campaign. The character will soon appear in magazine ads and on billboards.
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