MIDLAND The Petroleum Museum, through the support of the Abell-Hanger Foundation, will welcome geologist, educator, energy expert, and documentary filmmaker Dr. Scott W. Tinker at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 18. A Monday news release said Dr. Tinker will discuss the important challenges of affordable and reliable energy for the world while protecting the environment.
Providing security is a primary objective of every global leader. With the fervent push in Western Europe and the U.S. to address climate issues, and the resultant policy‐driven energy crisis in the European Union, several important realities are becoming clear.
First, there are no clean and dirty, renewable, and nonrenewable energy sources. They all have benefits and environmental impacts. There are trade‐offs. Second, not everything can, or should, be electrified. Many of the industrial materials and services required by global economies such as steel, cement, plastic, ammonia, and transoceanic travel require high heat produced by burning energy-dense molecules. Finally, secure energy – affordable, reliable, and safe – underpins economic health, lifts people from poverty, and enables nations to invest in the environment, including atmospheric emissions reductions. Intermittent sources such as solar and wind require expensive backups to make them reliable. Recognizing these realities sets the framework for a balanced dialog about energy, climate, poverty, and other major global issues.
Scott Tinker brings industry, government, academia, and nongovernmental organizations together to address major societal challenges in energy, the environment, and the economy. He is Director of the Bureau of Economic Geology, the State Geologist of Texas, and a professor holding the Allday Endowed Chair in the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin. With Director Harry Lynch, Dr. Tinker co‐produced the award‐winning documentary films Switch and Switch On, which have been screened in over 50 countries. Dr. Tinker founded the nonprofit Switch Energy Alliance, whose educational materials appear from schools to board rooms globally. Tinker is the host of PBS Energy Switch, an energy and climate talk show appearing on over 200 PBS stations nationwide, and Earth Date, featured weekly on over 450 public radio stations in all 50 states. In his visits to some 60 countries, Dr. Tinker has given over 1,000 keynote and invited lectures. He also presented a TEDx talk on The Dual Challenge: Energy and Environment.
Join as Dr. Tinker shares the framework for a balanced dialog about energy, climate, poverty, and other major global issues. This is sure to be a vital lecture about energy and our future. Admission is free. Seating is limited, and reservations are strongly recommended. Make your reservation online today at www.pbpetro.org or call 432-683-4403.
Museum members are invited to a reception with Dr. Tinker at 6:30 p.m. on May 18. Not a member? Support the Museum by purchasing your membership today online at pbpetro.org/memberships or call 432-683-4403.
