Energy Economist Pushes Conservation

Demands on the world's energy sources will only continue to increase unless policymakers shift their focus to conservation. That's according to energy economist Peter Tertzakian, who's speaking at Carnegie Mellon University tonight. With 75 million people born each year, and countries like China industrializing rapidly, Tertzakian says the focus should be on finding ways to reduce energy usage. He says there are three ways to make that happen: financial and other incentives to encourage people to telework, lower their thermostats, and cut back on gas; a "rallying cry" from leaders to persuade people that conservation is the morally right thing to do; or an energy crisis.

Tertzakian says right now, the focus has been on engineers to find a solution to our energy problems. He says there needs to be a way to put more responsibility on consumers.

Tertzakian likens energy usage to the development of the human body. Rapidly developing countries, he says, are like teenagers who are always hungry and don't really care what they eat. The United States, he says, is more like a middle-aged person who tries to eat healthier in recognition of the consequences of eating too much junk food.

Tertzakian is speaking as part of a three-day conference called "Focus the Nation" at Carnegie Mellon University.