July 27 Program- Powering Forward: What Everyone Should Know About America’s Energy Revolution
An energy revolution is underway, with wind, sunlight, and other sustainable resources now the fastest growing sources of energy in the U.S. and worldwide. This Wednesday, Rotarians receive a primer in the future of energy, when Bill Ritter, Jr., the 41st governor of Colorado and Director of CSU’s Center for the New Energy Economy will discuss the forces behind the energy revolution, the new ways we must think about energy, and the future of fossil and renewable fuels. Ritter will be introduced by Maury Dobbie.
American families are installing power plants on their roofs and entire communities are switching to 100 percent renewable energy. The urgent need to prevent climate change is causing people to question their reliance on carbon-intensive oil, coal, and natural gas.
Bill Ritter Jr. earned his B.S. in political science from CSU (1978) and his J.D. from CU (1981). He served as Denver's District Attorney from 1993 to January 2005, and was elected as Colorado's 41st governor in 2006 -- the first Colorado-born governor in more than 35 years. The sixth of 12 children, Ritter was raised on a small farm in Arapahoe County and was a member of the first graduating class of Gateway High School (1974). Before becoming District Attorney, he and wife Jeannie operated a food distribution and nutrition center in Zambia. They have four children; August, Abe, Sam and Tally.