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State of the society: state of the society address.

Article Excerpt
Any time I stand before a room full of ASHRAE heroes, I am overwhelmed by the commitment that you exhibit. Let me say a very sincere "thank you"--whether your commitment is demonstrated by the time you devote to committee service or by the financial support you provide as a Golden Circle contributor or conference sponsor.

We also need to recognize the commitment and contributions of ASHRAE staff members. Many of our staff treat their work like a cause instead of a job, and they work long hours supporting our volunteers and moving our projects forward.

I also want to recognize the commitment of the family members who support our staff and volunteers. ASHRAE work entails the sacrifice of a lot of family time and money. The commitment of our ASHRAE families is vitally important to our success. Some families might even think that spending vacation time in Chicago weather in January is an act of commitment. Thank you very much to every one of you who make the vital work that we do a reality.

I can tell you that the work we do is important and that we are making a difference. As I have traveled around the world this year, I have found that while every country has some unique issues, there are three interrelated issues that are common to all countries. These are:

* the price and availability of energy

* the price and availability of food

* the protection of our environment

Energy is a global problem today. The Web site www.energyshortage.org identifies a dozen countries where energy supplies are creating availability problems. Last year, South Africa suffered power shortages that forced the gold mines to shut down at a time when gold prices were at an all-time high. While the global recession has caused the price of oil to fall dramatically, it has also lead to a reduction in development of new sources of oil. There is little reason to believe that long-term growth in the demand for energy will slow, and there is little reason to believe that oil prices will remain low as world economies recover. The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that the cost of oil will average $100 per barrel between now and 2015 and will rise to $120 per barrel by 2030. It predicts that world energy demand will expand by 45% between 2006 and 2030 and that oil and coal will continue to be our primary sources of energy.

Food cost is a problem in most economies, and shortages exist in many countries. I shared a platform with the Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture for...

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