Former defense official discusses energy choices
Hans Mark visited as part of the H.O. Croft Distinguished Lecture Series.
Published Feb. 14, 2006
Former Secretary of the Air Force Hans Mark delivered an hour-long speech on nuclear, solar and fossil energy to MU students, staff and faculty on Monday afternoon in Jesse Wrench Auditorium. The lecture on energy independence was part of the H.O. Croft Distinguished Lecture Series.
Mark said though U.S. citizens make up only 5 percent of the world's population, Americans use 18 percent of the world's energy.
He discussed several alternatives to oil, including solar and nuclear energy.
"Solar power is an essential element of our energy future, but it's not what you hear about," Mark said.
He said solar power would not meet the world's energy needs, but it hasn't fulfilled its potential as an energy source. Mark said wind power is a popular source of energy, but the process for collecting it is inefficient.
"Wind power is politically popular," he said. "It's just nuts."
Mark instead advocated the use of nuclear power and said other nations have found success with the energy source. He said 85 percent of France's energy is derived from nuclear power.
"Our current knowledge of nuclear power is a durative of the nuclear reactors we built to propel our submarines," Mark said.
Mark said nuclear power has lost public favor since former President Jimmy Carter's administration decided not to allow nuclear waste to be reprocessed. Mark said recycled waste could produce more energy.
James Noble, a professor of industrial engineering who sits on the committee that invites the series' lecturers, said the committee invited Mark because of his expertise on energy.
"In the past couple years, we had people who spoke in regards to new technology and military applications," Noble said. "We chose scientists from a variety topics, those that are relevant to students."
Thomas Engel, professor of electrical engineering, said he suggested Mark after the former secretary visited MU to view Engel's research. Engel introduced Mark before the lecture.
"I suggested to the Croft committee to give him this lecture opportunity," Engel said.
Mark's lecture, "The Problem of Energy and the Middle East," focused on alternatives to fossil fuels.
Mark received his undergraduate degree from University of California-Berkeley and his doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The former secretary also served as director of research in engineering at the Pentagon during former President Bill Clinton's administration and the University of Texas system chancellor.
He holds the John J. McKetta Centennial Energy Chair in Engineering at the University of Texas-Austin.