"Sense and Sustainability: What strategies will really work to create a new energy future?" Humankind's efforts over the past 100 years to confront great global challenges in some cases may have actually made our problems worse. In fact, the quest for "energy security" in the Middle East may be responsible for tripling of oil prices. With this unenviable track record, we now turn our ingenuity to averting the disaster that could proceed from an abrupt, man-made rise in global temperatures. Our goal? "Sustainability" -- finding a way to balance our insatiable need for energy against our very evident need for a habitable planet to live on. But what does "Sustainability" really mean? And how do we get there? Can we get there, or are we trying to have our cake and eat it too? Which of the dozens of approaches we are taking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will actually help and which approaches are going to make the problem worse? The 2008 Platts Lectures will examine what the future of sustainability is likely to be. They will delve into the individual technologies, the economics of sustainability, and perhaps most importantly the politics that surround what is and is likely to remain the 21st century's biggest challenge. Featured Speaker Dr. Madeleine K. Albright, Principal of the Albright Group, LLC and former United States Secretary of State As the world struggles to adjust to surging population, the rise of new political powers, and the possible socio-political implications of climate change, any sustainability policy that ignores politics looks increasingly like whistling in the dark. With her decades of political experience, Dr. Albright will examine the crucial issues in international relations that must underpin any truly global strategy to resolve the three-way tension between greenhouse gas reduction, energy security and energy cost. The Platts Lectures will be attended by hundreds of senior executives from across the globe representing all energy sectors and the financial community. Dr. Albright will be joined by additional speakers that will include globally renowned industry leaders and academics who excel in thought leadership and innovation. Additional speakers will be announced in the coming weeks. The 2008 Platts Lectures coincide with the 10th Anniversary of the annual Platts Global Energy Awards gala. For details go to globalenergyawards.com. Speaker David Crane, President and CEO of NRG Energy David Crane is outspoken on the need for climate legislation and strongly supports clean energy resources and technologies critical to our transition to a low carbon-emitting society. In 2007, NRG, a leading wholesale power generation company, became the first U.S. company in nearly 30 years to file for an operating license to build new nuclear generation at its South Texas Project location.