Brown Bag - Green Book discussion on Solar Energy

The community is invited to a lunch & learn series from Knox County Public Library and the City of Knoxville

In the wake of the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, the subject of alternative methods of harvesting energy is being discussed more than ever. The Brown Bag – Green Book Lunch and Learn series sponsored by the Knox County Public Library and the City of Knoxville returns for the summer. On Wednesday, June 16, at 12 noon in the East Tennessee History Center Auditorium, 601 South Gay Street, across from the Tennessee Theatre Harvey Abouelata, Vice President of Efficient Energy of Tennessee, will lead a discussion of Power Trip: From Oil Wells to Solar Cells---Our Ride to the Renewable Future, by Amanda Little.

“ Power Trip challenges the reader to think about how oil affects their day to day lives,” says Abouelata. “I like a challenge, so I decided to figure out a way to go 24 hours without using or touching any petroleum products. The solution was easy. Go to the top of a mountain, wear natural fibers, and do not eat or drink anything you cannot catch with your bare hands. I’ll share the results of my experiment at the book discussion on the 16th.”

In Power Trip , journalist Amanda Little maps out the history and future of America's energy addiction in a wonk-free, big-picture, solutions-oriented adventure story. After covering the environment and energy beat for more than a decade, Amanda Little decided that the only way to really understand America's energy crisis was to travel into the heart of it. She embarks on a daring cross-country power trip, and describes in vivid, fast-paced prose the most extreme and exciting frontiers of our energy landscape.

Harvey Abouelata is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Efficient Energy of Tennessee. Previously, he held a similar position with Sustainable Future, LLC. Harvey has worked for years throughout the state of Tennessee to develop the renewable technology industry. A few examples of his extensive efforts work include developing Solar Workforce Training Programs with Pellissippi State Community College, working closely with the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce and City of Knoxville to increase solar technology deployment in Eastern Tennessee, and developing educational curriculum for TVA's Green Power Switch program.

Abouelata has also worked closely with the State of Tennessee's Energy Office to ensure that the benefits of bringing renewable technology to the state, from job creation to power production, remain within the state. He continues to work very closely with energy-related entities including, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USDA Rural Development, the American Solar Energy Society and any and all entities working to make our local communities a better place to live. He holds a Bachelor's of Science from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

The community is invited to join the conversation, but reading the book is optional.

The series will continue Wednesday, July 21, with John Nolt, professor of philosophy at the University of Tennessee, leading a discussion of the classic Fast Food Nation: the dark side of the all American meal , by Eric Schlosser.

For more information, please call Emily Ellis at 215-8763 at 215-2065.