INVITATION

to

SECOND WORLD CONGRESS ALTERNATIVE ENERGY AND ECOLOGY

9-15 August 2010, St. Petersburg, Russia

As a result of growing demand for petroleum, especially from fast growing economies of China and India, and because of the speedy depletion of petroleum resources, In 2008 price of petroleum continuously increased until it reached $150 per barrel. Since then, because of the economic recession, demand for petroleum subsided and went down to $40 per gallon. However, since then because of the picking up of some economical and industrial activity, demand for petroleum started to grow and recently its price reached $85 per barrel. These are all indications that we are running out of petroleum, as well as natural gas and coal.

Large scale utilization of petroleum, natural gas and coal is also resulting in the growing environmental problems. Large chunks of ice are breaking from Antarctica and Greenland causing sea levels to rise. Stronger storms, floods and droughts are hurting the world economy. The total environmental damage caused by global warming, climate change, ozone layer depletion, acid rains, pollution and oil spills, presently stand at $8.3trillion per annum, and it is growing.

Because of the foregoing, scientists, engineers and environmentalists are working to find solutions to the interrelated global problems of energy and ecology. Under the leadership of Dr. Alexander L. Gusev, a new series of scientific meetings, i.e., World Congresses Alternative Energy and Ecology (WCAEE), have been initiated, which covers alternative energies and ecology, including their history, renewable energy sources, nuclear energy, thermonuclear energy, hydrogen energy, energy conversion, effects on ecology, flora and fauna, and the related topics.

The first of these congresses were held on a riverboat, which cruised from Nizhny Novgorodto Kazan and back in August 2006. I am happy to report that it was a big success with participants hailing from many countries of the world. Because of its great success, now the second congress in the series, i.e., Second World Congress Alternative Energy and Ecology (WCAEE 2010) is being organized in the beautiful and historic city of St. Petersburg.

Because of the foregoing, I urge all the engineers, scientists, environmentalists, decision makers and policy makers, who are involved in alternative energy and ecology directly and/or indirectly, to contribute to and/or participate in the Second World Congress Alternative Energy and Ecology (WCAEE 2010). This will bring us closer to the age of abundant energy and clean ecology.

T. Nejat Veziroglu

President, International Association for Hydrogen Energy

Chairperson, World Congress Alternative Energy and Ecology