Date: Friday March 16, 2007 – 7:30 p.m. at the Almonte United Church Social Hall
Speaker: John M Firth
Topic: Energy Supply: A Vital Component of Civilised Society
Synopsis:
From the Roman empire, through the industrial revolution, to today’s global society, mankind has harnessed ever increasing energy usage to increase and sustain the standard of living. We have used half the world’s reserves of fossil fuels in 200 years.
Can we continue on the present course?
Speaker’s Profile:
John M Firth Hons. Class II , Engineering, U. Cambridge, 1957. 1957-58 Graduate year in electronics.
1958-61 Smiths Aircraft Instruments
1961-64 Dept. of Radio Astronomy, U.Cambridge, posted to Washington DC as a team member supporting Ariel II, an early British scientific satellite.
Recruited by RCA Victor, Montreal, for the ISIS satellite team.
In 1965 he joined the Cosmic Ray group at the National Research Council, later expanded as Space Physics.
From 1978 to 91 was a team member on the Ulysses International (European) spacecraft.
An expert glider pilot , he was a Canadian team member for ten years, and also set numerous Canadian records.
As a keen amateur violinist, he played in many orchestras and chamber music groups over the years.
Since retirement in 1995 he continued his interest in renewable energy technologies and the increasing problems of energy supply.
almonte lectures 