For me, the theme of the week was energy. After attending the UCLA's Energy Forum (hosted by Net Impact and the UCLA Sustainable Resource Center) on Thursday, I went to yet another energy-related forum yesterday: The LA Community College District's "Sustainability Conference," (PDF) put on by the LA Chapter of the US Green Building Council.

One of the highlights of the conference was hearing Erst von Weizsacker, Dean of the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at UC Santa Barbara. Von Weizsacker discussed ideas highlighted in a book he wrote with Amory Lovins, called Factor Four -- Doubling Wealth, Halving Resource Use. This book showcases 50 case studies that hinge on the radical idea that by simply becoming more efficient in the stuff we already do, we can actually turn a profit! These ideas are also highlighted in another book, Natural Capitalism, which Amory Lovins wrote with Paul Hawken.

In short, von Weizsacker's European perspective was refreshing. And as Dean of the Bren School, von Weizsacker's well positioned to help make his ideas a reality. The Bren School is among only a handful of schools in the United States, and the only one in the West, to integrate science, management, law, economics, and policy as part of an interdisciplinary approach to environmental problem solving.

I'm encouraged by the local colleges and universities' efforts to develop and implement interdisciplinary programs at the graduate level, and look forward to seeing the results of these endeavors.