Lee Lynd, winner of the $100,000 Lemelson-MIT Award for Sustainability, gave the keynote address at the Ideas Competition awards ceremony. The founder of biofuel company Mascoma, which recently won a $4.9 million grant from the Department of Energy, Lynd pioneered a process for making cellulose-derived ethanol.
"If you think of measuring well-being for humans, high up on the list is peace, prosperity and sustainability. You will find energy peaking out between each of them," said Lynd.
"A tech career dedicated to service can be done, can be fulfilling and is needed by the world," he added. "As a scientist, I am invited to contribute to policy. But there is seldom a seat at the science table for those in policy."
Photo by Candace Lombardi/CNET News.com
