Robert H. Socolow is a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University, where he teaches in both the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He was the Director of the University’s Center for Energy and Environmental Studies from 1979 to 1997. His current research focuses on the characteristics of a global energy system that would be responsive to global and local environmental and security constraints. His specific areas of interest include the capture of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels and its storage in geological formations, nuclear power, energy efficiency in buildings, and the accelerated deployment of advanced technologies in developing countries. He was editor of Annual Review of Energy and the Environment, 1992- 2002.