'The Power of Cooperation' Comes to AERTC

If you ask Robert Ott, the energy and environment sector of industry has something in common with Gandhi: the central concept of cooperation to achieve greatness.

"You can accomplish great things when people come together under a common purpose. You can move mountains," he said.

It's the inspiration behind , an event which will celebrate Gandhi's Oct. 2 birthday as well as bring together members of the clean energy and environmental stewardship industry to launch the Earth Energy Exchange at Stony Brook University's on Monday at 2:30 p.m. Legislators Vivian Viloria-Fisher, D-Setauket, and Wayne Horsley, D-Babylon, along with Islip town councilman John Edwards will be on hand to help showcase the idea of collaboration as a facilitator of progress.

The Earth Energy Exchange is Ott's brainchild, an idea he's spent about three months developing. It's a 24/7 virtual trade show which he hopes will foster the same kind of business relationships and partnerships that characterize traditional trade shows. Users can build an online booth and interact with other users via the Exchange's "trading floor." It's an earth-friendly initiative in itself, since it requires no travel to a physical trade show.

Ott, a Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering at Stony Brook, described the event as "sort of a pep rally for the energy and environment community [that] at the same time makes a positive statement in contrast to all the negative news we hear about the economy." The idea of the Earth Energy Exchange was drawn from what he observed was a gap in the development of new business within that industry.

"I personally believe that energy and environment can be a powerhouse for our economic recovery," he said.