Paparazzi Ethnography

Recently, I caught up with Energy Czar, Daniel Kammen — a Hero for our time.


Can you imagine?! He’s been invited to the 2012 Oslo Energy Forum as main speaker, along with Bob Dudley, current head of British Petroleum (who we have yet to catch up with), Helge Lund, CEO of Statoil (who we just met there a few months back), and Lee Raymond, Former CEO, Exxon Mobil, etc. and so on.

“Under no uncertain terms,” I informed the Energy Czar — while raising my forefinger skyward, “can you attend the Oslo Energy Forum 2012 without bringing me along.”

Good Grief! That’s StudioPolar‘s backyard!

Well, we’ll see. At $15K an entry ticket, to go once in my lifetime should be enough. And I should thank here the US Federal Government for thinking so highly of me to scoot me over there several months ago. But to go again. Now that would be the true test of the Paparazzi Ethnographic master.

Back to the Czar.

First, we chuckled over East Bay Express naming Dan Kammen Most Influential Cal Berkeley Energy Czar for handling the $8 billion portfolio for World Bank Group’s Energy Strategy

As a matter of fact, I checked in on Dan at the World Bank Group (WBG) in Washington, D.C., recently — to provide evidence that Dan was doing just that —  handling the WBG Energy Strategy.

The World Bank Group building is impressive and located in the heart of Washington, D.C.

I managed to get through security with only a raised brow.

Just as I got my feet wet, we were called back out again, for an early lunch with Paul Isbell, Senior Associate at Center for Strategic and International Studies

Paul is a gracious host.

Paul is entertaining at the table as well.

We ordered wine with the meal.

Ordering such a fancy meal — I got to use fancy silverware — a fork with three prongs, a knife without a serrated edge and a little dent and a spoon with a dent…

World Bank Group is a big castle. There is everything! Dining, Customer Service Center where you get your United Nation’s passport, Health Clinic for travel vaccinations, Mail Department, Graphics Shop, Latte Dispensers, Library, Dry Cleaners, Restaurants, Employee Banking. There is artwork everywhere, and the atrium must be a couple hundred feet high, similar to a cathedral.


It was an interesting experience for a guy like me, coming all the way from a small town called Berkeley. I almost felt like I was hanging out with the big boys. Hey, Wait a New York minute! That’s what we do here!


I attended meetings with a lot of VIPs.

After several days, I realized I could just live there, literally, inside the WBG. Without coming out.

I would not get bored. I could be like a house cat. Roaming, purring, sleeping. Eat late brunches with Dan, visit the Customer Service Center for services, and have plenty of lattes in the atrium. That’s where all the business takes place by the way, right there, sitting and chatting over who’s next in line for big power plant.

Oops! Silly me. I almost got so carried away the WBG lifestyle, that I nearly forgot the tag line of the main story:

WBG declined to allow the Energy Czar to participate in assessment of clean energy alternatives in Kosovo…and to Dan’s credit, the story was splashed all over the news: e.g.,
Battle over Ugly Coal

I guess that’s what makes Dan Kammen the Energy Czar. He’s more than just a fat cat purring in the WBG.