Feeds: 
symbol identifies content for paid subscribers only.
STEVEN CHU.
Consider this: For most of the last eight years, the American government has been unwilling to forthrightly acknowledge the science on global warming. Indeed, it edited much of the science out of government reports, calling it "not sufficiently reliable." Bush's Department of Energy director wanted to abolish the agency one year before he was asked to run it.
Now, reports suggest that Steven Chu, director of the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory and a Nobel prize winning physicist, will be tapped to head the DOE. We've gone from an administration that has lobbyists edit the words of scientists to an administration that appoints scientists to regulate the industries that fund the lobbyists. Even on a simply symbolic level, it's a tremendous change. And it won't simply be symbolic. Here Chu is breaking the issue down:
As Brad Plumer says, "great stuff."
Related: For more, read Joe Romm, a former DOE employee, on Chu, and Brian Beutler, who was not a DOE staffer, on the implications for the DOE.
COMMENTS (8)
He's got a great, somewhat prescient line at around 4:27 in the video.
(And yes, I know that scientists ^= engineers, in case anyone's feeling pedantic.)
Posted by: bh | December 11, 2008 2:27 PM
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=287398391460321023&ei=jXBBSbvJEoruqALCqKDyDw&q=myths+of+biofuels
a good sign - biofuels realism coming out of Lawerence Berkeley
Posted by: jf | December 11, 2008 3:00 PM
Wow. Someone in a position of authority who isn't an ignorant political hack. It's so rare I don't even know how to respond.
It's appointments like this that remind of how stupid the normal system is. Even Daschle. Does anyone really think that Tom Daschle -- a career politician -- is the person most qualified to understand and guide US health policy? More like Chu, please.
Posted by: sidereal | December 11, 2008 3:13 PM
There's a lot of confusion about what DOE actually does, and this is particularly apparent in the Beutler article. DOE is basically the heir of the old Atomic Energy Commission without the AEC's regulatory powers (which were transferred to the NRC after the AEC was broken up). Just as the AEC's primary purpose was managing America's nuclear weapons complex, this was and remains DOE's number one responsibility. The idea of breaking up DOE into divisions that actually make sense, rather than lumping renewable energy development and the Hanford cleanup under one roof, might be a very good idea. I've heard a rumor that Chu will primarily be responsible for traditional DOE science-and-nukes stuff while Obama's ambitious energy transition stuff will be more the responsibility of Carol Brower in her new "Energy Czar" position. Only time will tell if this is the case. I'm just pleased because I think Chu will be able to shepherd through the research to develop some kind of transmutation reactor--especially given that Harry Reid is determined to kill Yucca Mountain at any cost.
Posted by: Sovietologist | December 11, 2008 3:24 PM
be still my beating heart is all i can say.
Posted by: trishka | December 11, 2008 3:39 PM
thank you, barack!
we need the voices of more scientists
and people of scholarly distinction
in an administration
where science and research will drive policy,
instead of political interests and self-aggrandisement
driving policy.
Posted by: jacqueline | December 11, 2008 5:04 PM
His jokes are terrible so you know he's an actual scientist. Talk about a 180 degree shift from the last 8 years.
Posted by: Adrian | December 11, 2008 9:13 PM
By far the best and effective appointment
Posted by: Drowning in a sea of Red | December 14, 2008 9:49 AM