Obama picks Steven Chu as Energy Secretary! (Full Version)

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samboct -> Obama picks Steven Chu as Energy Secretary! (12/11/2008 6:08:36 AM)

I'm excited by Obama's pick of Steven Chu as energy secretary for several reasons.  First, it seems like Obama is not only talking about moving away from fossil fuels, he's picking the right people to do it.  Secondly, it's hard to come up with anybody who'd be a better choice than Steven Chu.  I've heard Steven Chu speak- he's very, very sharp (most Nobel laureates are- haven't seen a dumb one yet), straightforward, and has vision.  He's currently in one of the best labs in the country- Lawrence Berkeley (I wouldn't say that about Livermore by the way.) and he gets the climate change problem.  He's also understands the strengths and weaknesses of all the fossil fuel replacement technologies- this is a guy who can explain all the issues to you- not the other way around.  Obama's choice of this guy hearkens back to the days of the Kennedy administration picking the right people for the moonshot.

If we compare him to Bush's pick term 1- Spencer Abraham- it shows the night and day difference.  Abraham is a lawyer-not a scientist and was pretty much clueless.  I heard him talk a few years back.  I really liked his comments about how the country absolutely needed us to transistion to a hydrogen economy and his agency was putting up a wopping $30 million behind it- that was the future!  His successor in term 2- Bodner, at least has had the academic credentials for the job- he's just ancient.  Nor was he very innovative when he was at the helm of Cabot corp and that was years ago.

It's clear that Obama is picking guys who aren't business as usual- at least to lead this charge.  And I suspect that most scientists in the EPA will be happy to see Carol Browner come back- like most federal agencies, there's been tremendous demoralization during Bush's reign.


Sam


PS- I did a little digging to find out what's available on the web on his talk- this website is a good place to look-

http://www.lbl.gov/Publications/Director/media.html

You can check out his powerpoint slides here-warning- this was a talk given to scientists.

http://www.lbl.gov/Publications/Director/assets/docs/AAAS_Keynote_B.pdf





Vendaval -> RE: Obama picks Steven Chu as Energy Secretary! (12/11/2008 8:50:38 AM)

Thanks for posting this, samboct.  Dr. Chu is a very well respected and accomplished scientist. For more specifics on his life and career -

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1997/chu-autobio.html
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Chu




samboct -> RE: Obama picks Steven Chu as Energy Secretary! (1/13/2009 12:39:22 PM)

More on Chu's viewpoints.  It does sound like he's learning Washington doublespeak- not surprising given the pressures he's under-

http://channels.attbusiness.net/index.cfm?fuseAction=viewNewsArticle&nav_id=33&category_name=Washington&article_id=f10e756a2e7f9885650afaf7505b53bf

Sam




MichiganHeadmast -> RE: Obama picks Steven Chu as Energy Secretary! (1/13/2009 12:53:36 PM)

Oh, goody, $5.00 gas again!




Sanity -> RE: Obama picks Steven Chu as Energy Secretary! (1/13/2009 3:22:35 PM)


And 30% higher electrical bills.


quote:

ORIGINAL: MichiganHeadmast

Oh, goody, $5.00 gas again!




MarsBonfire -> RE: Obama picks Steven Chu as Energy Secretary! (1/13/2009 4:05:16 PM)

Oh, Geeze... doesn't Obama know ANYTHING? You're supposed to pick friends and horse show organizers for posts that require scientific or other specialized experience... How does he expect them to continue with George W. Bush's ongoing "Run America Into the Ground Initiative?"




Coldwarrior57 -> RE: Obama picks Steven Chu as Energy Secretary! (1/13/2009 4:41:00 PM)

a bit off topic but
Treasury Pick Failed to Pay Taxes
Timothy Geithner runs into trouble after Senate learns of ex-housekeeper's immigration issues, $34G in unpaid taxes


Let the party begin !!!!!




corysub -> RE: Obama picks Steven Chu as Energy Secretary! (1/13/2009 4:47:23 PM)

The Obama "green" energy program is going to go down as the biggest "con job" ever perpetrated on the American taxpayer.  At a time when countries have been emphasising nuclear, for example, we are going to not only build windmills but also duplicate a totally new infrastructure to transmit this energy.
A trillion here..a trillion there...what the hell...we can  just print it!  We don't have the need to think about only spending  money where there is an economic return...not if your the government, and as Obama said...ONLY THE GOVERNMENT CAN HELP THE LITTLE PEOPLE..Well..not exactly..but words to that affect.

China is planning to double its production of oil and had a deal with Iraq to develop three major fields prior to the war.  I guess since we are going have the use of "tides" that is not something for Joe sixpack American to be concerned.  Possibly the new Iraqi government should go back and renew those 1997 agreements with China to develop half of the Al-Ahdab field, the country’s second largest oilfield.  Prior to the US invasion of Iraq, CNPC was negotiating for rights to develop three other Iraqi fields. These are Halfaya, Luhais and Suba. Hey.....let them come back and spend some of those American dollars to build develop those fields...for China! 

Nuclear is one of the cleanest of alternative energy sources but we have not built a new plant in this country since 1997...and do you think the talent to build these plants is abundant and just waiting for a call to work?  Not in the Messiah's "green energy budget". On the other hand, last year  China said that by 2020, the country’s nuclear industry would produce 40GW, more than 40 times this year’s capacity and requiring annual growth of more than 20 per cent.  Stupid people...don't they have tides in China?

Dear Lord help us...You have given us tremendous natural resources and our people are rejecting this bountiful gift.  Lord, be gentle with us in the end of our time.  We have tried to be good stewards of your gifts, have probably the strongest environmental rules on the planet,,,but currently our liberal leaders are  nostalgic for the simple lazy days of wind and sun to pump our water and warm our bodies.  barrrfffffffffff!!
 




MarsBonfire -> RE: Obama picks Steven Chu as Energy Secretary! (1/13/2009 7:01:40 PM)

Three Mile Island.

Chernobyl

...And the 357 other near melt down situations registered by the NRC in the last 35 years. (That's 3.5 near meltdowns per year, for those of you without a calculator.Any one of which could have wiped out a major American city, or poisoned huge tracts of farmland, depending on which way the wind was blowing that day.) Pick up a book called "We Almost Lost Detroit" by John Fuller... or maybe the one on Idaho Falls... or maybe the one on...

Saying nuclear fission is Gods gift to humanity is not unlike standing in the center of a sewage treatment vat, consoling yourself by saying, "Well, at least I'll never starve..."




ArticMaestro -> RE: Obama picks Steven Chu as Energy Secretary! (1/14/2009 2:24:12 AM)

  "he views nuclear power and coal as critical parts of the nation's energy mix and said he was optimistic that ways can be found to make coal a cleaner energy source by capturing its carbon dioxide emissions."  

The article notes he wants plans that Congressional Democrats will oppose. 

Sounds like a good pick. 




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