Difference between revisions of "Steven Chu"
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'''Steven Chu''' (b. February 28, 1948) was born in St. Louis, [[Missouri]]. He is a 1997 Nobel Prize-winning physicist, former director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the [[Obama Administration]]'s [[United States Secretary of Energy|Secretary of Energy]]. The [[Department of Energy]] is at the center of U.S. efforts to end the U.S.'s dependence on foreign oil, roll back climate change, and create new "green" jobs, using stimulus funds already passed by Congress. He seeks to increase the price of energy in the United States, stating that, “we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe.” <ref>http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0212/73138.html#ixzz2PpuqRNks</ref> | '''Steven Chu''' (b. February 28, 1948) was born in St. Louis, [[Missouri]]. He is a 1997 Nobel Prize-winning physicist, former director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the [[Obama Administration]]'s [[United States Secretary of Energy|Secretary of Energy]]. The [[Department of Energy]] is at the center of U.S. efforts to end the U.S.'s dependence on foreign oil, roll back climate change, and create new "green" jobs, using stimulus funds already passed by Congress. He seeks to increase the price of energy in the United States, stating that, “we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe.” <ref>http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0212/73138.html#ixzz2PpuqRNks</ref> | ||
− | + | ==Green Energy Agenda== | |
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Chu said, "Coal is My Worst Nightmare." <ref>http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2008/12/11/steven-chu-coal-is-my-worst-nightmare/</ref> If coal is to stay part of the world’s energy mix, he says, clean-coal technologies must be developed. But he’s not optimistic: "It’s not guaranteed we have a solution for coal," he concluded, given the sheer scope of the challenge of economically storing billions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions underground. Asked how to get off coal he responded:<ref>Zakaria (2009)</ref> | Chu said, "Coal is My Worst Nightmare." <ref>http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2008/12/11/steven-chu-coal-is-my-worst-nightmare/</ref> If coal is to stay part of the world’s energy mix, he says, clean-coal technologies must be developed. But he’s not optimistic: "It’s not guaranteed we have a solution for coal," he concluded, given the sheer scope of the challenge of economically storing billions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions underground. Asked how to get off coal he responded:<ref>Zakaria (2009)</ref> | ||
:"We can have renewables. We have nuclear power. During the nighttime when there's less demand for electricity, we'll be plugging our cars into these and charging them up so that that nuclear power can be used in a much better way. Storage technology will be incredibly useful and needed as transient renewables become a larger portion of our energy budget." | :"We can have renewables. We have nuclear power. During the nighttime when there's less demand for electricity, we'll be plugging our cars into these and charging them up so that that nuclear power can be used in a much better way. Storage technology will be incredibly useful and needed as transient renewables become a larger portion of our energy budget." | ||
− | As an adviser to president-elect Barack Hussein Obama, a Jan. 17, 2008 statement was crafted to the San Francisco Chronicle that Obama planned pollution taxes that would “bankrupt” anyone who tried to build a coal-powered plant. | + | As an adviser to president-elect Barack Hussein Obama, a Jan. 17, 2008 statement was crafted to the San Francisco Chronicle that Obama planned pollution taxes that would “bankrupt” anyone who tried to build a coal-powered plant.<ref>http://voices.yahoo.com/barack-obama-bankrupt-coal-plants-2149160.html</ref> |
In October 2008, Chu spoke about how uneconomical battery-powered cars are. Chu said, "Current batteries for hybrid and electric cars last just five to six years, take a car only 40 miles on a charge—and cost $10,000. These aren’t going to sweep the market." <ref>http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/37422/title/U.S._must_invest_in_technologies_to_avoid_energy_crisis</ref> | In October 2008, Chu spoke about how uneconomical battery-powered cars are. Chu said, "Current batteries for hybrid and electric cars last just five to six years, take a car only 40 miles on a charge—and cost $10,000. These aren’t going to sweep the market." <ref>http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/37422/title/U.S._must_invest_in_technologies_to_avoid_energy_crisis</ref> | ||
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Chu has called for gradually ramping up gasoline taxes over 15 years to coax consumers into buying more-efficient cars, and living in neighborhoods closer to work. "Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe," he said before becoming Secretary of Energy. <ref>see [http://sec.online.wsj.com/article/SB122904040307499791.html ''WJS'' Dec. 12, 2008]</ref> Chu has been reluctant to embrace nuclear power, even though it emits no greenhouse gases, out of concerns with disposing its waste and the risk of nuclear proliferation. "The waste and proliferation issues [surrounding nuclear power] still haven’t been completely solved," he said. A major role of his Department of Energy is to oversee nuclear weapons and waste storage. The Obama campaign made clear that increased reliance on nuclear power will require finding a "safe" way to dispose of radioactive waste. | Chu has called for gradually ramping up gasoline taxes over 15 years to coax consumers into buying more-efficient cars, and living in neighborhoods closer to work. "Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe," he said before becoming Secretary of Energy. <ref>see [http://sec.online.wsj.com/article/SB122904040307499791.html ''WJS'' Dec. 12, 2008]</ref> Chu has been reluctant to embrace nuclear power, even though it emits no greenhouse gases, out of concerns with disposing its waste and the risk of nuclear proliferation. "The waste and proliferation issues [surrounding nuclear power] still haven’t been completely solved," he said. A major role of his Department of Energy is to oversee nuclear weapons and waste storage. The Obama campaign made clear that increased reliance on nuclear power will require finding a "safe" way to dispose of radioactive waste. | ||
− | == | + | ==Tenure as Secretary of Energy== |
− | + | Chu oversaw the Obama administration's failed green energy efforts. He approved a half-billion dollar loan to now-bankrupt solar energy company, [[Solyndra]].<ref>http://voices.yahoo.com/barack-obama-bankrupt-coal-plants-2149160.html</ref> Loans were make to a company called Fisker to build uneconomical cars in Finland. <ref>http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/car-company-us-loan-builds-cars-finland/story?id=14770875</ref> More of Chu's DOE money ($249 million) was loaned to A123, a now-bankrupt battery maker that may be sold to the Chinese. <ref>http://autos.aol.com/article/a123-bankruptcy-obama-doe-loans/</ref> | |
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==References== | ==References== |
Revision as of 22:37, 9 April 2013
Steven Chu | |
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12th United States Secretary of Energy From: January 21, 2009-Present | |
President | Barack Hussein Obama |
Predecessor | Samuel Bodman |
Successor | Incumbent (no successor) |
Information | |
Party | Democrat |
Spouse(s) | Lisa Chu-Thielbar (divorced) Jean Fetter (1997-present) |
Steven Chu (b. February 28, 1948) was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He is a 1997 Nobel Prize-winning physicist, former director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the Obama Administration's Secretary of Energy. The Department of Energy is at the center of U.S. efforts to end the U.S.'s dependence on foreign oil, roll back climate change, and create new "green" jobs, using stimulus funds already passed by Congress. He seeks to increase the price of energy in the United States, stating that, “we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe.” [1]
Green Energy Agenda
Chu said, "Coal is My Worst Nightmare." [2] If coal is to stay part of the world’s energy mix, he says, clean-coal technologies must be developed. But he’s not optimistic: "It’s not guaranteed we have a solution for coal," he concluded, given the sheer scope of the challenge of economically storing billions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions underground. Asked how to get off coal he responded:[3]
- "We can have renewables. We have nuclear power. During the nighttime when there's less demand for electricity, we'll be plugging our cars into these and charging them up so that that nuclear power can be used in a much better way. Storage technology will be incredibly useful and needed as transient renewables become a larger portion of our energy budget."
As an adviser to president-elect Barack Hussein Obama, a Jan. 17, 2008 statement was crafted to the San Francisco Chronicle that Obama planned pollution taxes that would “bankrupt” anyone who tried to build a coal-powered plant.[4]
In October 2008, Chu spoke about how uneconomical battery-powered cars are. Chu said, "Current batteries for hybrid and electric cars last just five to six years, take a car only 40 miles on a charge—and cost $10,000. These aren’t going to sweep the market." [5]
Chu has called for gradually ramping up gasoline taxes over 15 years to coax consumers into buying more-efficient cars, and living in neighborhoods closer to work. "Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe," he said before becoming Secretary of Energy. [6] Chu has been reluctant to embrace nuclear power, even though it emits no greenhouse gases, out of concerns with disposing its waste and the risk of nuclear proliferation. "The waste and proliferation issues [surrounding nuclear power] still haven’t been completely solved," he said. A major role of his Department of Energy is to oversee nuclear weapons and waste storage. The Obama campaign made clear that increased reliance on nuclear power will require finding a "safe" way to dispose of radioactive waste.
Tenure as Secretary of Energy
Chu oversaw the Obama administration's failed green energy efforts. He approved a half-billion dollar loan to now-bankrupt solar energy company, Solyndra.[7] Loans were make to a company called Fisker to build uneconomical cars in Finland. [8] More of Chu's DOE money ($249 million) was loaned to A123, a now-bankrupt battery maker that may be sold to the Chinese. [9]
References
- ↑ http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0212/73138.html#ixzz2PpuqRNks
- ↑ http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2008/12/11/steven-chu-coal-is-my-worst-nightmare/
- ↑ Zakaria (2009)
- ↑ http://voices.yahoo.com/barack-obama-bankrupt-coal-plants-2149160.html
- ↑ http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/37422/title/U.S._must_invest_in_technologies_to_avoid_energy_crisis
- ↑ see WJS Dec. 12, 2008
- ↑ http://voices.yahoo.com/barack-obama-bankrupt-coal-plants-2149160.html
- ↑ http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/car-company-us-loan-builds-cars-finland/story?id=14770875
- ↑ http://autos.aol.com/article/a123-bankruptcy-obama-doe-loans/