Steve Posted December 16, 2008 Report Share Posted December 16, 2008 Obama picks his energy team. Frankly, I don't know enough about any of these selections that a quick read of their bios. I will be reading more about them, both pro and con. Obama's energy team Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy Mr. Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist who runs the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, has been tapped to head the Department of Energy, an agency charged with designing and producing nuclear weapons, disposing of radioactive waste, overseeing domestic energy production, and conducting energy-related research. On that last front, Chu has spearheaded many clean energy initiatives at the Berkeley Lab, many of which have focused on using non-food plants to convert sunlight into liquid fuel. One of these initiatives, known as Helios, is expected to begin construction in 2010. Chuâ??s Nobel Prize came in 1997 for his contributions to â??laser cooling,â? a method of trapping gaseous atoms with laser light. This technique makes it easier to study atoms. Chu is highly respected in physics circles, but according to CNN, some Democrats are concerned at his lack of political experience. If nominated and confirmed, Chu will be the first Chinese-American to hold this office. Carol Browner, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change The Obama administration has created a new role in response to what it sees as a challenge in coordinating all of the federal agencies that have a hand in energy policy. These include the Transportation Department, which mandates fuel economy standards; the Interior Department, which grants permits for oil and gas drilling on federal land; the EPA, which regulates air quality; the Department of Commerce, which develops infrastructure to promote economic growth and sustainable development; and the Department of Energy. This role is probably an outgrowth of a February 2008 proposal by the Center for American Progress, which called for a White House-level advisor to coordinate energy-related federal agencies as well as â??outreach with states, localities, and the private sector, and U.S. leadership and partnership in international efforts to reduce global emissions.â? The Center for American Progress was founded by former Clinton chief-of-staff John Podesta, who also co-chairs Obamaâ??s transition team. The position was quickly dubbed by the media as â??energy czar,â? a term that the Obama team reportedly dislikes. Ms. Browner, a former adviser to Sen. Al Gore, served as head of the Environmental Protection Agency from 1993 to 2001. Since then, she has worked for the Albright Group, a â??global strategy firmâ? headed by former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright that helps corporations do business internationally. Browner is also the chair of the National Audubon Society. Brownerâ??s husband, former New York Rep. Tom Downey, has lobbied on behalf of some of the worldâ??s largest polluters, including Exxon Mobil and Chevron. Working under Browner as Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change will be Heather Zichal. Ms. Zichal served as the Policy Director for Energy, Environment, and Agriculture for Obamaâ??s presidential campaign, and in 2004 drafted John Kerryâ??s energy and environment policies. Lisa Jackson, EPA Administrator The Environmental Protection Agency is not a cabinet department, but the 17,000-employee agencyâ??s head is considered to have a cabinet-level position. Ms. Jackson, a former EPA scientist who from 2006 until this month ran New Jerseyâ??s Department of Environmental Protection, has her work cut out for her. Many observers say that the agency has become demoralized under the current administrator, Stephen Johnson. In February, 19 union leaders representing about 10,000 EPA employees sent a letter to Johnson claiming that he had repeatedly violated the agencyâ??s standards of scientific integrity. In April, the Union of Concerned Scientists released the result of a survey that found that 889 of 1,586 staff scientists at the EPA reported that they have experienced political interference in their work in the past five years. These revelations were followed by Congressional inquiries into whether the agency was improperly influenced by the White House in rulings ranging from ground-level ozone standards to tailpipe emissions. Many environmentalists are cheered by the prospect of a Jackson-led EPA. The environmental advocacy group Environment New Jersey praised the New Orleans native, calling her selection â??180-degree turnaround for the United States on the environment.â? But other environmental groups have not been so approving. Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), a resource for government whistle-blowers, sent out a harshly critical press release calling Jacksonâ??s record â??disastrousâ? and accusing her of taking â??highly politicized approach to decisionmaking that resulted in suppression of scientific information, issuance of gag orders, and threats against professional staff members who dared to voice concerns.â? If nominated and confirmed, Jackson would be the first black EPA administrator. Nancy Sutley, Chair of White House Council on Environmental Quality According to its website, the Council on Environmental Quality is a division of the White House that â??coordinates federal environmental efforts and works closely with agencies and other White House offices in the development of environmental policies and initiatives.â? Ms. Sutley currently serves as Los Angelesâ??s Deputy Mayor for Energy and Environment and on the board for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Before that, she served as an EPA administrator under President Clinton and as an energy adviser to California Gov. Gray Davis. The online eco-mag Grist spoke with many who worked with Sutley, and characterizes her as quiet, reserved, and thorough: One source said the selection of Sutley sends a message that Obama will not use the CEQ chair as a â??cheerleadingâ? position to justify particular environmental stances, as both President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush did, but rather as someone who can quickly and deftly handle the already mounting workload of dealing with lengthy reports and other requests for action from a wide spectrum of environmental and business groups. â??She is very good in a bureaucratic setting,â? said a veteran California environmental official. â??If youâ??ve got 10 people you need to sit down, and youâ??ve got to get something done, sheâ??ll get it done.â? Sutley, an early supporter of Hiliary Clintonâ??s presidential bid, would be the first prominent gay person to be given a senior role in Obamaâ??s administration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted December 16, 2008 Report Share Posted December 16, 2008 First major endorsement of his team. Pickens lauds Obama's energy team Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogueyam Posted December 16, 2008 Report Share Posted December 16, 2008 First major endorsement of his team. Pickens lauds Obama's energy team Oh, yeah! That's major alright! Major major! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rchapstick Posted December 16, 2008 Report Share Posted December 16, 2008 Hey RY, that Chu fella looks like a real commie pinko elitist academic. You know those Swedes don't give out Nobel prizes to real god-fearin' Americans, don't cha? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogueyam Posted December 16, 2008 Report Share Posted December 16, 2008 Hey RY, that Chu fella looks like a real commie pinko elitist academic. You know those Swedes don't give out Nobel prizes to real god-fearin' Americans, don't cha? I doubt you know anything about Dr. Chu. By contrast, I am quite familiar with the man and with the work of the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory more generally. Dr. Chu is a highly capable and accomplished physicist. His politics are another matter entirely. Still, the President-elect has nominated a genuine scientist to be Energy Secretary and that is worth something. As far as Nobel Prizes go, the ones given in the hard sciences (like Dr. Chu's) are usually pretty reasonable. It is the others, and the Peace Prize in particular, that tend toward leftist politicking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted December 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2008 Obama Cabinet Is Shy on Southerners, Republicans Dec. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Barack Obama has moved faster than any modern president-elect in selecting his Cabinet, scouring Wall Street, academia and the Senate to assemble a diverse team that has won bipartisan praise. â??He has every basic entity within his government,â? said U.S. Representative David Scott, a Georgia Democrat. â??Heâ??s got Jewish people, heâ??s got Protestants, heâ??s got white, black, you name it.â? Republicans including Arizona Senator John McCain, Obamaâ??s opponent in the presidential election, also have applauded his choices. Still, the Democratâ??s star-studded roster lacks representatives from two groups: Southerners and the Republicans [color:red]that he vowed to appoint during the campaign.[/color] ... Link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkoktraveler Posted December 16, 2008 Report Share Posted December 16, 2008 Hey RY' date=' that Chu fella looks like a real commie pinko elitist academic. You know those Swedes don't give out Nobel prizes to real god-fearin' Americans, don't cha?[/quote'] I doubt you know anything about Dr. Chu. By contrast, I am quite familiar with the man and with the work of the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory more generally. Dr. Chu is a highly capable and accomplished physicist. His politics are another matter entirely. Still, the President-elect has nominated a genuine scientist to be Energy Secretary and that is worth something. As far as Nobel Prizes go, the ones given in the hard sciences (like Dr. Chu's) are usually pretty reasonable. It is the others, and the Peace Prize in particular, that tend toward leftist politicking. Why is it you are so much against somebody with an IQ? You seem to be drawn toward those with low IQs such as GWB's IQ of 78? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogueyam Posted December 16, 2008 Report Share Posted December 16, 2008 â??He has every basic entity within his government,â? said U.S. Representative David Scott, a Georgia Democrat. â??Heâ??s got Jewish people, heâ??s got Protestants, heâ??s got white, black, you name it.â? What a load of crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rchapstick Posted December 16, 2008 Report Share Posted December 16, 2008 â??He has every basic entity within his government' date='â? said U.S. Representative David Scott, a Georgia Democrat. â??Heâ??s got Jewish people, heâ??s got Protestants, heâ??s got white, black, you name it.â? [/quote'] What a load of crap. LIE! FALSE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted December 24, 2008 Report Share Posted December 24, 2008 I read that there is a mild controversy that there is a pic of Obama shirtless. He was body surfing in Hawaii. Some are saying its very 'un-presidential'. Thanks for emailing me the pic RY :thumbup: :smirk: but its not my thing. hehehe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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