Remember Drill, Baby, Drill? Well, it’s going to be more about actual good public policy based on sound science in the brave new world of the Obama administration.
From “The Economist” comes Blessed are the geeks, for they shall inherit the Earth. I’ve touched on some of these folks at Obama’s Team and Obama’s Team, Continued. In “The Economist,” we are told “These appointments, therefore, mark a shift in political attitudes towards scientific advice. When he announced his selections Mr. Obama said that promoting science is not just about providing resources (though he has promised to double the budget for basic science research over the next decade), but also about promoting free inquiry and listening to what scientists have to say, ‘especially when it is inconvenient.'” (Get the “inconvenient” allusion? If not, try this.)
See also The Holdren Factor from “Seed” on John Holdren, the new President’s incoming chief science advisor.
I mentioned the political interference with climate science here last year and toward the end of this post nearly two years ago. The venerable Union of Concerned Scientists have had quite a lot of important things to say over the years about Scientific Integrity as well.
In any event, here is the new Energy Secretary, Nobel laureate Steven Chu, responding to questions posed during the transition from the public. He’s, as I noted in yesterday’s post, one of a group of focused, smart, committed, progressive folks that Obama is bringing to bear on the critical issues of energy, the environment and climate change.
