Obama Picks Nobel Winner For Energy Chief

(CBS/AP)  CBS News has confirmed that President-elect Barack Obama intends to nominate Nobel laureate Steven Chu for energy secretary.

He has also picked Lisa Jackson - former commissioner of New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection for - Environmental Protection Agency administrator.

Former EPA administrator Carol Browner, who has led the energy and environmental policy team for Mr. Obama's transition, will serve as energy "czar," a newly created role.

A Chinese-American, Chu is a professor of physics and molecular and cell biology at the University of California-Berkeley and has been the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory since 2004, where he has pushed aggressively for research into alternative energy as a way to combat global warming.

Lawrence Berkeley is the oldest of the Energy Department's national laboratories, but does only unclassified work and in recent years under Chu has been at the center of research into biofuels and solar technologies. Chu has been a strong advocate for the need to engage scientists in the search for ways to combat global warming by replacing fossil fuels with other energy sources such as biofuels and the sun.

Obama is expected to make the announcements in the coming weeks. It is not clear whom he will tap for interior secretary, a closely related role.

Jackson worked at the EPA under Browner before taking her current role at New Jersey's environmental agency.

Browner, who ran the EPA under President Clinton, will oversee energy, environment and climate matters in the new energy czar post.

Earlier Wednesday, transition officials said that Mr. Obama has selected Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Nancy Sutley to lead the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

The city's deputy mayor for energy and environment and the mayor's representative on the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Sutley has a long record of working on environmental and natural resources policy.

She previously served on the California State Water Resources Control Board, which is responsible for protecting water quality and resources throughout the state and was a special assistant to the Browner during the Clinton administration.

Sutley is the first prominent member of the gay and lesbian community to earn a senior role in the new administration. She supported Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton during the Democratic primary and was a member of her Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender steering committee.

On Thursday, Obama will hold a news conference in Chicago to name former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle as secretary of health and human services, a choice confirmed by Democratic officials last month.

John Berry, the director of the National Zoo and a former assistant secretary at the Interior Department appeared to be the frontrunner for the interior secretary post, transition aides said. Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva and California Rep. Mike Thompson were also thought to be in the running.

[abbe91]

"According to United Nations data, the Earth`s overall temperature is the same now as it was in 1997.
However, atmospheric carbon dioxide has increased steadily since then.
So, how can anyone claim that carbon dioxide is causing global warming?
If a theory doesn`t fit the facts, the theory is wrong.
Posted by juwboy at 06:48 AM : Dec 11, 2008"

You should know that global warming is not science.
It deserves to be put at the same level as Intelligent design, it became a religion or pure politics ... as you wish.

[blitzder]

GOP complainers seem to be so envious of Obama''s choices that they come across as spoiled children in need of a good punishment.

An old western folk wisdom would be good for them to consider, ''If you can''t beat ''em, join ''em.''

[hailstorm-harry]

''Finally, competence has returned. Look at the difference in leadership. Obama will have an energy policy run by Nobel Prize winning scientists. Bush had an energy policy run by oil company reps. At last, America can return to its greatest potential.''

Yes indeed. There is some hope for this country after all!

[misha128-2009]

... it''''s clear she simply didn''''t have nearly as much money to spend on buying the Nobel Peace Prize like Gore did.

Posted by GoGWGo at 09:33 AM : Dec 11, 2008

Why do Republicans think everything has to be bought for cash? Pretty much explains the cost overruns, lost cash in Baghdad and scandalous report of the handling of the bailout; I guess Republicans can never be trusted with cash.

[bjcone8559]

wow - of course you would - everyone just drink yer kool-aid, follow steve - let me just ask you steve...''''invention'''' exactly of ''''what'''' alternatives are you speaking of??


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by musethalia


Just sit down and watch, Spanky. The grownups are back in charge!!!

HAPPY DAY!!

[usclimey]

Ph.D.; Postdoc from Berkeley; Professor at under 30; Nobel Prize at 49; head of the nation''s second most famous research lab - I''d say that Dr Chu has achieved a couple of feats that qualify him for the job.

Mrs premise (ex Lady Organs and gopwillwin) how do your achievemant stand up to his?

[leeray1961]

You all better be thankful that McCain did not win the election. He does not have the brain power to get this country up and running. Obama is making excellent choices for his cabinet, and as far as Chu is concerned, I think it is good that he doesnt have political experience. There are already too many politicians in politics, if you know what I mean.

[olderthnadam]

Corporate welfare must end or must we bankrupt the country first. Or have we just traded welfare for the poor for welfare for the rich?

[olderthnadam]

How do we know ther have been no answers? Would it be because the Bush white house has done nothing on energy except give tax breaks to oil companies already making record profits bordering on obscene.

[olderthnadam]

What''s with the bleeping out of the name *** in Tricky ***. If I said *** Cheney would they also bleep it? What if I said Peter as in Peter Jennings? To take censurship to this level makes it an unhealthy obsession with percieved profanity. Give me a break.