Harvard Kennedy School's John P. Holdren to be Named Obama's Science Advisor

[Lionel Mandrake]

Source: Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

President-elect Barack Obama is expected to announce in his radio address Saturday that he has selected Harvard's John P. Holdren to serve as Assistant to the President for Science and Technology in the new administration. The post, popularly known as "the President's science advisor," also includes directorship of the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President and requires Senate confirmation.

Holdren, who holds M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in aerospace engineering and plasma physics from MIT and Stanford, is a specialist in energy technology and policy, global climate change, nuclear arms control and nonproliferation, and science and technology policy. He is a former president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)—the largest general science society in the world—and a member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering.

At Harvard's Kennedy School, Holdren's teaching, research, and engagement with public policy have focused on bolstering U.S. efforts to develop and deploy energy technologies to reduce the risks of climate change and overdependence on oil, devising ways to minimize dangers from nuclear weapons and weapon-usable materials, and strengthening the processes by which accurate information about policy-relevant science and technology gets acquired by decision-makers and the public.

Read more: http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/18738/h...

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This is the most important science-related appointment a president can make, more important even than Secretary of Energy. By choosing John P. Holdren as science advisor, President-elect Obama has shown that he really intends to do something about global warming.

[BrklynLiberal]

1. A real live scientist??? Wow!!!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. An actual scientist as Science Advisor? Not a crony or a religious wacko?

How cool is that?

[aquart]

6. Feels sorta weird.

[applegrove]

3. Whooooooooot!

[Trajan]

4. But wait .... Kennedy ?

Is this just another dynastic, cronyistic, royalistic coronation of an appointment for another person associated with the Kennedys ????

HATE HATE HATE ! ! !

[coffeenap]

5. This is an AMAZING choice--I knew him once and know

his affiliations--couldn't be a better pick!

[Lionel Mandrake]

8. Lucky you.

You might have a foot in the door, if you want to get involved.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

7. Excellent news!

K&R

[jmowreader]

9. Hang on for a second...

You mean we don't have a president who bails Kent Hovind out of jail so he can be the science advisor? Or who names the CEO of DuPont to the post?

None here should be able to complain about John Holdren. This guy's the real deal.

[NBachers]

10. What?? No one qualified at BJU or Liberty?

What about some of them smart kids at Bob Jones or Liberty Universe? If they're good enough to take charge in Iraq, they sure should be able, with Divine guidance, to control all them aigheads.

[Kaleko]

11. Glad to hear some knowledgeable people here approve.

Don't know the guy from Adam, but this thread gives me a little hope for a better future.

Thanks, everyone!

[stillcool]

12. I don't know who he is...

but I do know that he is a "Bushist", because Obama is only interested in appointing "Bushists". And nothing is more important than a 4 minute prayer.

[Lionel Mandrake]

15. Please define "Bushist"

When you add "ist" to someone's name, the result can be a kind of expert (Platonist), a believer in a theory (Marxist), a follower of a religious leader (Buddhist), an advocate of a certain form of politics (Stalinist), etc. There are many possibilities. Where does the word "Bushist" fall in this spectrum?

[Posteritatis]

18. I'm assuming the poster's a sarcasmist (nt)

[Posteritatis]

13. The combination of this guy and Chu gives me the H-word

Also, I love that one sentence describing him as a specialist in . Now, now, Holdren, be careful with that antlike focus.

[Lionel Mandrake]

16. Huh?

Which H-word do you have in mind? hives? heebee-jeebees? or something else?

[RedEarth]

14. From Climate Progress... Obama’s strongest message on climate yet: John Holdren to be named Science

Obama’s strongest message on climate yet: John Holdren to be named Science Adviser


Science magazine is reporting today that “Strong indications are that President-elect Barack Obama has picked physicist John Holdren to be the president’s science adviser.”

I have known Holdren for over a decade and have discussed energy/climate issues with him many times. He probably has more combined expertise on both climate science and clean energy technology than any other person who could plausibly have been named science adviser. You can see a video of an excellent talk he gave here (along with talks by Chu and me). For a more recent BBC interview, see “The Climate Quote of the Week“.

I would say that if Holdren is named (on Saturday), it is an even stronger signal than the terrific choice of Steven Chu for Energy Secretary that Obama is dead serious about the strongest possible action on global warming. After all, the science adviser works out of the White House and oversees science and technology funding, analysis, and messaging for all federal agencies.

http://climateprogress.org/2008/12/18/obamas-strongest-...

[Lionel Mandrake]

17. Thanks for the link.

It seems that we agree.

[FailureToCommunicate]

19. Another great Obama pick of a terrific (real) scientist and passionate advocate

for policy decisions based on actual research. How refreshing would that be?!!??

[Lionel Mandrake]

20. Hard to believe, isn't it?

After 8 years of Bush's war on science, there is plenty of work to be done.

[FailureToCommunicate]

21. Yes, 8 years of Bush, but nearly 25 years of Republican assault on the middle

class and progressive issues. Hands up if you remember James Watt and David Stockman...

[Lionel Mandrake]

22. Which James Watt do you have in mind?

The inventor who improved the steam engine (an electrical unit was named after him), or

the worst Secretary of the Interior in history?

I'm guessing the latter.

[WyoHiker]

23. Recess is Over, Kids.

Friday, P.E. Obama, announced his selection of Dr. James Holdren, a renowned physicist, from the JFK school of Gov't and the Wood's Hole institute to lead his scientific advisory team. I hope that his appointment signals the end of a governmental era in which facts were ignored when complicated, cumbersome, troublesome, counter-to-what-was-desired, or simply annoying.

If so, then a constructive, spirited, exchange of ideas, supported by the best available evidence, will at long last return to the beltway. People with opposing viewpoints, especially those who can bring new facts to the table for all to learn from, will be welcomed/invited/begged to join the discussion. The era of winning today's discussion just because you have the louder voice, the stronger lungs, the more emotionally appealing solution, or the more powerful connections will be over.

I hope that this appointment sends the message that if you're gonna talk, then first you gotta roll up your sleeves, get to work, and gather/verify the evidence to support what it is you have to say.

The homework WILL be collected.

[Lionel Mandrake]

24. Adult supervision will begin in about a month.

Disruptive behavior and vandalism will not be tolerated thereafter.