Scientists Picked for Top Posts Promise to Take Climate Change Seriously
Last week, President-elect Obama announced the selection of two more members of his scientific team: John Holdren, who will be the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and double as Obama's go-to guy as science advisor; and Jane Lubchenco, who will head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Holdren is a former president of the National Association for the Advancement of Science, a job which (hopefully) prepared him well for this gig, which involves coordinating the efforts of forty scientists who will shape the science and tech policies of the new administration (we hear that herding scientists is way harder than herding cats, so good luck to you). Lubchenco is a professor at Oregon State who specializes in overfishing and issues relating to climate change.
Most importantly, in marked contrast to the denial-ain't-just-a-river-in-Egypt mode of the Bush admin's science advisors, both appointees have often made strong statements about the impact of climate change (Holdren: "There is already widespread harm...occurring from climate change. This is not just a problem for our children and our grandchildren").














