Energy Chief, Steven Chu Gives First Briefing And It Ain’t Pretty

It was the first interview with the Energy Secretary since Obama took office and he didn’t sugar coat it.  To quote the Grist book, people need to wake up and smell the planet, yo.  “Climate change is real and it’s going to F us up – so pay attention peeps,” Chu said.  Okay – so maybe that isn’t a direct quote.

In a worst case, Chu said, up to 90 percent of the snow pack could disappear in the Sierras by the end of the century, sucking the bulk of California’s water supply nearly dry.   That’s sheer death for the agriculture of California.

Chu said the threat of warming is keeping policymakers focused on fossil-fuel alternatives, even though gasoline prices fell over the past six months from historic highs. But he said public awareness needs to catch up. He compared the situation to a family buying an old house and being told by an inspector that it must pay a hefty sum to rewire it, or risk an electrical fire that could burn everything.

“I’m hoping that the American people will wake up,” Chu said, and pay the cost of rewiring.

Source: Chicago Tribune

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-warming_04feb04,0,5830664.story