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6.25.2009

the secretary of saving the planet


"Chu is an unabashed crusader for the renewable future, a man whose most basic assumption about energy is that the age of fossil fuels is coming to a close."

Rolling Stone has a really interesting profile on Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize-winner with a extremely important burden on his shoulder: making sure the entire planet doesn't destroy itself. The article isn't available online, but there's a PDF version available here.

Chu is not only one of President Obama's most trusted advisers on global warming -- by far the most pressing issue facing human civilization -- he is also responsible for doling out $38 billion from Obama's stimulus bill and creating a new economy founded on green energy.

It's a fascinating, in-depth look at Chu, his background -- both personal and professional -- and his unique scientist-as-politician approach to tackling the massive, seemingly insurmountable challenge that lies ahead. Definitely worth reading. (Thanks, Peter.)