Wrap Up
Since my inspiration for this blog came from PolitiFact’s Obameter, I thought I’d wrap up the 100 days by checking in with them to see how he fared.
Only 1 listed as “Promise Kept,” and that’s “Reverse restrictions on stem cell research”
4 listed as “In the Works,” including “Ensure that stem cell research is conducted ethically and with vigorous oversight,” “Double federal funding for cancer research,” “Improve climate change data records,” and “Double federal funding for basic science research over 10 years.”
And 20 listed as “No Action.” Some of these include “Advance the biomedical research field,” “Double federal spending for research on clean fuels,” “Provide the CDC $50 million in new funding to determine the most effective approaches for cancer patient care,” “Recruit math and science degree graduates to the teaching profession,” “Use the International Space Station for fundamental biological and physical research,” “Support improved weather prediction program,” and “Increase research opportunities for college students.”
While it might seem discouraging at first that 20 out of 25 science promises haven’t even been acted upon, it’s important to keep in mind that some of these are long-range goals that may require national or even global cooperation. Plus, at least nothing in this category has been labeled “Compromise,” “Stalled,” or “Promise Broken”!
Other promises of interest:
Under Energy:
Promises Kept: “Weatherize 1 million homes per year,” “Invest in all types of alternative energy,” “Enact tax credit for consumers for plug-in hybrid cars,” and “Provide grants to encourage energy-efficient building codes”
In the Works: “Create 5 million ‘green’ jobs,” “Raise fuel economy standards,” “Work with UN on climate change,” “Create cap and trade system with interim goals to reduce global warming,” “Require more energy-efficient appliances,” “Reduce energy consumption in federal buildings,” “Require federal fleet to be half hybrids or electrical cars,” and “Modernize the nation’s electricity grid and use ‘smart grid’ practices”
Under Technology:
In the Works: “Appoint the nation’s first Chief Technology Officer,” “Develop a comprehensive cyber security and response strategy,” Expand broadband’s reach,” and “Invest in electronic health information systems”
Other subjects, such as Environment and Health, overlap with the subjects above.
Yucky Mountain
More on Obama’s nuclear stance: The President has basically stopped in their tracks plans to use Yucca Mountain in Nevada as a nuclear waste disposal site.
Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Photo from U.S. Department of Energy on Wikimedia Commons.
From World Nuclear News, Feb. 2009:
“The confirmation came with the following words from the Department of Energy: “The Yucca Mountain program will be scaled back to those costs necessary to answer inquiries from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), while the administration devises a new strategy toward nuclear waste disposal.”
An application to build the Yucca repository was lodged with the NRC in June last year, and this confirmation that NRC will continue to examine it indicates that Yucca will remain on the table for consideration at least until a firm strategy is announced. The move remains basically in line with Obama’s pre-election statements that Yucca Mountain was “not an option.”
America must now set a new course for long-term management of high-level radioactive waste, which could include reprocessing and recycling after a change in attitude towards the practices during recent years. A major factor could be Obama’s position on the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP), which would see a community of countries share nuclear power technology with leading nations storing all the high-level waste from the entire group after dramatic volume reduction from reprocessing.”
What’s even more interesting is this letter to the editor (Las Vegas Review-Journal) from Obama himself, written in May 2007 while he was still an Illinois senator and before the Democratic primaries:
“I want every Nevadan to know that I have always opposed using Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste repository, and I want to explain the many reasons why I’ve held that view.
In my state of Illinois, we have faced our own issues of nuclear waste management. There are some who believe that Illinois should serve as a repository for nuclear waste from other states. My view on this subject was made clear in a 2006 letter to Sen. Pete Domenici, who at the time was chairman of the Senate Energy Committee. “States should not be unfairly burdened with waste from other states,” I wrote. “Every state should be afforded the opportunity to chart a course that addresses its own interim waste storage in a manner that makes sense for that state.”
That is a position I hold to this day when it comes to both Illinois and Nevada.
After spending billions of dollars on the Yucca Mountain Project, there are still significant questions about whether nuclear waste can be safely stored there. I believe a better short-term solution is to store nuclear waste on-site at the reactors where it is produced, or at a designated facility in the state where it is produced, until we find a safe, long-term disposal solution that is based on sound science.
In the meantime, I believe all spending on Yucca Mountain should be redirected to other uses, such as improving the safety and security of spent fuel at plant sites around the country and exploring other long-term disposal options.
All Nevadans should know that as president, I will bring to this issue not just independent judgment and careful deliberation, but a personal appreciation that comes from my own experience of living in the back yard of hazardous nuclear materials. The safety and security of Nevadans and all Americans requires nothing less.
-Barack Obama”
A super cute Easter story I missed…
So, every Easter the President hosts an Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn. This year, Michelle and Barack Obama entertained more than 30,000 guests. The President also invited the American Association of the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to exhibit at the event, the first time the organization has been included in the event in at least 30 years.
Visitors to the AAAS booth learned all about eggs. There were replicas of eggs and the animals that lay them, real amphibian and fish eggs that could be viewed under a microscope, coloring sheets, and an egg matching game.
Children looking at eggs under microscopes at the AAAS-Science booth at the White House on Easter. Photo from the AAAS Web site.
Yet another example of Obama’s committment to science education!
U.S. and China get together for science
Some people applaud Obama’s willingness to meet and work with undemocratic countries to address global problems. Others, not so much. I don’t see how it could hurt, as long as he isn’t “letting things slide” in order to establish relationships…
The new administration is moving quickly to build ties with China to tackle a range of economic and environmental issues. From the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS):
Hu Jintao, President of the People's Republic of China. From Wikimedia Commons.
“When Secretary of State Hillary Clinton traveled to China earlier this year, she suggested three broad areas of cooperation—the financial crisis; international hot spots such as North Korea, Iran and Sudan; and climate change and clean energy.
When Obama met with Chinese President Hu Jintao in London in advance of this month’s summit of G20 nations, some pundits dubbed it the “G2” meeting in recognition of their roles as the world’s leading economic powers. Hu told Obama that China would like to collaborate on a range of issues, including energy development and conservation, emission reduction, and environmental protection. Issues for potential joint efforts include: carbon capture and sequestration, managing a “smart” power grid, and biofuels.”
Obama’s PCAST Cast
In his speech to the NAS, Obama also announced his new President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). Obama’s PCAST will be – or at least will start out – significantly smaller than Bush’s, decreasing from 35 members to 20, and will focus on energy and the environment, whereas Bush’s PCAST focused primarily on technology and the economy. So what got cut? Primarily the representatives from industry (Microsoft and Google are still represented). This could be because of the switch in focus (technology to energy and environment), but it seems that it could also signal that Obama *may* be a President more receptive to science than to corporate pressures.
Here’s a great article from SEED Magazine, breaking down Obama’s PCAST in terms of which disciplines its members come from: climate science, energy, basic research, finance, networks and security, and health and medicine.
From Obama’s speech:
“This council represents leaders from many scientific disciplines who will bring a diversity of experience and views…I will charge PCAST with advising me about national strategies to nurture and sustain a culture of scientific innovation.”
The new cast of PCAST:
Rosina Bierbaum, a widely-recognized expert in climate-change science and ecology, is Dean of the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan. Her PhD is in evolutionary biology and ecology. She served as Associate Director for Environment in OSTP in the Clinton Administration, as well as Acting Director of OSTP in 2000-2001. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Christine Cassel is President and CEO of the American Board of Internal Medicine and previously served as Dean of the School of Medicine and Vice President for Medical Affairs at Oregon Health & Science University. A member of the US Institute of Medicine, she is a leading expert in geriatric medicine and quality of care.
Christopher Chyba is Professor of Astrophysical Sciences and International Affairs at Princeton University and a member of the Committee on International Security and Arms Control of the National Academy of Sciences. His scientific work focuses on solar system exploration and his security-related research emphasizes nuclear and biological weapons policy, proliferation, and terrorism. He served on the White House staff from 1993 to 1995 at the National Security Council and the Office of Science and Technology Policy and was awarded a MacArthur Prize Fellowship (2001) for his work in both planetary science and international security.
S. James Gates Jr. is the John S. Toll Professor of Physics and Director of the Center for String and Particle Theory at the University of Maryland, College Park. He is the first African American to hold an endowed chair in physics at a major research university. He has served as a consultant to the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense, and the Educational Testing Service and held appointments at MIT, Harvard, California Institute of Technology and Howard University.
John Holdren is serving as co-chair of PCAST in addition to his duties as Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President and Assistant to the President for Science and Technology. Prior to this appointment Dr. Holdren was a Professor of Environmental Policy and Director of the Program on Science, Technology, and Public Policy at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. He also served concurrently as Professor of Environmental Science and Policy in Harvard’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and as Director of the independent, nonprofit Woods Hole Research Center. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, as well as a former President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and recipient of the MacArthur Foundation Prize Fellowship.
Shirley Ann Jackson is the President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and former Chair of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (1995-1999). She is the University Vice Chairman of the U.S. Council on Competitiveness, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, fellow of the Academy of Arts and Sciences, and past President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Jackson was the first African American woman to earn a doctorate from MIT and chairs the New York Stock Exchange Regulation Board.
Eric Lander is serving as a co-chair of PCAST. He is the Director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and Professor of Biology at MIT, Professor of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School and former member of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. He was one of the principal leaders of the Human Genome Project, recipient of the MacArthur Foundation Prize Fellowship and is a member of both the National Academy of Sciences and Institute of Medicine.
Richard Levin has served as President of Yale University since 1993 and is a distinguished economist with interests in industrial organization, the patent system, and the competitiveness of American manufacturing industries, including industrial research and development, intellectual property, and productivity. He is a leader in US-China cooperation, in research and education, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Chad Mirkin is Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Chemistry, and Medicine at Northwestern University, as well as Director of Northwestern’s International Institute of Nanotechnology. He is a leading expert on nanotechnology, including nano-scale manufacturing and applications to medicine. Awarded the Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology in 2002, he is one of the top-cited researchers in nano-medicine, as well as one of the most widely cited chemists.
Mario Molina is a Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, San Diego and the Center for Atmospheric Sciences at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, as well as Director of the Mario Molina Center for Energy and Environment in Mexico City. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1995 for his role in elucidating the threat to the Earth’s ozone layer of chlorofluorocarbon gases. The only Mexican-born Nobel laureate in science, he served on PCAST for both Clinton terms. He is a member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine.
Ernest J. Moniz is a Professor of Physics and Engineering Systems, Director of the Energy Initiative, and Director of the Laboratory for Energy and the Environment at MIT. His research centers on energy technology and policy, including the future of nuclear power, coal, natural gas, and solar energy in a low-carbon world. He served as Under Secretary of the Department of Energy (1997-2001) and Associate Director for Science in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (1995-1997).
Craig Mundie is Chief Research and Strategy Officer at Microsoft Corporation. He has 39 years of experience in the computer industry, beginning as a developer of operating systems. Dr. Mundie co-founded and served as CEO of Alliant Computer Systems.
William Press is Professor of Computer Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin, has wide-ranging expertise in computer science, astrophysics, and international security. A member of the US National Academy of Sciences, he previously served as Deputy Laboratory Director for Science and Technology at the Los Alamos National Laboratory from 1998 to 2004. He is a Professor of Astronomy and Physics at Harvard University and a former member of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (1982-1998).
Maxine Savitz is retired general manager of Technology Partnerships at Honeywell, Inc and has more than 30 years of experience managing research, development and implementation programs for the public and private sectors, including in the aerospace, transportation, and industrial sectors. From 1979 to 1983 she served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Conservation in the US Department of Energy. She currently serves as vice-president of the National Academy of Engineering.
Barbara Schaal is Professor of Biology at Washington University in St Louis. She is a renowned plant geneticist who has used molecular genetics to understand the evolution and ecology of plants, ranging from the US Midwest to the tropics. Dr Schaal serves as Vice President of the National Academy of Sciences, the first woman ever elected to that role.
Eric Schmidt is Chairman and CEO of Google Inc. and a member of the Board of Directors of Apple Inc. Before joining Google, Dr. Schmidt served as Chief Technology Officer for Sun Microsystems and later as CEO of Novell Inc.
Daniel Schrag is the Sturgis Hooper Professor of Geology in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University and Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He is also Director of the Harvard University-wide Center for Environment. He was trained as a marine geochemist and has employed a variety of methods to study the carbon cycle and climate over a wide range of Earth’s history. Awarded a MacArthur Prize Fellowship in 2000, he has recently been working on technological approaches to mitigating future climate change.
David E. Shaw is the chief scientist of D. E. Shaw Research, where he leads an interdisciplinary research group in the field of computational biochemistry. He is the founder of D. E. Shaw & Co., an investment and technology development firm. Dr. Shaw is a former member of PCAST under President Clinton and a member of the executive committee of the Council on Competitiveness, where he co-chairs the steering committee for the Council’s federally funded High-Performance Computing Initiative. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and serves on the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board of the National Academies.
Harold Varmus is the President and CEO of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and co-chair of PCAST. Dr. Varmus served as the Director of the National Institutes of Health from 1993 to 1999 and in 1989 was the co-recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his pioneering studies of the genetic basis of cancer. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and Institute of Medicine and recipient of the National Medal of Science.
Ahmed Zewail is Professor of Chemistry and Physics at Caltech and Director of the Physical Biology Center. Dr. Zewail was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1999 for his pioneering work that allowed observation of exceedingly rapid molecular transformations. He is an Egyptian-American, widely respected not only for his science but also for his efforts in the Middle East as a voice of reason. Dr. Zewail is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, and postage stamps have been issued to honor his contributions to science and humanity.
Wall Street Journal Watches Obama
The Wall Street Journaljust released an article detailing some general promises Obama made during his campaign and before he took office and what he’s done to fulfill them during his first 100 days. Energy and Environment is one broad category, and there’s a short blurb about how he’s loosened restrictions on federal funding for stem cell research.
Energy and Environment:
Obama put sweeping energy and climate-control measures at the center of his campaign. He backed legislation to cut greenhouse-gas emissions by roughly 80% by 2050 through a system that would require all emitters to buy pollution credits. He also pledged to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, raise automobile fuel-economy standards, and boost the use of electricity derived from renewable sources such as wind, solar and geothermal. Obama also promised to spend $15 billion a year to spur green technologies such as biofuels, plug-in hybrid cars and improvements to the electricity grid. He opposed the planned nuclear-waste repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.
Done So Far
The stimulus bill directs $42 billion to the Energy Department alone for an array of renewable-energy projects. DOE has announced $6 billion in new funding under the bill to accelerate the cleanup of nuclear waste, but it has yet to award any loans to car makers seeking assistance under a program intended to spur the rollout of low-emission vehicles.
The Transportation Department adopted fuel-economy standards less aggressive than ones proposed by the Bush administration, prompting a lawsuit by environmentalists. The Environmental Protection Agency gave a boost to environmentalists, though, with the declaration that carbon dioxide poses a global threat — a move laying the groundwork for new federal rules governing carbon emissions. Obama’s 2010 budget proposes raising oil-industry taxes by at least $30 billion.
What’s Next
The administration now faces a mammoth fight over its pledge to pass a cap-and-trade bill that would put a price on carbon-dioxide emissions. The administration must also move forward on its promises to boost renewable-power sources as part of a comprehensive energy bill. The administration’s budget proposal calls for essentially killing Yucca Mountain, but it’s unclear how far that will go; critics say such a move would make it harder to expand the use of nuclear energy.
Stem Cells:
President Obama loosened restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research on March 9, fulfilling a campaign promise. The Bush administration viewed the research as the destruction of human life and under its rules, the National Institutes of Health was limited to funding a few dozen cell lines derived from human embryos. The agency’s new guidelines could make about 700 existing lines eligible for funding, but stop short of allowing federal support for derivation of new lines and a form of embryonic cloning.
Wired Rates the President
Everyone is turning in report cards for Obama’s first 100 days. I like this one from Wired on “issues near and dear to Wired.com,” most of which directly or indirectly have to do with science or technology.
The article also mentions that on Tuesday, Obama asked Congress for $1.5 billion, to “produce vaccines, rebuild anti-viral stockpiles and respond to the swine flu outbreak,” which I apparently missed.
Wired Report Card for Obama:
A- Science
B+ Net Neutrality
B- Transparency
C Cybersecurity
D Copyright
100 Days!
This is it: We’ve officially hit 100 days!
But, like Obama, I still have a lot of work ahead of me. I’ll spend the next few days surveying what’s been accomplished (and what hasn’t) during these first 3 months, starting with a more from Obama’s speech to the National Academy of Sciences.
In addition to vowing to hike science funding back to NASA heyday levels (higher, actually – Obama says he’ll commit above 3% of the GDP to research – what he calls “the largest commitment to scientific research and innovation in American history”), Obama made promises to do everything from increase transparency regarding science policy decisions to increase funding for science and math education. Here’s a video of the speech, as well as some of the highlights:
– Double the budget for science agencies including the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Department of Energy’s Office of Science.
– Make the research and experimentation tax credit permanent to “make it possible for businesses to plan the kinds of projects that create jobs and economic growth” (A smart move, since one of the most serious criticisms of the stimulus funding is that it’s a one-time handout to create programs and jobs with a stipulation that they be continued indefinitely).
– Set a goal for the U.S. to reduce our carbon pollution by more than 80% by 2050 – extend the production tax credit, Provide loan guarantees and offer grants to spur investment in renewable energy.
– Invest $150 billion over 10 years in sources of renewable energy and energy efficiency.
– Support NASA efforts to develop new space-based capabilities to help us better understand our changing climate.
– Create and fund the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy, or ARPA-E.
– Place a market-based cap on carbon emissions. (Cap-and-trade)
– Address the shortcomings of the health care system by computerizing America’s medical records to reduce duplication, waste and errors that cost billions of dollars and thousands of lives.
– Increase funding for the National Institutes of Health, including $6 billion to support cancer research — part of a sustained, multi-year plan to double cancer research in our country.
– Create a more transparent, participatory and democratic government and ensure that federal policies are based on the best and most unbiased scientific information. Specifically, the new White House Office of Science and Technology Policy blog that allows citizens to become involved in the science policy process.
– Work closely with the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology Policy to create national strategies to nurture and sustain a culture of scientific innovation.
– Identify and overcome scientific and bureaucratic barriers to rapidly translating scientific breakthroughs into diagnostics and therapeutics that serve patients.
– Strengthen weather forecasting, Earth observation from space, the management of our nation’s land, water and forests, and the stewardship of our coastal zones and ocean fisheries.
– Ramp up participation in — and our commitment to — international science and technology cooperation.
– Enhance education in mathematics and science by allowing states to compete in the Secretary of Education’s $5 billion Race to the Top program.
– Challenge states to dramatically improve achievement in math and science by raising standards, modernizing science labs, upgrading curriculum, forging partnerships to improve the use of science and technology in classrooms, enhancing teacher preparation and training, and attracting new and qualified math and science teachers to better engage students and reinvigorate those subjects in our schools.
– Provide tax credits and grants to make a college education more affordable.
– Triple the number of National Science Foundation graduate research fellowships.
Science and Swine Flu
This is it, the last week of Obama’s first 100 days in office!
Most of the articles I’ve posted thus far haven’t been what you would call “breaking news.” Science and research stories usually lack that kind of urgency. But with the outbreak of swine flu in the U.S. and abroad, the importance of science is on the front page of every media outlet.
The Center for Disease Control has been tracking the flu’s spread in the U.S. while the World Health Organization works feverishly on a vaccine. And today, in front of scientists at the National Academy of Sciences, Obama stressed that science is more important than ever to help us deal with crises like this one.
In the same speech, he also announced “a pledge to increase research and scientific funding to a level equal to that during the space race to the moon, amounting to 3 percent of the gross domestic product.” Pretty impressive!
PS – While I get that swine flu isn’t transmitted through pork, I’m just guessing here, but my bet is that this originated in factory farmed pig populations. Yet another reason to lay off the meat.
From Obama’s speech:
“There are those who say we cannot afford to invest in science. That support for research is somehow a luxury at a moment defined by necessities. I fundamentally disagree. Science is more essential for our prosperity, our security, our health, our environment, and our quality of life than it has ever been. And if there was ever a day that reminded us of our shared stake in science and research, it’s today.
We are closely monitoring the emerging cases of swine flu in the United States. This is obviously a cause for concern and requires a heightened state of alert. But it is not a cause for alarm. The Department of Health and Human Services has declared a Public Health Emergency as a precautionary tool to ensure that we have the resources we need at our disposal to respond quickly and effectively. I’m getting regular updates on the situation from the responsible agencies, and the Department of Health and Human Services as well as the Centers for Disease Control will be offering regular updates to the American people so that they know what steps are being taken and what steps they may need to take. But one thing is clear – our capacity to deal with a public health challenge of this sort rests heavily on the work of our scientific and medical community. And this is one more example of why we cannot allow our nation to fall behind.”
Looking back – Scientific American & Energy Policy
Here’s an interesting article from Scientific Americanabout how Obama should approach energy policy during his first 100 days of office. Some of the recommendations include:
-Issuing an executive order mandating that the federal government purchase energy-efficient products and services.
-Establishing a $200-billion “clean energy” bank to provide long-term financing for investment in sustainable energy solutions that reduce, avoid or sequester carbon.
-Tripling federal investment in basic and applied energy research and development.
-Creating public-private partnerships for new energy technologies and financing start-up companies and supporting existing small and medium-size clean energy businesses.
– Enhancing the role of science and engineering professionals by president creating a $300-million “clean energy workforce readiness program.”
Scientific American, December 2008
Obviously, not all of this has happened, but some of SA’s suggestions – or versions of them – might not be that far off the mark. We’ve already seen stimulus funding for research and the creation of green jobs, and Obama is purportedly a big supporter of energy efficiency and renewables. Maybe not just pipe dreams?
100 Days 