Chu Leaving Department Of Energy

     Hooray!
     Jeff Johnson reports in the February 11 issue of Chemical and Engineering News that Sec. Chu is resigning as Secretary of Energy in the Obama Administration. He is said to be returning to academia, where he belongs.
     I have previously called for Sec. Chu's resignation, in spite of the fact that he has been a "good soldier". He has been following to a T Obama's program on energy, which is to replace all fossil fuel use with sustainable forms, such as wind and solar. This is a ridiculous notion. God made fossil fuels for our appropriate use. Appropriate means common sense, which is to reduce any collateral damage as we gain.
     As human beings we were made to breathe air and take advantage of its oxygen content to sustain life. Simultaneously, we exhale carbon dioxide, which for some unaccountable reason has achieved a reputation of being bad. I have nothing against wind and solar energy, but oil, natural gas and coal are available for our use. To suddenly ignore their presence and go to less efficient sources of energy, which will convert the United States to a third world country, is mind-boggling. Enough said about the ridiculousness of the Chu/Obama energy program.
     The next question is why would Obama want to denigrate fossil fuels and go to the so-called sustainable forms? Who knows? We can't read the man's mind, and he has not revealed his reasons. However, the more obvious answer is that he is ignorant on the subject of technology and economics. His background is that of a community organizer. He has devoted his life to becoming a wonderful orator, and he has succeeded. That's where the danger lies. He doesn't know what is talking about, but his oratory skill allows him to sell anything, no matter how silly it may be in the true light of day.
     But we were really talking about Sec. Chu. C&E News says he came from a strong background in scientific research - he was the 1997 Nobel laureate in physics for his work on methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light. Does that qualify him to be Sec. of Energy? His background is research. A research scientist is supposed to find new materials or new production methods which could be of benefit to society. By himself, a research scientist can bring nothing to economic fruition. There must be engineering mockups to determine practicality of production, calculations of economics to determine whether the new material or process will be economically feasible in comparison with the existing materials or processes. It must involve funding and engineering for the building of manufacturing facilities, and it must involve marketing programs and logistics to get the materials or processes in the hands of users.
     Chu knew nothing of this. He knew nothing of these myriad details. He obviously had only the simple approach of agreeing with Obama that "wouldn't it be nice" and let's throw taxpayer money at it. In that program, Chu was remarkably successful. He made the obtaining of permits for extracting fossil fuels from federal lands significantly more difficult, so that the sustainables would have less competition, and he spent $36 billion of stimulus funds on sustainables. These two items are regarded as achievements? Look at it in fact. Reduction of availability of fossil fuels makes energy more expensive. This is one of the reasons why gasoline is $3.60 a gallon. Is it also an achievement to spend money? He hasn't gotten anything in that expenditure. The Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group lauds him for doubling US use of wind and solar energy. Is that really an advantage? Look at the cost.
     So Chu is going back to academia. That's where he belongs and should have stayed. He has aided Pres. Obama in doing irreparable damage to a practical US energy program.