President-elect Barack Obama has confirmed his green team. Steven Chu, a Nobel-winning physicist has been named the Energy Secretary. Carol Browner, the former EPA chief has been tapped to be the climate “Czar.” Lisa Jackson, former New Jersey environmental regulator will now run the EPA.
At a press conference in Chicago, Obama said the future of innovation and technology is going to be what drives the American economy into the future, “And the energy economy is going to be part of what creates the millions of jobs we need.”
However, CNET reported that Obama's energy and environmental team faces growing challenges in implementing broad changes. For one, the global economic downturn has slowed the green movement, and Europeans, typically leaders in the green movement, have voiced doubt about its ability to create millions of jobs.
Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund had faith in the administration and applauded the appointment saying, “This new position reflects a deep commitment to leadership on climate change, and Carol Browner brings the perfect combination of experience and drive to the job. She understands that solving climate change will help rebuild our economy."
But some of Browner's adversaries are concerned that her return will veer the new administration too far left.
The Baltimore Sun reported that critics are not too pleased about another nomination –Lisa Jackson. The online newspaper cited Politico, which reported that critics say Jackson has been “too close to industry, withheld information from the public – and fallen well short of the pledge she made when taking office in February 2006 to fix the state's beleaguered toxic waste program.”
