The new Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu, addressed the national labs in an all-hands video transmission today. I was not there, but my colleague and friend Rob Roser at Fermilab was there, and sent me a very nice bulleted summary. So, you are getting this second hand, and people who were there can add nuances in the comments, but here goes:
Energy is the defining issue of our time.
Addressing the environment is the major reason Chu took on this job.
These problems provide a tremendous opportunity for the DOE, but it comes with a burden: we can not fail.
The DOE is the principal supporter of physical sciences in the US, and the physical sciences are the conernstone of prosperity for the US future.
This was part of the message of the "Rising Above the Gathering Storm" report.
The DOE should endeavor to replace the great industrial labs that ...
