Secretary of Energy Steven Chu said that ending the world’s dependence on fossil fuels and solving the climate crisis will require Nobel Prize-level breakthroughs in three key technologies: solar power, electric batteries, and developing new crops for biofuels. In an interview with The New York Times, Chu — a Nobel laureate in physics — said that solar technology must become five times more efficient than it is today and that scientists must develop new plants that require little energy to grow and can be easily turned into biofuels. And even though he once termed coal a “nightmare,” Chu said that since developing countries such as China and India will be dependent on abundant coal supplies for years to come, scientists must find a way to capture and store the carbon dioxide produced by coal combustion. Chu said he was optimistic that a concerted, government-backed research effort could lead to these breakthroughs, adding, “I think science and technology can generate much better choices. It has, consistently, over hundreds and hundreds of years.”
New U.S. Energy SecretaryCalls for `Revolution’ in Energy Technology
More From E360
-
Energy
Why U.S. Geothermal May Advance, Despite Political Headwinds
-
Food & Agriculture
In War Zones, a Race to Save Key Seeds Needed to Feed the World
-
Climate
Lightning Strikes the Arctic: What Will It Mean for the Far North?
-
RIVERS
A Win for Farmers and Tribes Brings New Hope to the Klamath
-
Solutions
Deconstructing Buildings: The Quest for New Life for Old Wood
-
NATURAL DEFENSES
How Restored Wetlands Can Protect Europe from Russian Invasion
-
Solutions
Birds vs. Wind Turbines: New Research Aims to Prevent Deaths
-
FORESTS
Cambodian Forest Defenders at Risk for Exposing Illegal Logging
-
OPINION
The ‘Green’ Aviation Fuel That Would Increase Carbon Emissions
-
CONSERVATION
Out of the Wild: How A.I. Is Transforming Conservation Science
-
Energy
China’s Mega Dam Project Poses Big Risks for Asia’s Grand Canyon
-
Solutions
How Natural Solutions Can Help Islands Survive Sea Level Rise