Arno's EnergyIdeas (34)

U.S. President Barack Obama on Science and Energy

In the past week, U.S. President Barack Obama, upgraded the automobile industry to "chief cause" by promising the stumbeling car maker Chrysler governmental support for an alliance with Italian Fiat. I am not quite sure, whether it is good to know that we can now also consider the automotive industry, after banks, to be understood as „inhernet to the system“. The U.S. President also held - at the end of April – a speech at the Annual Meeting of the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC. Because of the importance of his remarks, we report excerpts. One thing I can already anticipate: hydrogen and fuel cells were not mentioned.

"Earthrise", Dec. 1968 taken from Apollo 8. The photo is often misrepresented. As shown here correctely, astronaut Bill Anders really saw the moon`s horizon in a vertical position.

The U.S. President Barack Obama recalled in his speech to the Academy the first public appearance in the United States by Albert Einstein in April 1921, when he attended the annual meeting of the Academy. Obama quoted Albert Einstein, who, after sitting through a series of long speeches by others, reportedly said: "I have just got a new theory of eternity."

Obama went on: "... Today we face more complex challenges than ever before: (...) A system of energy that not only powers our economy, but simultaneously endangers our planet (...) The global marketplace links the derivative trader on Wall Street with the homeowner on Main Street, office worker in America with the factory worker in China -- a marketplace in which we all share in opportunity, but also in crisis... "

Applause was generated wih the words: "... In such difficult moment, there are those who say we cannot afford to invest in science, that support for the research is somehow a luxury at moments 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 before... "

Education is the key to success, so Obama, who reminded the investigations have shown that young Americans are outperformed in math and science by their peers in countries as Sinpagore, Japan, Great Britain, Holland, Hong Kong and Korea. Assesment shows, 15-year old US-Americans ranked 25th in math and 21st in science. "... But we know that our country is better than this: (...) The average age of NASA Mission Control during Apollo program in the sixties was just 26 years. I know the young people of today in our country will rise to the challenge if given the opportunity!", so Obama. (...) I believe it is in the American character to lead, not to follow. So I`m here today to set this goal: We will devote more than 3 percent of our GDP to research and development!“

He continued appealing: "... We also need to work with our friends around the world. Science, technology and innovation proceed more rapidely and more cost-effektive when insights, costs and risks are shared. Many of the challenges facing science and technology today are global in character. This is true of our dependence on oil, the consequences of climate change, the threat of epidemics desease, and the spread of nuclear weapons.

And that is why my administration is ramping up participation in – and our commitment to -- international science and technology cooperation across the many areas where it is clearly in our interest to do so. In fact, this week, my administration is gathering the leaders of the world's major economies to begin the work of addressing our common energy challenges together...".
Today, the U.S. President was announcing that we are funding an initiative – recommened by this organization – called the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy or ARPA-E.

ARPA-E is the new U.S. Department of Energy organization, modeled after the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA that gave us with ARPANET the forrunner of the Internet, stealth aircraft, Global Positioning System GPS and many other innovations.
The president is also campaigning for a: "... all hands on deck" approach, in particular, challenges to the Governors, CEOs, philanthropists, educators, parents, scientists and engineers, and, above all, to involve students their own personal responsibility for fulfilling the goals to take over. Examples are the outstanding scientists and engineers (starting with the more than 2,000 members of the National Academy) to take specific actions needed to achieve its objectives. These are, for example, mentoring classes for student teachers in disadvantaged schools, the foundation of science festivals in cities or in the promotion of universities and special programs, that lead the students at the same time to a scientific degree and a teaching certification. That sounds somehow like the German model of vocational academies (Berufsakademien).

With a plethora of different measures, the U.S. president is motivating the next generation of innovators for his CLEAN ENERGY - program.

Obama concluded his presentation with a picture: He mentioned the photo that Bill Anders, a NASA astronaut aboard Apollo 8, took in December 1968. It shows the Earth coming up over the moon`s horizon. It was the first picture ever taken from so distant a vantage point, and it soon became known as "Earthrise". This picture shows the fragility of our planet and thus became the symbol of it`s protection. Obama quoted astronaut Anders: "We came all this way to explore the moon,“ he said, „and the most important thing is that we discovered the earth!" Even back then were hydrogen and fuel cells on board the Apollo missions, however, both subjects were not mentioned by the U.S. president in his remarkable speech today. Is it a shame? However: "Yes we can!“, though.

Photo caption: "Earthrise", Dec. 1968 taken from Apollo 8. The photo is often misrepresented. As shown here correctely, astronaut Bill Anders really saw the moon`s horizon in a vertical position.

Links to the news:

• http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-at-the-National-Academy-of-Sciences-Annual-Meeting/
• http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Fact-Sheet-A-Historic-Commitment-To-Research-And-Education/
• http://www.qsinano.com/news/newsletters/2009_04/f3.php
• https://www.hydrogenambassadors.com/meet-aae/h2works2009/spacefest.php

Date: 05.05.2009