What I know about environmental issues could be safely deposited in a thimble. I am a veteran of those hoary times before Earth Day. Several years ago, however, I was lured by a fancy dinner into hearing John Holdren from Harvard’s Kennedy School, whom Barack Obama has appointed as his science advisor, speak on climate change at the Carnegie Endowment in Washington. I have to say it was the equivalent of hearing Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones in their prime. By the end of Holdren’s speech, I was ready to join the world environmentalist crusade. I didn’t do that, but I did write an article on hurricanes and NOAA that got the principals there very angry. I can’t assess Holdren’s scientific credentials, but Barack Obama couldn’t have been better in picking an advocate for combatting global warming. Holdren’s appointment is a good indication he is going to pursue the issue in spite of the world recession.
--John B. Judis