FW: AP story on geo-engineering and the White House

[Mike MacCracken]

------ Forwarded Message
From: "Holdren, John P." <John_P....@ostp.eop.gov>
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 2009 07:23:55 -0400

Subject: AP story on geo-engineering and the White House

Colleagues --

The stance of the White House on geoengineering was garbled in the AP story about an interview with me that went out earlier this week.  In the course of a wide-ranging half-hour interview on my new job, high-tech innovation for economic growth, energy, national security, and climate change, I got asked about whether we need to think about geo-engineering as a response to the climate problem and I spent a few minutes on it.  I said that the approaches that have been surfaced so far seem problematic in terms of both efficacy and side effects, but we have to look at the possibilities and understand them -- including their shortcomings -- because if other approaches to mitigation fall short the geo-engineering approach will end up being considered.  I also made clear that this was my personal view, not Administration policy. I was asked to describe some examples of geo-engineering approaches and mentioned orbiting reflecting particles and sulfates injected into the stratosphere, explaining their shortcomings and making clear that I was not endorsing them.   Asked whether I had mentioned geo-engineering in any White House discussions, though, I said that I had.  This is of course NOT the same thing as saying the White House is giving serious consideration to geo-engineering – which it isn’t at this point -- and I am dismayed that the headline and the text of the article suggest otherwise, as well as dismayed that the entire AP story focused on this minor point in the interview.

Cheers anyway,
John

JOHN P. HOLDREN
Assistant to the President for Science and Technology
and Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy
Executive Office of the President of the United States
jhol...@ostp.eop.gov, 202-456-7116
Executive Assistant Pat McLaughlin
pmcla...@ostp.eop.gov, 202-456-6045



------ End of Forwarded Message

[Alvia Gaskill]

Seth Borenstein strikes again!

[David Schnare]

Based on Holdren's "clarification," I have been informed by others in this group that I am now qualified to state:

 

 

I TOLD YOU SO!

 

 

The speed of Holdren's clarification sends an additional message.  The rest of the administration is extremely unhappy with the press interpretation of Holdren's initial comments.  Clarifications like Holdren's are not particularly unusual, but they most often are done by press offices and not the individual.  Somebody wanted him to take the fall for his comments and to put a very large distance between his comments and the administration.

 

Hence, I repeat, geoengineering has no friends in this administration.

 

David Schnare