Green Energy Jobs: Will They Save the Economy?

Chu was an early advocate for climate change solutions

(NEWSER) - Nobel laureate Steven Chu is Barack Obama's nominee for energy secretary, the Wall Street Journal reports. The acclaimed physicist, director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, was an early advocate for finding scientific solutions to climate change, and his lab is doing groundbreaking work in developing carbon-neutral sources of energy, Reuters adds. Chu would work closely Obama's current energy adviser, Carol Browner, who will coordinate energy policy in the new post of "energy czar." More»

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama says he will move quickly once in office to enact an ambitious, two-year plan to save or create 2.5 million jobs, Bloomberg reports. Obama announced his plan in his weekly radio address, where he also warned that “we risk falling into a deflationary spiral that could increase our massive debt even further.” About 1.2 million jobs have already been lost this year, and the trend could continue. More»

But it's missing one crucial element, 'Los Angeles Times' notes

(NEWSER) - "Pass this bill," President Obama said more than two dozen times during his two speeches last week touting his jobs bill —and he’ll say it again tonight when he officially sends the American Jobs Act to Congress. “He will call on Congress to pass the bill, which contains the kinds of proposals to grow the economy and create jobs that have been supported by both parties in the past,” a White House official tells Politico . Obama will announce the sending of the bill in a Rose Garden ceremony today, flanked by teachers, firefighters, and others who the official says would benefit from the legislation. More»

President to trade short-term spending for long-term cuts

(NEWSER) - President Obama's promises to boost jobs and cut the deficit are taking shape, with a new stimulus and tax cuts for companies that hire new workers to be announced in a major address right after Labor Day, reports the Washington Post . The stimulus is said to focus on road building, construction, and the long-term unemployed. The president may also propose mortgage relief for struggling homeowners. More»

Former energy CEO John Bryson picked to head Dept. of Commerce

(AP) - President Obama will nominate businessman John Bryson to lead the Commerce Department, a White House official said today. Bryson's appointment brings another private sector player into an administration that has been making a concerted effort to improve its relationship with the business community. Bryson is a former chairman and chief executive officer of Edison International, a California-based energy company. He also has an extensive background in environmental issues, having co-founded the Natural Resources Defense Council and served on a United Nations advisory group on energy and climate change. More»