Crimson Staying Green

The choice of Steven Chu, the unanimously confirmed U.S. secretary of energy, to deliver this year’s Commencement address is both timely and prudent. A Nobel Prize-winning physicist with a nuanced understanding of the power of scientific innovation, Steven Chu possesses the serious expertise necessary to inspire both current policymakers in the White House and future leaders in Harvard’s graduating classes.

In light of his vocal environmental advocacy and concerted efforts to tackle the challenges of America’s energy dependency, Chu’s speech presents a unique opportunity to engage students with the pressing issue of global climate change. As director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Chu positioned the search for sustainable energies at the top of the institution’s agenda. The former Stanford professor also played an instrumental role in the creation of the Energy Biosciences Institute, a research and development organization dedicated to the emergent and multidisciplinary field of energy bioscience. With the aid of Chu’s scientific proficiency and leadership skills, the institute’s work in the production of biofuels and its insights into the socioeconomic repercussions of a national transition to sustainable energy have positioned it at the forefront of the effort to confront the challenges posed by global warming. Hopefully, the opportunity to hear from such an accomplished and knowledgeable figure will not only enhance students’ understanding of the contemporary energy crisis, but will also further inspire them to tackle these problems as responsible and engaged citizens.

Already in his role as energy secretary, Chu has expressed intentions to reduce fossil-fuel dependence, decrease greenhouse-gas emissions, and harness existing energy sources in the most effective manner possible. His stated goals, substantiated by his concrete achievements, square nicely with the university’s recent environmental initiatives. Yet, while the creation of the Office for Sustainability this fall and the articulation of six “Sustainability Principles” in 2004 represent laudable progress, Chu’s address should not serve as an occasion for Harvard to flaunt its achievements. The task of transforming Harvard into an environmentally friendly institution still requires much hard work—a fact that should not be obscured with premature self-congratulations.

Chu certainly does not possess the extensive celebrity of past Commencement speakers, and his pairing with Class Day speaker Matt Lauer represents a lower-profile lineup than those to whom Harvard students have historically been accustomed. However, Chu’s lack of widespread name recognition in no way forestalls him from delivering an engaging and insightful address. An eloquent proponent of novel approaches to achieving America’s energy self-sufficiency, Chu will surely offer important insights into the progress of our national efforts and the role of Harvard students in bringing these efforts to fruition. The choice of an energy secretary as Commencement speaker testifies to the importance of alternative energy research to both the university community and to our society at large. It also offers a rare moment to inform Harvard’s emerging graduates of the gravitas of their global social responsibility.