This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
I want to give a quick shout out to my friend and colleague Sheril Kirshenbaum and congratulate her on her new gig as the Director of UT's Project of Energy Communications at the McComb's School of Business. Whew, what a mouthful. Sheril announced her new gig on her blog, Culture of Science:
I’m thrilled to announce that today I begin a new position as Director of UT’s Project on Energy Communication at The McCombs School of Business Energy Management and Innovation Center. I’m moving across campus to lead the UT Energy Poll – an exciting new initiative involved in understanding public perceptions of energy, and in turn, use that information to inform policymakers and various stakeholders–including you. Why does it matter? The way we feel about energy influences voting behavior, consumer choices, and legislative decision-making.
It will be interesting to learn about how people perceive energy technologies and their use, especially compared to the reality of how people actually use energy. You and I might say we are for reducing energy consumption or using alternative fuels, but do we back it up with real action? And do our preferences translate into the policies we want?
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The first results of the Energy Poll are out, including the finding that not many people think the country is heading in the right direction with regards to our energy policy:
It will be interesting to see what roles energy security and the environment play in the upcoming presidential election. Right now energy security and Iran are front and center. Will Keystone XL play a big role in the election? Will climate change legislation be front and center on the campaign trail? Okay, we probably know the answer to that one...
Anyways! From all of us here at Plugged In: congrats!