Joe Romm facts for kids
Joseph J. Romm (born June 27, 1960) is an American scientist, writer, and expert on climate change. He believes we should reduce greenhouse gas emissions to slow down global warming. He also supports using energy wisely and developing green energy technologies to make our energy supply safer. Romm is a special member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2009, Rolling Stone magazine said he was one of "100 People Who Are Changing America." Time magazine called him one of its "Heroes of the Environment (2009)," saying he was "The Web's most influential climate-change blogger."
Romm is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media. In 2019, he started Front Page Live, a news website, and was its first editor. He has written for many energy and news sites. He was also the main science advisor for the TV show Years of Living Dangerously. This show won an Emmy Award in 2014 for being an outstanding documentary series. At the Center for American Progress, he started the blog Climate Progress in 2006. Time magazine called his blog one of the "Top 15 Green Websites." In 2009, Thomas L. Friedman from The New York Times called Climate Progress "the indispensable blog."
In the 1990s, Romm worked at the U.S. Department of Energy. He even served as Acting Assistant Secretary for six months. He has written 10 books and many articles about global warming, clean energy, and how to talk about science. His 2006 book, Hell and High Water, talked about what we know and expect from climate change. It also suggested ways to solve the problem and criticized false information used to deny climate science. His 2015 book, Climate Change: What Everyone Needs to Know, explains basic climate science using questions and answers. He has also written books on how scientists and activists can explain science and policy better to the public.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Education
Romm was born and grew up in Middletown, New York. He was the youngest of three sons. His father, Al Romm, was a newspaper editor. His mother, Ethel Grodzins Romm, was a writer and business leader.
Romm went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He earned his first degree in 1982 and his Ph.D. in 1987, both in physics. In 1987, he received a special fellowship to work for the U.S. House of Representatives. There, he advised on science and security policy.
Early Career and Books
From 1988 to 1990, Romm worked at the Rockefeller Foundation. From 1991 to 1993, he was a researcher at the Rocky Mountain Institute. He helped write a report in 1994 about how energy-efficient buildings can save money and help the environment.
In 1992, Romm published The Once and Future Superpower. This book was about America's economy, energy, and environmental security. His 1994 book, Lean and Clean Management, discussed ways businesses can reduce their environmental impact while making more money. He also wrote articles about alternative energy and ways to reduce heat in cities. In 1999, Romm published Cool Companies, which showed how businesses can save money by cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Working at the U.S. Department of Energy
Romm worked at the U.S. Department of Energy from 1993 to 1998. For six months in 1997, he was the Acting Assistant Secretary. He was in charge of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. This office helps businesses use advanced clean energy technologies. These technologies help cut costs, make energy more reliable, and reduce pollution.
As a leader in this office, Romm was responsible for analyzing new energy technologies. He helped develop fuel cells, microturbines, and photovoltaics (solar panels). He also started a study in 1997. This study looked at how energy technologies could reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a cost-effective way.
Focus on Climate and Energy (1998-2006)
For several years, Romm was the leader of the Center for Energy and Climate Solutions. This non-profit group helped businesses and U.S. states save energy and cut pollution. He also advised on clean energy technologies.
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During these years, Romm wrote a lot about global warming and energy solutions. His 2004 book, The Hype about Hydrogen, argued that waiting for hydrogen cars was a mistake. He believed it was better to use current green technologies right away to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This book was named one of the best science books of 2004. In 2004, Romm also wrote a report called "The Car and Fuel of the Future." He was interviewed in the 2006 film Who Killed the Electric Car?. In the film, he said that focusing on hydrogen cars delayed the use of better technologies like electric and hybrid cars. These cars help reduce greenhouse gases and improve America's energy security.
Romm's 2006 book, Hell and High Water, warned that we had a limited time to stop the worst effects of global warming. He suggested using technologies that cut emissions. A reviewer said the book showed "overwhelming and disturbing evidence" that human actions cause global warming. It also detailed how the public was being misled about climate change.
Climate Progress and Later Years
In 2006, Romm became a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. There, he started his climate blog, Climate Progress. The blog focused on climate science, policy, and news. In 2008, Time magazine called his blog one of the "Top 15 Green Websites." They said it "counters bad science and inane rhetoric with original analysis." Romm wrote for the site until 2019. He also wrote for other news sites like The Huffington Post and CNN.
Romm has spoken to government committees about how they can help reduce global warming. For example, in 2012, he spoke to the U.S. House of Representatives about droughts and wildfires in the U.S. He also spoke about energy tax incentives and fuels for the future. He often gives talks about energy technology, global warming, and how the media talks about climate change.
His 2010 book, Straight Up, explains the state of climate change. It also talks about how the media often ignores it and how politicians deal with it. His 2012 book, Language Intelligence, is about how to persuade people and use language effectively. Romm encourages scientists to use these communication skills. This helps them explain the dangers of climate change and its solutions to people who are not scientists.
Romm was the main science editor for the TV show Years of Living Dangerously. This show is about the effects of climate change and how to solve them. The first season won an Emmy Award in 2014. A second season aired in 2016. In 2015, The Weather Channel named Romm one of the "world's 25 most compelling voices" on climate. That year, he also wrote Climate Change: What Everyone Needs to Know, a beginner's guide to the topic. His 2018 book, How to Go Viral and Reach Millions, teaches how to tell scientific stories in ways that grab attention and connect with people emotionally.
In June 2019, Romm started a news website called Front Page Live. He was its first editor. In 2023, he became a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania.
Romm's Views
Romm believes that to fight global warming, we cannot wait for new technologies. Instead, he says we must use "existing and near-term low-carbon technologies as fast as is humanly possible." He has described the technology solutions he thinks can control global warming. He also believes that trusted people and the news media should publicly support government action to solve the global warming crisis. The news should explain how current events like hurricanes and droughts are connected to global warming.
According to U.S. News & World Report, Romm thinks global warming is happening faster than most people realize. He has asked for more government spending on clean energy technology. He also wants to stop building new coal plants and quickly increase the use of energy-efficient technologies. In 2006, Romm said, "Global warming is going to transform this country... If we don't act pretty soon... then change will be forced upon us by the radically changed climate."
In 2011, Romm stated that feeding 9 billion people by mid-century, while the climate changes rapidly, "may well be the greatest challenge the human race has ever faced." His 2010 book, Straight Up, notes that the cost of taking action is low. However, the cost of doing nothing is much, much greater. Romm believes that using existing technologies on a large scale to save the climate would cost about 0.12 percent of the world's economy each year. He also wonders if the U.S. will lead in creating jobs and exports in clean energy. He has criticized the U.S. Congress for not doing enough to address climate change. He believes that methods like carbon capture and storage are not big enough solutions. He also thinks "net zero" is a "dangerous myth" that excuses inaction.
Romm has criticized how the media covers global warming. In his 2010 book, he wrote that even respected newspapers often give equal weight to a few scientists. Many of these scientists receive money from the fossil fuel industry. This happens even when hundreds of leading climate scientists agree on the issue. He believes this makes the public misunderstand the strong scientific evidence. Romm also thinks that scientists and politicians need to be better at talking about climate change.
Reputation
In 2008, Romm was chosen as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This was for his "distinguished service toward a sustainable energy future." In 2009, Rolling Stone magazine named him one of "100 People Who Are Changing America." They quoted a journalist who said Romm combines "a deep knowledge of technology, policy and science along with genuine moral passion." Former Houston mayor Bill White called Romm "the nation’s leading expert on energy efficiency."
U.S. News & World Report called Romm an "oft-cited expert on climate change issues." Time magazine named him one of its "Heroes of the Environment (2009)." They wrote that he "combines... intellect with a strong sense of moral outrage." Time also named his blog one of the "Top 15 Green Websites" in 2009. That same year, Thomas L. Friedman from The New York Times called Climate Progress "the indispensable blog."
In 2010, Time included Romm's blog in a list of the 25 "Best Blogs of 2010." TreeHugger named Romm's blog the "Best Politics Website." The UK's The Guardian ranked Climate Progress at the top of its list of climate blogs to follow on Twitter. Reviewing Romm's 2010 book Straight Up, Bill McKibben wrote that Romm "knows his climate science." He added that Romm has been a strong voice for the truth about global warming. McKibben also said Romm is "a tireless foil to the 'right-wing disinformation machine'." In 2011, The New York Times called Romm "one of the country’s most influential writers on climate change."
Personal Life
Romm lives in Washington, D.C.. He has always been interested in comedy. From 1994 to 2007, he often contributed to a humor contest run by The Washington Post.
