Joe Romm facts for kids
Joseph J. Romm (born June 27, 1960) is an American scientist, author, 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 more secure. Romm is a respected member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2009, Rolling Stone magazine called him one of "100 People Who Are Changing America." Time magazine also named him one of its "Heroes of the Environment (2009)," calling him "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-in-Chief. He has written for many energy and news sources. He was also the main science advisor for the TV show Years of Living Dangerously, which won an Emmy Award in 2014. At the Center for American Progress, he started a blog called Climate Progress in 2006. Time magazine called his blog one of the "Top 15 Green Websites." In 2009, Thomas L. Friedman of The New York Times called Climate Progress "the indispensable blog."
In the 1990s, Romm worked for the United States Department of Energy. 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 explained what was happening with climate change and suggested solutions. It also criticized false information used to confuse people about climate science. His 2015 book, Climate Change: What Everyone Needs to Know, answers common questions about climate science. He has also written books about how scientists and activists can explain science and policy better to the public.
Contents
About Joe Romm
Early Life and Education
Romm was born in Middletown, New York, on June 27, 1960. He was the youngest of three sons. His father, Al Romm, was a newspaper editor. His mother, Ethel Grodzins Romm, was an author and journalist who later led an environmental technology company.
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. After MIT, in 1987, Romm worked for the U.S. House of Representatives. He gave advice on science and security policy.
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 making buildings more energy-efficient can help businesses.
In 1992, Romm published The Once and Future Superpower, a book about America's economy, energy, and environmental security. His 1994 book, Lean and Clean Management, discussed ways businesses could reduce their environmental impact while also being more productive. In 1999, Romm published Cool Companies, which showed how businesses could save money and help the environment by cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Working for the U.S. Government
Romm worked at the United States Department of Energy from 1993 to 1998. For six months in 1997, he was the Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. This office helps businesses use advanced clean energy technologies to save money and reduce pollution.
As a leader in this office, Romm was in charge of looking at new technologies and developing programs. These programs included fuel cells, microturbines, and photovoltaics (solar panels). He also started a study in 1997 by five national laboratories. 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 group helped businesses and U.S. states find smart ways to save energy and cut pollution. He also worked with Capital E Group, advising 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 new technologies like hydrogen cars was a mistake. He believed it distracted from using existing green technologies to reduce emissions. This book was named one of the best science and technology books of 2004. Romm also appeared in the 2006 documentary film Who Killed the Electric Car?. In the film, he explained that the government's focus on hydrogen cars was a bad idea. He felt it delayed the use of more promising technologies, like electric and hybrid cars, which help reduce greenhouse gases.
Romm's 2006 book Hell and High Water warned that there was only a short time to prevent the worst effects of global warming. He suggested using technologies that cut emissions. Reviewers noted that the book showed strong evidence that human actions cause global warming. It also detailed how the public was being misled by those who wanted to delay action.
Climate Progress and Later Work
In 2006, Romm became a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. There, he started his climate blog, Climate Progress. This 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 delivered sharply." 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 slow 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 rising gasoline prices and how energy tax incentives could create green jobs.
TreeHugger described Romm's 2010 book, Straight Up, as a look at climate change, how the media covers it, and the clean energy solutions available. His 2012 book, Language Intelligence, is about how to persuade people and use words effectively. Romm encourages scientists to use these communication tips to better explain climate change to people who are not scientists.
Romm was the chief science editor for the TV series Years of Living Dangerously. This show was about the effects of climate change and possible solutions. 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 same year, he 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 share scientific stories in ways that connect with people emotionally.
In June 2019, Romm started a news website called Front Page Live. He was its first Editor-in-Chief. In 2023, he became a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. He received a 2024 Ban Ki-moon Award for Environmental Leadership. In 2025, Romm started a weekly podcast with his daughter called Decoding Taylor Swift: A Storytelling Revolution. It explores how Taylor Swift uses poetic language in her songs.
Romm's Ideas on Climate Change
Romm believes that to fight global warming, we cannot wait for new technologies. Instead, he says we must use existing and soon-to-be-available low-carbon technologies as quickly as possible. He has described the technology solutions he thinks can control global warming. Romm also believes that trusted people and the news media should publicly support government action to solve the climate crisis. He thinks the news should explain how events like hurricanes and droughts are connected to global warming.
According to U.S. News & World Report, Romm believes global warming is happening faster than most people realize. He has called 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. He supports a system to limit carbon dioxide emissions. In 2006, Romm said, "Global warming is going to change this country and our transportation and the way we live our lives." He added that if we don't act soon, "change will be forced upon us by the radically changed climate."
In 2011, Romm stated that feeding about 9 billion people by the middle of the century, while facing a worsening climate, "may well be the greatest challenge the human race has ever faced." His 2010 book, Straight Up, says that the economic cost of taking action is low, but the cost of doing nothing is much, much higher. Romm calculates 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, or if it will import them from other countries. He believes that carbon capture and storage and other carbon removal efforts are not big enough solutions. He also thinks that "net zero" is a "dangerous myth" used to excuse not taking action on the climate crisis. In 2025, Romm wrote that small modular reactors (a type of nuclear power) are a "pipe dream" and the most expensive way to make electricity. He says that wind, solar, and batteries have become the cheapest.
Romm has also criticized how the media covers global warming. In his 2010 book, Straight Up, he wrote that even respected newspapers have given too much attention to a few scientists who get money from the fossil fuel industry. He says this happens even when hundreds of leading climate scientists disagree with them. He believes this has made many people misunderstand how strong our scientific understanding of climate change is. Romm also thinks that scientists and politicians need to be better at talking about climate change.
Reputation and Recognition
In 2008, Romm was recognized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was honored for his "distinguished service toward a sustainable energy future" and for clearly explaining why people, companies, and governments should use sustainable technologies. In 2009, Rolling Stone magazine named Romm to its list of "100 People Who Are Changing America." They quoted journalist David Roberts, who said Romm has "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 featured Romm as one of eight "key players" who were "Driving Public Policy in Washington." They called him an "oft-cited expert on climate change issues." Time magazine named Romm one of its "Heroes of the Environment (2009)," saying 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 of 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" and has been a strong voice for the truth about global warming. 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. For many years, he regularly contributed to a humor contest run by The Washington Post.
