What You Missed: Tuesday Talk with Secretary Steven Chu

Posted by White House

In Tuesday Talks this week, Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu answered your questions from WhiteHouse.gov and Facebook in a live video chat. Secretary Chu recently delivered a speech calling on the United States to sharply accelerate innovations in clean energy -- citing China and other countries' recent advances in clean technology as a critical "Sputnik Moment" for the U.S.

Watch the chat to learn what you can do to save more energy at home and about the initiatives that the Department of Energy is undertaking to promote a sustainable energy economy. You can check out the full video of the chat or use the links below to jump directly to the questions you're interested in.

• Opening Remarks
• How can ‘we the people’ save more energy at home?
• How does President Obama plan to implement a strategy to reach our youth about the interworkings of a green economy?
• Is the Department of Energy looking at ways to increase the amount of solar energy in urban markets? Is the department looking at Germany as a model for this?
• Why aren’t we discovering new ways to fuel cars?
• Can we develop better infrastructure like trains or rails and simply drive less?
• Yes! High speed rail systems please!
• How are going to upgrade the electric grid as we consume more and more power?
• Wouldn’t making use of all viable roof space be a great resource for expanding solar power?
• Why haven’t they put solar panels on the White House?
• Are we looking to hydrogen as an energy source? And what plans are in place to handle the electricity used by electric cars?
• What are you doing to further research?
• How can the U.S. Government push alternate energy systems to help to fuel home, school, and other public buildings where energy cost is an issue?
• What piece of the energy pie will be the largest part of the energy future?
• Do you believe that we can become completely sustainable and get off fossil fuels? If so, when?
• Should we be worried about China surpassing us in new energy technology?
• Has the U.S. already lost the initiative in renewable energy to China or Europe?
• Is the U.S. attending the upcoming climate change conference?
• Is there any prediction on the number of jobs that alternative energy industries can bring to the U.S.?
• We have known about the need for alternative energy sources for so long, what has held us back from pursuing them?
• As a college senior, I would like to pursue in renewable energies, what can I do to achieve this?
• What are the top three initiatives that you are focusing on right now?

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