Start Me Up

When BP, the company formerly known as British Petroleum, dumped half-a-billion in cash into University of California Berkeley's research coffers, the outcry was (surprise, surprise) loud, indignant, and, many on the inside say, foolish. In an article called "Start-up U," Lisa Margonelli reports on the Berkeley energy venture for the California Monthly, the UC alumni magazine. Among others, she quotes Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Director Steven Chu:

In Chu’s view, the magnitude and speed of climate change calls for a close partnership between research institutions, government regulators, and industry. By setting standards and establishing incentives, smart regulators can push industry, setting in motion big technological changes. “Getting technology deployed is best done in a business space,” he says. “You can develop technology at research institutions, as has been done in the past, but there’s a time delay. I don’t think we have a time luxury,” he asserts. “We want to partner with industry early because industry’s strength is that they can make technology scalable.” Chu understands that not everyone shares this view. “A small segment doesn’t understand that moving fast is better than maintaining purity,” he says. “Monasteries are good places, but they’re not good for science.”