Former White House Science Advisor Explains Why He Gives to EESI

“I think EESI has been an enormously positive influence on understanding in the Congress and in the public of the nature of the climate change challenge, the nature of the solutions, what we can do with energy efficiency, and the ways in which clean energy can be brought to bear,” said Dr. John Holdren, a climate change expert, in a video short that EESI produced.

Dr. Holdren, White House Science Advisor to former President Barack Obama, explained why he sees EESI as instrumental to the climate change discussion, and an organization he can feel confident giving to. As he explained, “It’s a very lean, efficient, effective operation, so I think I’m getting the most bang for my charitable buck by giving it to EESI.” Indeed, Charity Navigator, the Yelp of nonprofits, has given EESI a perfect rating—awarding 100 out of 100 in financial performance and accountability and transparency.

In Dr. Holdren's view, EESI has “extraordinary leverage” compared to other environmental and energy non-governmental organizations. Holdren noted that EESI’s long-standing bipartisan work with Congress is a comparative advantage.  

Though the dynamics and causes of climate change are global, the impacts are all local, Holdren explained. EESI’s work continues to get that message across to people at local, community, and state levels, in addition to national and international policymakers. EESI is thankful to Dr. Holdren and all our donors for making our work possible!

 

 

John Holdren's biography (courtesy of Harvard University):

DR. JOHN P. HOLDREN is the Teresa and John Heinz Professor of Environmental Policy at the Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Co-Director of the School’s Science, Technology, and Public Policy program, Professor of Environmental Science and Policy in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, and Faculty Affiliate in the Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science. He is also Visiting Distinguished Professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, and Senior Advisor to the President at the Woods Hole Research Center, a pre-eminent scientific think tank focused on the role of the terrestrial biosphere in global climate change. From January 2009 to January 2017, he was President Obama’s Science Advisor and Senate-confirmed Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), becoming the longest-serving Science Advisor to the President in the history of the position.

Source: www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty/john-holdren