Cacophony and commonality: A scientist in Congress working on climate and energy policy
As our society faces one of the existential threats of our generation, climate change, political differences seem to control the narrative. The overwhelming scientific consensus is that human-caused pollution is changing our planet, and we are only just beginning to see and understand the consequences. Yet, even with all the evidence, we still hear questioners and deniers. And we also hear differences in opinion on what exactly we should be doing about it.
On Capitol Hill in Senator Chris Coons’ (D-DE) office, I see these differences firsthand. As an Arthur H. Guenther Congressional Fellow (sponsored by SPIE and Optica), I work on energy and environmental policy every day. My role as a fellow is to bring a scientific perspective to the senator’s staff—advancing legislation, preparing briefing materials for the Senator, and participating in a range of other tasks that include the congressional funding process and hearing from constituents in Delaware. I am using this fellowship as an opportunity to learn about the policymaking process and work on legislative solutions that unite science with society.
As a scientist by training, the biggest transition from research to my work in Congress is the lens through which I view the world. On a daily basis, instead of thinking about scientific questions, I need to look at the political, social, and economic parameters that science works within. For example, rather than thinking about specific materials to make more efficient water electrolyzers to produce green hydrogen (which is what I did during my PhD studies), I am now thinking about the infrastructure needed to transport that hydrogen, and whether there will be ways to use hydrogen, such as in buses that run on fuel cells. Beyond that, I am hearing from firefighters and first responders who are concerned about the safety of hydrogen, and from local communities who wonder about unintended environmental consequences. What is clear to me from this new vantage point is that we need all these different perspectives at the table, in conversation with each other, so that emerging technologies like green hydrogen can get off the ground effectively.
One of the most rewarding parts of my work has been to help organize and plan events for the bipartisan Senate Climate Solutions Caucus. Senator Coons co-chairs this small group—an equal number from both sides of the aisle—along with Senator Mike Braun (R-IN). The caucus was created to be a forum to bring senators together in an informal setting to learn about ideas for climate solutions, to ask questions, and to discuss openly. Each event brings in leaders from industry, the Administration, business, foreign governments, and others, to share their perspectives on a topic and to be a resource for the group. Since my joining the office, the discussions have ranged from decarbonizing concrete to advanced nuclear energy, to the role of philanthropy in addressing climate challenges globally.
Even with different perspectives and values, lawmakers in the Climate Solutions Caucus are committed to finding areas of common interest, or at the very least listening to what the speakers have to say and asking thoughtful questions.
In caucus discussions, I hear alignment on the exceptionality of US technological innovation and scientific research; alignment that we want a cleaner, healthier planet for the generations to come; alignment that we care about people, jobs, and communities across the country; and alignment that we want a wide range of solutions to meet the challenges we face.
A narrative I often hear these days is that the US Congress is dysfunctional. I will admit it’s true that last year, Congress passed only 34 bills, the lowest number in the first year of a congressional session since the Great Depression. This can feel frustrating. But in my current position working in the Senate, I am heartened by efforts like the Climate Solutions Caucus, as well as the members of Congress and their staff who constantly work to seek commonality, find compromise, and pursue evidence-based policy measures. During my fellowship orientation in September 2023, a speaker noted that the US government was designed to be messy. We have a representative democracy where senators and representatives advocate for states, territories, and districts that face diverse challenges and present diverse opportunities. Congress is where all voices from across the country come together.
So, among the different perspectives and voices clamoring to be heard in Congress, what is the role of scientists? Scientists provide data and facts about what is happening in the world and share a realistic vision for future possibilities. Some photonics-specific examples in the clean-energy space include LEDs for energy efficiency and emerging solar energy technologies. There may be more examples out there that are just being discovered in a lab, or there may be commonsense solutions that we’ve known about for decades that just need the right incentives and circumstances to fully deploy.
In other words, scientists imagine what could be and seek methods to bring those advances to life. The same could be said for policymakers. What I’ve found is that many of the skills I developed as a scientist are what I use every day in my current role: I seek and analyze information. I communicate complicated topics in a clear, cohesive manner. I collect and process feedback on my work. I pursue ideas that could benefit and improve our nation and humanity.
Policy guides the direction of science, and, in turn, science informs policy. Science itself is a source of commonality, both in the groundedness of data and in the hope of the next transformative discoveries.
Among the cacophony of voices in Congress, scientists must be at the table and part of the conversation. I’m proud to be one of them.
Claire Cody is the 2023-24 Arthur H. Guenther Congressional Fellow.
