Joe Romm
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Joseph J. Romm (born June 27, 1960) is an American researcher, author, editor, physicist and climate expert, who advocates reducing
greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activities intensify the greenhouse effect. This contributes to climate change. Carbon dioxide (), from burning fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, oil, and natural gas, is the main cause of climate chan ...
to limit
global warming Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes ...
and increasing
energy security Energy security is the association between national security and the availability of natural resources for energy consumption (as opposed to household energy insecurity). Access to cheaper energy has become essential to the functioning of modern ...
through energy efficiency and green energy technologies.About Us: Joseph Romm
, Cleanhouston.org, Citizen’s League for Environmental Action Now, Houston, Texas, accessed July 14, 2016
Romm is a
Fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...
of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is a United States–based international nonprofit with the stated mission of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsib ...
. In 2009, ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' magazine named Romm to its list of "100 People Who Are Changing America","The 100 People Who Are Changing America", ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, March 18, 2009 and ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' magazine named him one of its " Heroes of the Environment (2009)", calling him "The Web's most influential climate-change blogger"."Heroes of the Environment 2009"
''Time'' magazine feature with quote, September 2009, linking to full article: Walsh, Bryan

''Time'' magazine, September 2009.
Romm is a Senior Research Fellow at the
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...
's Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media. In 2019, he founded, and served as the first Editor-in-Chief of, progressive news aggregator ''Front Page Live''. He has written for various energy and news sources, and he was the Chief Science Advisor for documentary series ''
Years of Living Dangerously ''Years of Living Dangerously'' is an American documentary television series, spread over two seasons, focusing on climate change. The first season, consisting of nine episodes, was broadcast on Showtime in 2014. The second season, consistin ...
'', which won the 2014
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. At the
Center for American Progress The Center for American Progress (CAP) is a public policy think tank, research and advocacy organization which presents a Modern liberalism in the United States, liberal viewpoint on Economic policy, economic and social issues. CAP is headquarter ...
, where he was a Senior Fellow, he founded the blog ''Climate Progress'' in 2006, which became part of the '' Think Progress'' website. ''Time'' magazine named Romm's blog one of the "Top 15 Green Websites".Roston, Eric
"Green Websites: ''Climate Progress''"
Time.com, April 17, 2008 (originally published in ''Time'' magazine in 2007), accessed November 29, 2010
In 2009, Thomas L. Friedman, in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', called ''Climate Progress'' "the indispensable blog", and ''Time'' included it in a list of the 25 "Best Blogs of 2010"."Best Blogs of 2010"
''Time'' magazine, June 28, 2010
In the 1990s, Romm served at the
U.S. Department of Energy The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and energy production, the research and development of nuclear power, the military's nuclear we ...
including, for six months, as Acting Assistant Secretary. He has published 10 books and many articles on
global warming Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes ...
, clean energy and communications. His 2006 book '' Hell and High Water'' summarized observations and forecasts of climate change, discussed technology and policy solutions, and criticized political disinformation used to undermine climate science.Talbot, David
"Hell and Hydrogen"
. ''Technology Review'', March/April 2007 issue, accessed October 29, 2015
His 2015 book, ''Climate Change: What Everyone Needs to Know'', covers basic climate science in a Q&A format. He has also written books on how scientists and activists can communicate more persuasively to explain science and policy to the public. His 2012 book, ''Language Intelligence'', concerns the effective use of rhetoric, and his 2018 book, ''How to Go Viral and Reach Millions'', discusses how to tell scientific stories in ways that draw attention and connect with people emotionally. His 2025 revised edition of ''
The Hype About Hydrogen ''The Hype About Hydrogen: Fact and Fiction in the Race to Save the Climate'' is a book by Joseph J. Romm, published in 2004 by Island Press and updated in 2025. The book has been translated into German as ''Der Wasserstoff-Boom''. Romm is an ...
'' decries what he calls "false promises" made by the fossil fuel industry and sets forth the solutions that Romm says can save the climate.


Biography


Early life and career

Romm was born and grew up in Middletown, New York, the youngest of three sons of Al Romm (1926–1999), managing editor of the ''
Times Herald-Record The ''Times Herald-Record'', often referred to as ''The Record'' or ''Middletown Record'' in its coverage area, is an American daily newspaper published in Middletown, New York, covering the northwest suburbs of New York City. It covers Orange, ...
'' newspaper, and
Ethel Grodzins Romm Ethel Grodzins Romm (March 3, 1925 – November 9, 2021) was an American author, journalist, project manager and environmental technology company CEO. She also served as Co-Chair of the Lyceum Society of the New York Academy of Sciences. Romm gra ...
, an author, journalist,"The Workmen's Circle to Honor Activists Ethel Grodzins Romm & Joe Romm at 2016 Winter Benefit"
BroadwayWorld.com, October 20, 2016
project manager, CEO of an environmental technology companyThomson, Elizabeth A

MIT News, December 13, 1995, accessed July 12, 2016
and, later, chair of the Lyceum Society of the
New York Academy of Sciences The New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS), originally founded as the Lyceum of Natural History in January 1817, is a nonprofit professional society based in New York City, with more than 20,000 members from 100 countries. It is the fourth-oldes ...
. Romm's brother David was the host and producer of
Shockwave Radio Theater ''Shockwave Radio Theater'' was broadcast for 28 years on Fresh Air Radio, the community radio station KFAI, 90.3FM Minneapolis, 106.7FM St. Paul from 1979 to 2007. Much of Shockwave Radio is archived on archive.org Podcasts of some shows are ava ...
on
KFAI KFAI (90.3 FM) is a noncommercial community radio station located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, broadcasting to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul. The station broadcasts programming for many of the diverse ethnic groups of the region, inc ...
-FM, and his brother Daniel is a retired physician. His uncle is physicist
Lee Grodzins Lee Grodzins (July 10, 1926 – March 6, 2025) was an American physicist and inventor who was a longtime professor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The family settled in Manchester, New Hampshire, where his father ra ...
, and his aunt was library science expert Anne Grodzins Lipow. Romm graduated from Middletown High School in 1978. Romm attended the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...
, where he earned a
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...
degree in 1982 and a Ph.D. in 1987, both in
physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...
.Directory of APS & AIP Congressional Science Fellows: 1987–88
APS.org, accessed November 28, 2010
In 1987, Romm was awarded an
American Physical Society The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of ...
Congressional Science Fellowship for the
U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
, where he provided science and security policy advice on the staff of Representative Charles E. Bennett. From 1988 to 1990, Romm worked as Special Assistant for International Security at the
Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The foundation was created by Standard Oil magnate John D. Rockefeller (" ...
. From 1991 to 1993, he was a researcher at the
Rocky Mountain Institute RMI, or Rocky Mountain Institute, is a global, independent, non-partisan non-profit organization co-founded in the United States by Amory Lovins. As of 2025, RMI's stated mission is to transform "global energy systems through market-driven solut ...
."Joe Romm"
, EcoSpeakers.com, July 8, 2016
He co-authored the 1994
Rocky Mountain Institute RMI, or Rocky Mountain Institute, is a global, independent, non-partisan non-profit organization co-founded in the United States by Amory Lovins. As of 2025, RMI's stated mission is to transform "global energy systems through market-driven solut ...
Report, ''Greening the Building and the Bottom Line: Increasing Productivity Through Energy-Efficient Design.'' For the Global Environment and Technology Foundation, he performed the first environmental analysis of a system integrating cogenerating fuel cells, fly wheels, and
power electronics Power electronics is the application of electronics to the control and conversion of electric power. The first high-power electronic devices were made using mercury-arc valves. In modern systems, the conversion is performed with semiconduct ...
aimed at achieving very high-availability power. In 1992, Romm published ''The Once and Future Superpower'', a book about America's economic, energy and
environmental security Environmental security examines threats posed by environmental events and trends to individuals, communities or nations. It may focus on the impact of human conflict and international relations on the environment, or on how environmental problem ...
. In 1993, he wrote ''Defining National Security: The Nonmilitary Aspects'', for the
Council on Foreign Relations The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank focused on Foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is an independent and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organi ...
. His 1994 book, ''Lean and Clean Management'', discusses management techniques that can reduce the impact of manufacturing and other industries on the environment while increasing productivity and profits. He co-authored, with Charles B. Curtis, "MidEast Oil Forever," the cover story of the April 1996 issue of the ''
Atlantic Monthly ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 ...
'', which discussed alternative energy strategies. The same year, he co-authored a paper for the
ACEEE The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization. Founded in 1980, ACEEE's mission is to act as a catalyst to advance energy efficiency policies, programs, technologies, investments, and behav ...
Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings on "Policies to Reduce Heat Islands". In 1999, Romm published ''Cool Companies: How the Best Businesses Boost Profits and Productivity by Cutting Greenhouse Gas Emissions''.


Service at the U.S. Department of Energy

Romm served as Acting Assistant Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Energy The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and energy production, the research and development of nuclear power, the military's nuclear we ...
, in charge of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy for six months in 1997, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the rest of the period from August 1995 through June 1998, and Special Assistant for Policy and Planning from 1993 to July 1995. This office, with an annual budget at the time of $1 billion and 550 employees, assists businesses in the industrial, utility, transportation and buildings sectors to develop and use advanced clean energy technologies to cut costs, increase reliability, and reduce pollution.Profile of Romm
Capital E, accessed November 29, 2010
As Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Romm was in charge of all policy and technology analysis and programmatic development for the Office, which was then developing PEM
fuel cells A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel (often hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent (often oxygen) into electricity through a pair of redox reactions. Fuel cells are different from most batteries in req ...
, microturbines, advanced
cogeneration Cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP) is the use of a heat engine or power station to generate electricity and useful heat at the same time. Cogeneration is a more efficient use of fuel or heat, because otherwise- wasted heat from elec ...
,
superconductivity Superconductivity is a set of physical properties observed in superconductors: materials where Electrical resistance and conductance, electrical resistance vanishes and Magnetic field, magnetic fields are expelled from the material. Unlike an ord ...
, building controls,
photovoltaic Photovoltaics (PV) is the conversion of light into electricity using semiconducting materials that exhibit the photovoltaic effect, a phenomenon studied in physics, photochemistry, and electrochemistry. The photovoltaic effect is commercially ...
s and other renewables,
biofuels Biofuel is a fuel that is produced over a short time span from biomass, rather than by the very slow natural processes involved in the formation of fossil fuels such as oil. Biofuel can be produced from plants or from agricultural, domestic ...
, and hydrogen production and storage. Among other projects, he initiated, supervised, and publicized a comprehensive technical analysis in 1997 by five national laboratories of how energy technologies can best reduce greenhouse gas emissions cost-effectively, titled ''Scenarios of U.S. Carbon Reductions.''


1998 to 2006

Romm was, for several years, the executive director and founder of the
non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
Center for Energy and Climate Solutions, which helped businesses and U.S. States adopt high-leverage strategies for saving energy and cutting pollution and
greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activities intensify the greenhouse effect. This contributes to climate change. Carbon dioxide (), from burning fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, oil, and natural gas, is the main cause of climate chan ...
. He was also a principal of the Capital E Group, which consulted on
technology assessment Technology assessment (TA, , ) is a practical process of determining the value of a new or emerging technology in and of itself or against existing technologies. This is a means of assessing and rating the new technology from the time when it w ...
and sustainable design services for clean energy technologies. During these years, Romm wrote widely on global warming and energy technology solutions. His 2004 book, ''
The Hype about Hydrogen ''The Hype About Hydrogen: Fact and Fiction in the Race to Save the Climate'' is a book by Joseph J. Romm, published in 2004 by Island Press and updated in 2025. The book has been translated into German as ''Der Wasserstoff-Boom''. Romm is an ...
'' (expanded and updated in 2025), argues that delaying the implementation of current green technologies in favor of waiting for technological breakthroughs in hydrogen cars is a dangerous distraction from reducing greenhouse gas emissions.Romm, Joseph J
"''The Hype About Hydrogen, Revised Edition''"
''
Island Press Island Press is a nonprofit, environmental publisher based in Washington, D.C., United States, that specializes in natural history, ecology, conservation, and the built environment. Established in 1978, Island Press generates about half of its ...
'', accessed April 25, 2025
The book was named one of the best science and technology books of 2004 by
Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...
. In reviewing the book, Daniel I. Sperling, then a member of
California Air Resources Board The California Air Resources Board (CARB or ARB) is an agency of the government of California that aims to reduce air pollution. Established in 1967 when then-governor Ronald Reagan signed the Mulford-Carrell Act, combining the Bureau of Air S ...
, offered dissenting views. Also in 2004, Romm wrote the National Commission on Energy Policy's report, "The Car and Fuel of the Future", which was rated the #1 Hottest Article on Energy Policy by
ScienceDirect ScienceDirect is a searchable web-based bibliographic database, which provides access to full texts of scientific and medical publications of the Dutch publisher Elsevier as well of several small academic publishers. It hosts over 18 million ...
. He was also the principal investigator for the
National Science Foundation The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is an Independent agencies of the United States government#Examples of independent agencies, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that su ...
project, ''Future Directions for Hydrogen Energy Research and Education'' (2004).Award Abstract
NSF.gov, January 29, 2004
Romm is interviewed in the 2006 documentary film ''
Who Killed the Electric Car? ''Who Killed the Electric Car?'' is a 2006 American documentary film directed by Chris Paine that explores the creation, limited commercialization and subsequent destruction of the battery electric vehicle in the United States, specifically the ...
'', in which he argues that the government's " hydrogen car initiative" was a bad policy choice and a distraction that delayed the exploitation of more promising technologies, such as electric and
hybrid cars A hybrid vehicle is one that uses two or more distinct types of power, such as submarines that use diesel when surfaced and batteries when submerged. Other means to store energy include pressurized fluid in hydraulic hybrids. Hybrid powertrain ...
that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase America's
energy security Energy security is the association between national security and the availability of natural resources for energy consumption (as opposed to household energy insecurity). Access to cheaper energy has become essential to the functioning of modern ...
. Romm's 2006 book '' Hell and High Water'' projected a limited window of opportunity to head off the most catastrophic effects of global warming by using emission-cutting technologies. Tyler Hamilton, in his review of the book for ''
The Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands division. The newspaper was establis ...
'', wrote: "Romm's book presents overwhelming and disturbing evidence that human-caused greenhouse gases are the primary ingredients behind global warming ndalarming detail on how the U.S. public is being misled by a federal government (backed by conservative political forces) that is intent on inaction, and that's also on a mission to derail international efforts to curb emissions."Hamilton, Tyler
"Fresh alarm over global warming"
''Toronto Star'', January 1, 2007, accessed 22 October 2009
''
Technology Review ''MIT Technology Review'' is a bimonthly magazine wholly owned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It was founded in 1899 as ''The Technology Review'', and was re-launched without "''The''" in its name on April 23, 1998, under then pu ...
'' wrote that ''Hell and High Water'' "provides an accurate summary of what is known about global warming and climate change, a sensible agenda for technology and policy, and a primer on how political disinformation has undermined climate science."


''Climate Progress'' and later years

In 2006, Romm became a Senior Fellow at the
Center for American Progress The Center for American Progress (CAP) is a public policy think tank, research and advocacy organization which presents a Modern liberalism in the United States, liberal viewpoint on Economic policy, economic and social issues. CAP is headquarter ...
, where he founded their climate blog, ''
Climate Progress Joseph J. Romm (born June 27, 1960) is an American researcher, author, editor, physicist and climate expert, who advocates reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming and increasing energy security through Efficient energy use, ener ...
'', which focused on climate science, policy and reporting. In 2008, ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' magazine named his blog one of the "Top 15 Green Websites", writing that it "counters bad science and inane rhetoric with original analysis delivered sharply. ... Romm occupies the intersection of climate science, economics and policy. ... On his blog and in his December 2006 book, ''Hell and High Water'', you can find some of the most cogent, memorable, and deployable arguments for immediate and overwhelming action to confront global warming." In 2010, ''Time'' magazine wrote, "Viewing climate change through the prism of national security, Romm analyzes breaking energy news and the relevant research ... he challenges the beliefs and conclusions of the mainstream media on climate-change issues." Romm contributed to the site until 2019.Doniger, David
"Clean Air and Climate Change: Two Books to Get You Going"
''The Huffington Post'', January 2, 2016
He also wrote for other energy and news sites, including ''
The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...
'', '' Grist'', ''
Slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...
'',
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
, and Salon.com. His 2012 ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' opinion piece was called "Without Carbon Controls, We Face a Dust Bowl".Romm, Joseph
"Without Carbon Controls, We Face a Dust Bowl"
''The New York Times'', 25 July 2012
After
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
died in 2022, Romm urged
Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...
to continue his climate advocacy as a non-political, moral imperative. Romm has testified before congressional committees about how government action can curb global warming. For example, in July 2012, he testified before a Natural Resources Subcommittee of the
U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
on the 2012 U.S. drought and wildfires. In March of the same year, he testified before the House Energy & Commerce Committee on "The American Energy Initiative" and rising gasoline prices. In 2010, he testified before the
House Ways and Means Committee A ways and means committee is a government body that is charged with reviewing and making recommendations for government budgets. Because the raising of revenue is vital to carrying out governmental operations, such a committee is tasked with fi ...
on how to optimize "Energy Tax Incentives Driving the Green Job Economy", and in 2007, he testified before the House Committee on Science and Technology on the subject of "Fuels for the Future", specifically the use of liquid fuel from coal and its potential to accelerate global warming. He lectures on energy technology, global warming and how the media portrays climate change. ''
TreeHugger ''TreeHugger'' is a sustainability website that reports on news, and other subjects like eco-friendly design, homes, and gardens. It was rated the top sustainability blog of 2007 by Nielsen Netratings, and was included in ''Time'' Magazine's ...
'' describes Romm's 2010 book, '' Straight Up'', as "a whirlwind tour through the state of climate change, the media that so badly neglects it, the politicians who attempt to address it (and those who obstruct their efforts and ignore hescience), and the clean energy solutions that could help get us out of the mess."Merchant, Brian
"''Straight Up'' Tackles Climate in the Blog Era"
''Treehugger.com'', April 22, 2010
His 2012 book, ''Language Intelligence'', concerns persuasion and the effective use of rhetoric, presenting "Solutions the reader can use for speeches, social media, or just winning the debate around the kitchen table." Romm's August 2012 article for ''Time'' used the research from ''Language Intelligence'' to analyze whether
Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...
or
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
was the more effective communicator.Romm, Joseph
"Who Is the Better Communicator: Romney or Obama?"
''Time'' magazine, August 14, 2012
Romm encourages scientists to use the principles of effective communication outlined in the book (instead of their accustomed, technical, neutral style) to better explain the dangers of, and solutions to, climate change to non-scientists and the media. Romm was the chief science editor for the documentary TV series ''
Years of Living Dangerously ''Years of Living Dangerously'' is an American documentary television series, spread over two seasons, focusing on climate change. The first season, consisting of nine episodes, was broadcast on Showtime in 2014. The second season, consistin ...
'', about the impact of and solutions to climate change. The first season of the series in 2014 on the Showtime network won the 2014
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series."Creative Arts Emmys Doled Out in Hollywood"
CBS Local, August 16, 2014
Romm wrote "Climate Change 101: An Introduction", for the series' website. A second season ran in 2016 on the
National Geographic Channel National Geographic (formerly National Geographic Channel; abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo or Nat Geo TV) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by the National Geographic Global Networks unit of Disney Enter ...
. In 2015,
The Weather Channel The Weather Channel (TWC) is an American pay television television channel, channel owned by Weather Group, LLC, a subsidiary of Allen Media Group. The channel's headquarters are located in Atlanta, Georgia. Launched on May 2, 1982, the channel ...
included Romm as one of "the world's 25 most compelling voices" on climate. That year, Romm also wrote the book ''Climate Change: What Everyone Needs to Know'', a primer on the topic. Ralph Benko in ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' magazine wrote that the "book ... lucidly presents the case both for deep concern and optimism". In ''
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
'' magazine, David Wallace-Wells cited the book as an "authoritative primer". Romm's 2018 book, ''How to Go Viral and Reach Millions'', "teaches everything from word choice to how to recast your scientific stories in ways that connect with people emotionally". In June 2019, Romm founded a progressive news aggregator, ''Front Page Live'', together with
Carl Cameron Carl Cameron (born September 22, 1961, as Karl Emil Othmar Lamberg-Karlovsky
, Alumni, New Hampshire Association of Broadcasters
,
Laura Dawn Laura Dawn is an American political activist, filmmaker and singer-songwriter. She has been the cultural director for MoveOn.org from 2003 to 2011 and was named the organization's national creative director in 2007. In 2019 she helped to found ...
, Sunny Hundal, Helen Stickler and others. Romm was its first Editor-in-Chief. Wemple, Erik
"Ex-Fox Newser Carl Cameron takes his 'unfinished business' to progressive startup"
''The Washington Post'', June 24, 2019
In 2023 he became a Senior Research Fellow at the
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...
's Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media."PCSSM Welcomes Senior Research Fellow Dr. Joseph Romm"
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...
, June 27, 2023
He received a 2024
Ban Ki-moon Ban Ki-moon (born 13 June 1944) is a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016. Prior to his appointment as secretary-general, Ban was the South Korean minister ...
Award for Environmental Leadership.


Media comment and interviews

Romm is often cited, quoted or interviewed by journalists to explain the impact of public policy and energy technologies and applications on global warming and energy security, or to explain causes and impacts of climate change or the influence of the media. For example, In 2009,
MSNBC MSNBC is an American cable news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. Launched on July 15, 1996, and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, the channel primarily broadcasts r ...
relied on him to assess natural gas hydrates, and he was featured on ''
60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who distinguished it from other news programs by using a unique style o ...
'' discussing the scientific evidence that " clean coal" is not clean. In 2010, MSNBC's ''
Countdown with Keith Olbermann ''Countdown with Keith Olbermann'' is a weekday podcast that originated as an hour-long weeknight news and political commentary program hosted by Keith Olbermann that aired on MSNBC from 2003 to 2011 and on Current TV from 2011 to 2012. The show ...
'' program interviewed Romm on how the military is taking action on climate change to improve national security; ''
Guernica Magazine ''Guernica / A Magazine of Art and Politics'' is an American digital magazine known for publishing fiction, poetry, essays, reportage, art, and interviews that focus primarily on global perspectives and the intersection between art and politics. ...
'' interviewed him on the science and politics of global warming; ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
'' asked him to comment on the Koch-funded exhibit on evolution and climate change at the
National Museum of Natural History The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It has free admission and is open 364 days a year. With 4.4 ...
; and ''
The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 185 ...
'' and CBS News each reviewed a media call by Romm concerning the relationship between the January 2010 snowstorms in Washington, DC and global warming. In 2011, ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' linked with approval to Romm's review of the scientific literature on climate change. ''Time'' magazine explored Romm's critique of
Matthew Nisbet Matthew C. Nisbet is a professor of Communications and Public Policy at Northeastern University. He is the former Editor-in-Chief of ''Environmental Communication'' and Senior Editor of the ''Oxford Encyclopedia of Climate Change Communication' ...
and praised his analysis of the decline of media coverage regarding climate change. ''
National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...
'' quoted him about the part that the media has played in the dearth of information about climate reaching the public. The same year, ''
Technology Review ''MIT Technology Review'' is a bimonthly magazine wholly owned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It was founded in 1899 as ''The Technology Review'', and was re-launched without "''The''" in its name on April 23, 1998, under then pu ...
'' quoted Romm regarding the relationship between government-assisted deployment and rapid innovation in energy technologies, and the ''
Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division. ...
'' quoted him regarding President Obama's 2011 State of the Union address. In 2012 in ''The New York Times'', economist
Paul Krugman Paul Robin Krugman ( ; born February 28, 1953) is an American New Keynesian economics, New Keynesian economist who is the Distinguished Professor of Economics at the CUNY Graduate Center, Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He ...
cited Romm on the connection between drought and Climate change, and ''The Atlantic'' interviewed and cited him on the reluctance of the Democrats to discuss climate change. ''National Geographic'' quoted him about disappearing arctic ice and the effect of climate change on the polar bear, and
Current TV Current TV was an American television channel which broadcast from August 1, 2005, to August 20, 2013. Prior INdTV founders Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, with Ronald Burkle, each held a sizable stake in Current TV. Comcast and DirecTV each held a small ...
's Bill Press interviewed Romm about record-breaking heat. In 2014 ''
Businessweek ''Bloomberg Businessweek'', previously known as ''BusinessWeek'' (and before that ''Business Week'' and ''The Business Week''), is an American monthly business magazine published 12 times a year. The magazine debuted in New York City in Septembe ...
'' quoted Romm regarding the lack of commercial viability of hydrogen fuel cells for cars, and ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' quoted him concerning international cooperation on climate change. In 2015, ''The Guardian'' quoted Romm about historic high global temperatures, and ''
MarketWatch ''MarketWatch'' is a website that provides financial information, business news, analysis, and stock market data. It is a subsidiary of Dow Jones & Company, a property of News Corp, along with ''The Wall Street Journal'' and '' Barron's.'' ...
'' quoted him on actions that
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
might take concerning climate agreements if he were to be elected president. Later that year, ''
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists The ''Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists'' is a nonprofit organization concerning science and global security issues resulting from accelerating technological advances that have negative consequences for humanity. The ''Bulletin'' publishes conte ...
'' interviewed Romm about nuclear power and climate change. ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' quoted him in 2016 about the cost and pace of change in clean energy technology. In 2017, '' Mother Jones'' listed Romm's reading recommendations for "understanding in this age of rancor". The same year, ''Huffington Post'' said that Romm's 2017 appearance on
Sam Harris Samuel Benjamin Harris (born April 9, 1967) is an American philosopher, neuroscientist, author, and podcast host. His work touches on a range of topics, including rationality, religion, ethics, free will, determinism, neuroscience, meditation ...
's podcast "over the course of two hours unpacks the scientific case for climate change like only Romm can." In 2018,
Tucker Carlson Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson (born May 16, 1969) is an American conservative political commentator who hosted the nightly political talk show '' Tucker Carlson Tonight'' on Fox News from 2016 to 2023. Since his contract with Fox News was term ...
interviewed Romm on Fox News about the threat of global warming. Later that year, Romm was quoted by Alaska Public Media regarding
Lisa Murkowski Lisa Ann Murkowski ( ; born May 22, 1957) is an American attorney and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from the state of Alaska, having held the seat since 2002. She is the first woman ...
's record on climate change and in ''The Guardian'' about President Trump and the
Clean Power Plan The Clean Power Plan was an Presidency of Barack Obama, Obama administration policy aimed at combating climate change that was first proposed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in June 201 ...
. Friedman cited Romm in ''The New York Times'' in 2019 regarding the proposed
Green New Deal The Green New Deal (GND) calls for public policy to address climate change, along with achieving other social aims like job creation, economic growth, and reducing economic inequality. The name refers to the New Deal, a set of changes and ...
. '' GQ Britain'' quoted Romm in 2020 criticizing carbon offsets. William S. Becker, writing in '' The Hill'', cited Romm's 2023 white paper on carbon offsets. In 2023, Peter Coy, in ''The New York Times'', quoted Romm concerning carbon markets and carbon capture. In 2025 Michael Barnard wrote in CleanTechnica: "Romm ... one of the clearest-eyed analysts of carbon policy and energy technologies ... dismantles the case for
BECCS Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is the process of extracting bioenergy from Biomass (energy), biomass and capturing and storing the carbon dioxide (CO2) that is produced. Greenhouse gas emissions from bioenergy can be low becaus ...
with forensic clarity. ... He shows how BECCS not only diverts policy and funding away from real decarbonization, but also opens up dangerous land-use pressures that displace food, ecosystems, and people." The same year, Romm was quoted in ''
Chemical & Engineering News ''Chemical & Engineering News'' (''C&EN'') is a weekly news magazine published by the American Chemical Society (ACS), providing professional and technical news and analysis in the fields of chemistry and chemical engineering.green hydrogen.


Romm's views

''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' "Dot Earth" column reviewed Romm's views on global warming solutions on November 24, 2008, including his belief that, to combat global warming, humans cannot wait for new technologies and scientific breakthroughs; that instead we must "deploy existing and near-term low-carbon technologies as fast as is humanly possible".Revkin, Andrew C
"Joe Romm on Hansen’s Mistakes, Cap’s Limits"
Dot Earth, ''The New York Times'', November 24, 2008
In his blog, Romm has described the technology solutions that he believes can control global warming. ''The New York Times'' also quoted Romm as stating that, to solve the climate crisis, "We will need a WWII-style approach". The article noted Romm's belief that "credible people" and the press should publicly support the notion that government action is needed to help solve the global warming crisis. In particular, the press should explain how current news stories, such as hurricanes, droughts and insect infestations are related to global warming. According to ''U.S. News & World Report'', Romm believes that global warming "is advancing more swiftly than most people think and than the mainstream media usually report. He has called for significantly ramping up government spending on clean energy technology, halting the construction of new coal plants, rapidly increasing the use of energy-efficient technologies, and imposing a
cap and trade Carbon emission trading (also called carbon market, emission trading scheme (ETS) or cap and trade) is a type of emissions trading scheme designed for carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs). A form of carbon price, carbon pricing ...
system to sharply limit carbon dioxide emissions". In 2006, in a radio interview, Romm stated, "Global warming is going to transform this country and our transportation and the way we live our lives. If we don't act pretty soon, in an intelligent fashion, then change will be forced upon us by the radically changed climate... global warming is the issue of the century". In March 2009, Romm summarized and updated his views in an "introduction" to his blog, and in another post, setting forth a summary of "global warming impacts". In 2011, Romm stated that "Feeding some 9 billion people by mid-century in the face of a rapidly worsening climate may well be the greatest challenge the human race has ever faced." Romm's 2010 book, ''Straight Up'' notes: "the bottom line is that the economic cost of action is low, whereas the cost of inaction is incalculably greater". Romm calculates that deployment of existing technologies on the massive scale that can save the climate can be accomplished at the cost of 0.12 percent of global GDP per year. He also asks in the book, "will the United States be a global leader in creating jobs and exports in clean energy technologies, or will we be importing them from Europe, Japan, and the likely clean energy leader in our absence, China." In 2005, with respect to the U.S. Congress's actions on climate, including its votes on the XL Pipeline, Romm told ''The Guardian'': "Future generations suffering from the consequences of our inaction will be bewildered that the legislative body of the richest country in the world could devote so little effort to ameliorating the climate problem and so much effort to making it worse." He believes that
carbon capture and storage Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a process by which carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial installations is separated before it is released into the atmosphere, then transported to a long-term storage location.IPCC, 2021Annex VII: Glossary at ...
and other carbon removal efforts are not scalable solutions, and "'net zero' is just a dangerous myth" used to excuse inaction on the climate crisis.Magubane, Nathi
"Carbon capture and common misconceptions: A Q&A with Joe Romm"
''Penn Today'', November 8, 2023
In 2025, Romm wrote that
small modular reactor The small modular reactor (SMR) is a class of small nuclear fission reactor, designed to be built in a factory, shipped to operational sites for installation, and then used to power buildings or other commercial operations. The term SMR refers t ...
s are a "pipe dream" and the most expensive form of electricity generation, while wind, solar and batteries have become the cheapest. Romm has been critical of media coverage of global warming. In his 2010 book, '' Straight Up'', he wrote, "Historically, even the most respected newspapers have fallen into the trap of giving the same credence – and ... space – to a handful of U.S. scientists, most receiving funds from the fossil fuel industry, as they give to hundreds of the world's leading climate scientists. No surprise that much of the public has ended up with a misimpression about the remarkable strength of our scientific understanding and the need for action". He concludes, "more and more pieces are being written by senior political reporters, who know very little about global warming". Romm also believes that scientists and politicians need to be more effective communicators about climate change.


Reputation

In 2008, Romm was elected a Fellow of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is a United States–based international nonprofit with the stated mission of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsib ...
for "distinguished service toward a sustainable energy future and for persuasive discourse on why citizens, corporations, and governments should adopt sustainable technologies". In 2009, ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' magazine named Romm to its list of "100 People Who Are Changing America", quoting journalist David Roberts as follows: "Joe combines two qualities you don't often find together. A deep knowledge of technology, policy and science along with genuine moral passion." Former
Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
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", calling Romm an "oft-cited expert on climate change issues, and a go-to witness at congressional hearings".Garber, Kent. "Driving Public Policy in Washington", ''U.S. News & World Report'', p. 39, vol. 146, no. 3, April 2009 (online a
"Top Energy Player: Joe Romm, Influential Liberal Climate Change Expert and Blogger"
)
''Time'' magazine named Romm one of its " Heroes of the Environment (2009)", writing, "He combines ... intellect with a strong sense of moral outrage. He also possesses a
Jon Stewart Jon Stewart (born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz, November 28, 1962) is an American comedian, writer, producer, director, political commentator, actor, and television host. The long-running host of ''The Daily Show'' on Comedy Central from 1999 to 20 ...
-like quality for pointing out the absurdity of his opponents." ''Time'' named his blog as one of the "Top 15 Green Websites" in 2009. The same year, Thomas L. Friedman, in ''The New York Times'', called ''Climate Progress'' "the indispensable blog".Friedman, Thomas L
"The Inflection Is Near?"
''The New York Times'', March 7, 2009
In 2010, ''Time'' included Romm's blog in a list of the 25 "Best Blogs of 2010" and one of the "Top Five Blogs ''TIME'' Writers Read Daily". The same year,
TreeHugger ''TreeHugger'' is a sustainability website that reports on news, and other subjects like eco-friendly design, homes, and gardens. It was rated the top sustainability blog of 2007 by Nielsen Netratings, and was included in ''Time'' Magazine's ...
named Romm's blog the "Best Politics Website", adding, "this is the art of blogging at its best". The UK's ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' ranked ''Climate Progress'' at the top of its list of blogs in its "Top 50 Twitter climate accounts to follow". Reviewing Romm's 2010 book ''Straight Up'',
Bill McKibben William Ernest McKibben (born December 8, 1960)"Bill Ernest McKibben." ''Environmental Encyclopedia''. Edited by Deirdre S. Blanchfield. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2009. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, December 31, 2017. is a ...
wrote that Romm "knows his climate science ... ndhas been a persuasive voice for the most important truth about global warming: that it is a far worse problem than either politicians or the general public understand. ... Romm has been consistent in insisting that we have much of the technology necessary to at least begin tackling the problem." He called Romm "a tireless foil to the 'right-wing disinformation machine' that has tried – with great success ... to delay action by confusing and disheartening Americans about global warming. ... It requires a thick skin to take on the daily task of dealing with the disinformers, but Romm has the taste for this kind of blood sport, and the talent as well." In 2011, ''The New York Times'' called Romm "one of the country’s most influential writers on climate change". In 2012, ''Planetsave'' wrote that Romm is "considered the world’s best blogger on climate science, and politics related to it."


Personal life

Romm lives in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
He has long had an interest in comedy. From 1994 through 2007, he was a regular contributor to The Style Invitational, a weekly humor contest run by ''The Washington Post''. Among his submissions was the winning entry of what was later declared to be the best overall week's results of the Style Invitational's first decade.


Bibliography

In addition to his books and other publications listed below, Romm has written or co-written numerous articles and lectured widely on
global warming Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes ...
effects and solutions, clean technologies, business and environment issues and
distributed energy Distributed generation, also distributed energy, on-site generation (OSG), or district/decentralized energy, is electrical generation and storage performed by a variety of small, grid-connected or distribution system-connected devices referred ...
. His articles have been published in ''
Nature Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the Ecosphere (planetary), ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the Scientific law, laws, elements and phenomenon, phenomena of the physic ...
'',Romm, Joseph
''Desertification: The next dust bowl''
''Nature'', 478, 450–451, 27 October 2011
'' U.S. News & World Report'', ''
Technology Review ''MIT Technology Review'' is a bimonthly magazine wholly owned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It was founded in 1899 as ''The Technology Review'', and was re-launched without "''The''" in its name on April 23, 1998, under then pu ...
'', '' Issues in Science and Technology'', ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'', ''
Foreign Affairs ''Foreign Affairs'' is an American magazine of international relations and foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy published by the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonprofit organization, nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership or ...
'', ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'', ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'', ''
Science Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...
'', ''
Scientific American ''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it, with more than 150 Nobel Pri ...
'',Romm, Joseph.
"Hybrid Vehicles Gain Traction"
Calcars.org, 2006; and "The Verification of Compliance with Arms-Control Agreements" (with Hafemeister and Tsipis), ''Scientific American'', March 1985, pp. 39-45
''
Physics Today ''Physics Today'' is the membership magazine of the American Institute of Physics. First published in May 1948, it is issued on a monthly schedule, and is provided to the members of ten physics societies, including the American Physical Society. ...
'', ''
Physics World ''Physics World'' is the membership magazine of the Institute of Physics, one of the largest physical societies in the world. It is an international monthly magazine covering all areas of physics, pure and applied, and is aimed at physicists in ...
'', ''
The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British newspaper published weekly in printed magazine format and daily on Electronic publishing, digital platforms. It publishes stories on topics that include economics, business, geopolitics, technology and culture. M ...
'', ''Time'' magazine, '' Grist'' magazine, ''
Businessweek ''Bloomberg Businessweek'', previously known as ''BusinessWeek'' (and before that ''Business Week'' and ''The Business Week''), is an American monthly business magazine published 12 times a year. The magazine debuted in New York City in Septembe ...
'' and ''
Mother Earth News ''Mother Earth News'' is a bi-monthly American magazine that has a circulation of 500,520 . It is published in Topeka, Kansas. Since its founding, ''Mother Earth News'' has promoted renewable energy, recycling, family farms, good agricultura ...
'', among other publications. In 2006, Romm and Prof. Andrew A. Frank co-authored "Hybrid Vehicles Gain Traction", published in ''Scientific American'', in which they argue in favor of Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The same year, Romm published "California's Hydrogen Highway Reconsidered" in ''
Golden Gate University Golden Gate University (GGU or Golden Gate) is a private university in San Francisco, California, United States. Founded in 1901, GGU specializes in educating professionals through its schools of law, business, taxation, technology, accounting, ...
Law Review''. In 2007, he co-authored "Plugging into the Grid: How Plug-In Hybrid-Electric Vehicles Can Help Break America's Oil Addiction and Slow Global Warming" in the
Progressive Policy Institute The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that serves as a public policy think tank in the United States. The Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) founded it in 1989. ''The Washington Post'' has described the ...
's ''Policy Report''. Romm contributed a chapter to the 2007 book '' Energy and American Society: Thirteen Myths'', disputing that "The Hydrogen Economy Is a Panacea". In 2008, ''Nature'' published Romm's article "Cleaning up on Carbon", in which he advocated "accelerating the deployment of the 11 wedges ... originally modelled by Socolow and Pacala." In 2011, ''Nature'' published Romm's article ''Desertification: The next dust bowl'', exploring the dangers to the world economy and populations of droughts that are projected to be caused by climate change, such as
food insecurity Food security is the state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, healthy food. The availability of food for people of any class, gender, ethnicity, or religion is another element of food protection. Similarly, househo ...
. In 2023, Romm released several
white paper A white paper is a report or guide that informs readers concisely about a complex issue and presents the issuing body's philosophy on the matter. It is meant to help readers understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision. Since the 199 ...
s for the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media: "Are carbon offsets unscalable, unjust, and unfixable – and a threat to the Paris Climate Agreement?",Hanley, Steve
"Carbon Offsets Are Unscalable, Unjust, & Unfixable – Joe Romm"
''CleanTechnica'', August 5, 2023
"Why direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS) is not scalable, and 'net zero' is just a dangerous myth" and "Why scaling bioenergy and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is impractical and would speed up global warming".


Books by Romm

* * * * * An updated edition was published in 2005 (). The book has also been translated into German as ''Der Wasserstoff-boom''. * * * *
Chapter 7, available online
* *


Selected journal articles and reports


Report: "The Self-Limiting Future of Nuclear Power"
AmericanProgressAction.org, 2008
"The Car and Fuel of the Future"
''Energy Policy'', 34 (2006), pp. 2609–14 *"Future Directions for Hydrogen Energy Research and Education" (Principal Investigator), Report to the National Science Foundation, November 2004 *"The internet and the new energy economy", ''Resources, Conservation and Recycling'', p. 36 (2002) pp. 197–210 *"Combined Heat and Power for Saving Energy and Carbon in Buildings" (with Kaarsberg, Koomey, Rosenfeld and Teagen), Proceedings of 1998
ACEEE The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization. Founded in 1980, ACEEE's mission is to act as a catalyst to advance energy efficiency policies, programs, technologies, investments, and behav ...
Summer Study, Pacific Grove, CA, 1999
Report: "The Internet Economy and Global Warming"
(with Arthur H. Rosenfeld and Susan Herrmann), Center for Energy and Climate Solutions, The Global Environment and Technology Foundation, 1999–2000 *"Engineering-Economic Studies of Energy Technologies to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Opportunities and Challenges" (with Brown, Levine, Rosenfeld and Koomey), '' Annual Review of Energy and the Environment'', 1998
"A Roadmap for U.S. Carbon Reductions"
(with Levine, Brown, and Petersen), ''Science'', January 30, 1998, vol. 279, no. 5351, pp. 669–70 *"Cool Communities: Strategies for Heat Island Mitigation and Smog Reduction" (with Rosenfeld, Hashem Akbari and Melvin Pomerantz), ''Energy and Buildings'' 28 (1998) pp. 51–62
"Policies to Reduce Heat Islands" "Policies to Reduce Heat Islands"
(with Rosenfeld, Akbari, Pomerantz and Haider G. Taha), 1996 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Pacific Grove, CA. Vol. 9, p. 177
"Greening the Building and the Bottom Line: Increasing Productivity Through Energy-Efficient Design"
(with Browning), Rocky Mountain Institute, November 1994 (peer-reviewed by U.S. Green Building Council); first published as Proceedings of 1994 ACEEE Summer Study, Pacific Grove, CA


Notes


External links



by
Keith Olbermann Keith Theodore Olbermann (born January 27, 1959) is an American sports and political commentator and writer. Olbermann spent the first 20 years of his career in sports journalism. He was a sports correspondent for CNN and for local TV and ra ...
regarding the News Corp. hacking scandal (2011)
Interview
at The Commonwealth Club (2010)
Romm featured
on ''Climate Denial Crock of the Week'' (2013)
Interview
about the 5th IPCC report, by
Thom Hartmann Thomas Carl Hartmann (born May 7, 1951) is an American radio personality, author, businessman, and progressivism, progressive pundit, political commentator. Hartmann has been hosting a nationally syndicated radio show, ''The Thom Hartmann Progr ...
(2012)
Interview
about the
Clean Power Plan The Clean Power Plan was an Presidency of Barack Obama, Obama administration policy aimed at combating climate change that was first proposed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in June 201 ...
(2015)
Keynote speech at the annual sustainability event
of the Colorado Renewable Energy Society, at
University of Colorado Denver The University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) is a Public university, public research university located in downtown Denver, Colorado. It is part of the University of Colorado system. Established in 1912 as an extension of the University of C ...
(2016) {{DEFAULTSORT:Romm, Joseph J. American male bloggers American bloggers American climate activists American editors American non-fiction environmental writers American political writers American science writers American male journalists American male non-fiction writers Center for American Progress people Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Jewish American activists Jewish American journalists Jewish American scientists Jewish American non-fiction writers Jewish bloggers Journalists from New York (state) Living people Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science alumni People from Middletown, Orange County, New York American sustainability advocates Writers from Washington, D.C. Writers from New York (state) 1960 births Environmental bloggers Activists from New York (state) 21st-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American Jews