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BAKER INSTITUTE’S EDWARD DJEREJIAN ON ENERGY, MEDICINE / AND HOUSTON’S ROLE IN SHAPING POLICY

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Baker Institute’s Edward Djerejian on medical expertise, energy and Houston’s place in shaping policy

BY DANNY KING which you made a series of tic, and he breaks the perception CORRESPONDENT recommendations on how to that vaccines will somehow best address the pandemic. harm you and not help you. hile the status Could you have imagined at (Baker Institute Fellow) Dr. of Rice Uni- the time that the U.S. would Quianta Moore has written re- versity’s approach 600,000 COVID ports about how to protect chil- Baker In- deaths? dren’s health, which is akin to Wstitute of A: Never. I could’ve never education reform. The future of Public Policy has never been foreseen that COVID deaths our country depends on the higher, neither have the stakes would surpass the number of viability of the younger genera- been in regardto the Houston- deaths from all of the recent tions’ health and education, and based think tank’s areas of focus. wars we’ve fought. And in my we’re defective in both areas. Earlier this year, the Baker In- eyes, it underscored the deficien- There are social justice and in- stitute was ranked the No. 1 uni- cies of our public health system frastructural issues. She’s ad- versity-affiliated think tank in the and our lack of a resilient supply- vocated ameliorating equality world, according to the 2020 chain infrastructure that I hope barriers. Global Go To Think Tank Index will not be lost once the vaccines But with all the stimulus pack- Report. take their effect and we get some ages coming out, the Biden ad- Since its inception in 1993, the semblance of herd immunity. It ministration has to take a hard institute has been led by Ambas- cannot be business as usual. We look at addressing the huge sador Edward Djerejian, 82 , who have to invest in our critical national debt. We’re telling the filled foreign service roles infrastructure. And if this isn’t a Biden administration that the through eight presidential ad- wake-up call to make structural current fiscal path is unsustain- ministrations, commencing reforms in our socioeconomic able. Right now, people feel under John F. Kennedy and con- system, I don’t know what is. comfortable with it because of tinuing through his role as U.S. the low interest rate and low ambassador to under Bill Q: What are some of the inflation rate in comparison to Clinton. recommendations the Baker Djerejian continues on B10 Ambassador Djerejian dis- Institute is making to the Bi- cussed foreign policy, energy den administration? dependence and pandemic re- A: Dr. Peter Hotez, who’s a sponse with the Houston Chron- Baker Institute Fellow in vaccine icle. The interview has been policy, is one of the most public Since its inception in 1993, the edited for clarity and length. proponents of vaccines, and has Baker Institute has been led become an ambassador for vac- by Ambassador Edward Q: You wrote an op-ed last cine diplomacy in the Middle Djerejian, who filled foreign May for the Chronicle in East. He has a child who’s autis- service roles for decades.

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Steve Gonzales /Staff photographer

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“It cannot be business as usual. We have to invest in our critical infrastructure. And if (the pademic) isn’t a wake-up call to make structural reforms in our socioeconomic system, I don’t know what is.”

Djerejianfrom page B8 world’s university-affiliated Trump administration make previous years. But it’s there, think tanks? that more or less attainable? and it’s an 800-pound gorilla. A: We created a model of A: Less. (The Trump adminis- He’s also got a real opportuni- producing intellectual content tration) underscored the Abra- ty to negotiate a robust, biparti- that is data-driven, nonpartisan ham Accords, which aren’t peace san energy policy. The private and relevant to busy decision- accords, they’re transactional sector is already moving towards makers in C-suites and in the agreements. Between the an ESG (environmental, social, public sector that’s proven to be River and Mediterranean Sea, governance) agenda, but you’re quite effective. The other factor there are 6 million Arabs and 6 going to need a bipartisan initia- is the principal of comparative million Jews. Neither are going tive for regulatory certainty for advantage. Houston is the energy away. The only solution is a investors. capital of the world, and that’s two-state solution along the 1967 such a major public-policy issue. lines, however they’re modified. Q: Is that realistic? The other thing is that we’re The status quo can blow up in A: We think it’s possible. He right across the street from the our faces at any time. If it’s one could use the bully pulpit. Maybe Texas Medical Center, and public state with equal rights, it’s not a he can get five to 10 Republicans. health is a critical issue. And Democratic Jewish state. If it’s It can get very ugly, but if he can NASA is just to the south of us. one state with unequal rights come out with climate-focused So our faculty and experts have where Israeli Jews have primary legislation, he’d make a historic been quite effective at bringing rights, some would call that contribution. our policy recommendations to apartheid. So basically, the only Washington. political solution that’s viable is a Q: Much of the local econo- two-state solution. my is impacted by oil supply Q: President Biden just from the Middle East, and announced that he wants to Q: How else would you dependence may be lessened withdraw U.S. troops from advise the Biden administra- by more renewable-energy Afghanistan by Sept. 11, the tion on Middle East issues? production. Will renewables 20th anniversary of the 9/11 A: Biden’s administration has have a meaningful impact on Steve Gonzales /Staff photographer attacks on the U.S. Do you made it very clear that they want domestic energy consumption think this is advisable? to reinstate the JCPOA (the 2015 Ambassador Edward Djerejian, seen with Colton Cox, policy anytime soon? A: That’s a big decision that’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of assistant to the ambassador, pins the institute’s success on its A: Those who talk about peak highly contentious, but look how Action was signed by Iran and data-driven, nonpartisan think-tank model. oil demand have been so often long we’ve been there. When the five permanent members of proven wrong. Fossil fuels will George W. Bush invaded Afghani- the United Nations Security be with us for a while – a couple A: We can employ carbon- stan, that was a just war. Our Council, including the U.S., out- of decades at least. But the issue capture measures. Texas has the state of Texas, and that we homeland was attacked. We lining conditions for Iran’s nucle- of emerging technologies is now significant economies of scale in depended too much on just-in- went in to address that issue and ar program), and I think the being addressed much more carbon capture. We’re creating a time delivery to power custom- did it successfully at the begin- focus on nuclear proliferation in seriously and is becoming part of carbon hub at . ers instead of putting into place ning. But then it became one of the Middle East is the right focus. the DNA of energy corporations redundant capacity. These are those endless wars. The key But it’s wholly unrealistic that and research centers. Another Q: In the wake of Febru- fundamental errors that have to thing in my eyes is blood and some umbrella agreement with focus that’s very noteworthy is ary’s cold-weather power be addressed. I hope the people treasure. So much blood has Iran can be reached on its re- low-carbon fuels. We’re also outages, Gov. Abbott and oth- of Texas don’t forget the suf- been shed, and we’re talking gional policies impacting Iraq, working on plastics and advanc- er political leaders put some fering they endured, and that billions of dollars of taxpayer , Lebanon and Israel. The ing recycling efforts. So it’s not of the blame on the failure of they hold responsible the leaders money that has gone into these Middle East is a very troubled just fossil fuels and wind and renewable-energy sources. Is in the corporate sector and the endless wars. We have critical region. Lebanon is on the edge nuclear power – it’s a combina- that legitimate? leaders in the government that issues to resolve in our country. of becoming a failed state, Syria’s tion of energy, climate change A: No, it’s been disproven. are responsible for providing the American foreign policy is only ahumanitarian disaster, there’s and how we deal with waste This is political debate. Natural fundamentals to people for pow- as strong as we are domestically Israel and the Palestinians, Iraq’s management. gas played a big role, as well as er. strong. in a delicate situation, and Libya the fact that we didn’t weather- is still in turmoil. There’s no Q: How can either the local ize for an event like this, that Q: Why do you think the Q: You’ve advocated for a umbrella solution. This is going or state economy capitalize on there wasn’t sufficient regulation Baker Institute has such a two-state solution for Israel to take focused diplomacy, and that? of our power infrastructure in strong reputation among the and the Palestinians. Did the not just from the U.S.

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