TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Former US Secretary of Energy and Nobel laureate in physics Steven Chu (朱棣文) spoke about energy issues at National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in Hsinchu on Tuesday.

NTHU's Taipei School of Economics and Political Science invited Chu to Taiwan. Chu's lecture “The Challenges in Getting to Net-Zero GHG Emissions" attracted around 300 faculty members, students, and scholars, CNA reported.

Chu said fossil fuels cause air pollution and global warming and that natural gas prices have risen significantly. He advocated for nuclear energy as a cleaner and safer alternative.

The university said Chu's research team is working on carbon capture, carbon storage, and battery technologies. In his lecture, he presented research data showing that coal-related deaths far exceed those from nuclear energy.

Chu said the government should ensure transparency in nuclear policy, engage the public, and seek expert advice to enhance plant safety, per Yahoo News.

Principal John Kao (高為元) said the university has a nuclear engineering department and a nuclear research reactor. The school aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.

Chu, a globally renowned physicist, won the 1997 Nobel Prize for developing the laser cooling theory for multilevel atoms and demonstrating the first atomic fountain. He also served as US Energy Secretary from 2009 to 2013. 

Chu is also a science and engineering professor at Stanford University. He has frequently lectured on net-zero carbon emissions.