Back ||NOAA Home Center for Oceans Law & Policy Doherty Lecture May 9, 2002 Distinguished guests, good friends, ladies and gentlemen, good evening! Thank you, John (professor Moore, or may be Mrs. Barbara Moore introducing) for giving me the honor to serve as the 26th annual Doherty lecturer tonight. I had the privilege to be present last year when John Craven spoke about our nation and the sea, and I am very aware of the storied history of this series. It is indeed a great honor and a pleasure to follow after John Craven and indeed to be included in the roster of those who have served this most noteworthy endeavor. A year ago, I was serving as president of CORE, where I worked with the university community promoting oceanographic research. As a result of my background, I have a deep respect for higher education and the sciences, as well as our oceans. I say that to underscore why I am a vigorous supporter of the center for oceans law and policy, with its mission to support research, education and discussion on legal and public policy issues relating to our oceans. Through the center's program of conferences and lectures, and archives of oceans documents, it promotes interdisciplinary interaction from global to local levels. The accomplishments of the center speaks highly of the efforts of Dr. Moore and the center staff. I am now, a year later, very pleased and proud to be the current administrator of the national oceanic and atmospheric administration, or NOAA. As an extra benefit, I also have the additional title of under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere. This evening I want to talk to you about this ocean and atmospheric science agency I now have the privilege to lead, the national oceanic and atmospheric administration or NOAA. Where we've been, our challenges, and now that I've been here a while, what I believe is important. NOAA in its short history has been dedicated to the Earth's coupled envelope of our seas and our skies, our oceans and our atmosphere, and I am strong in the belief that this organization with its multiple parts has great synergy in understanding, observing and forecasting our inextricably linked ocean and atmospheric forces (Importance of NOAA to the nation; and the coupled system approach to ocean and atmosphere) For those with a bent towards history, NOAA can actually trace its lineage back to 1807 when president Thomas Jefferson established the survey of the coast, later renamed the U.S. Coast Survey in 1836. In 1814 the surgeon general ordered surgeons to keep weather diaries; this was the first government collection of weather data. I think a little like that surgeon general, I think the collection of weather and climate observations provides the very core of understanding our climate. In 1965 ESSA was formed...the environmental science services administration created; not a bad name...consolidating the coast and geodetic survey and the U.S. Weather Bureau. Five years later, on recommendation of the Stratton Commission, ESSA was disbanded and NOAA was created within the Dept. of commerce; combining the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, the U.S. Weather Bureau, the Coast and Geodetic Survey, Environmental Data Service, the National Satellite Center, and esearch libraries, among others. NOAA is a truly multi dimensional agency. Our mission requires expertise in a span of sciences including ecology, meteorology, space and satellites, information technology, computer science, climate, oceanography, cartography and marine biology...then we expand beyond science into our regulatory mission, our 7th uniformed service of the NOAA corps, and even law enforcement officers. This of course creates a multi dimensional array of challenges for the agency. Our critics wonder if we have ever reached our potential because of or in spite of our organization. But, I would say that most underestimate the challenge of integrating our wide diversity of missions and means to conduct those missions. (Organization thoughts; mission versus administrative/product lines) {{{let me give you just one cross-cutting example: drought. At NOAA, we define drought, we forecast drought onset and alleviation, observe and monitor drought, verify drought, and we ultimately deal with its impacts on the economy and the people and the conflicts between those interests. We work with water supply industries and coastal managers to try to balance the water needs for economic purposes with those of endangered species...like coho salmon in the pacific northwest. And, perhaps most importantly, it's our job to announce, or effectively communicate those aspects of drought—it's our job to make sure the public and affected interests understand the impacts..understand what it means to be 14 inches of rain below normal and even though it rained a lot last week that doesn't make a difference right away or maybe at all. Or to understand why increasing endangered fish stocks may be more important than local agricultural interests.}}} The future will be more complicated. Many new and important issues. Essentially a result of one reason—man, the most invasive species on the planet! Here are some facts. The country NOAA serves is growing. Our sister agency in Commerce, the Census Bureau, counted 281.4m people in our country in census 2000. That's up 13.2% from 1990. That ten year increase in the greatest in history...even beating the previous record set during the baby boom from 1950 to 1960. NOAA's mission is literally to describe and predict changes in the Earth's environment, and conserve and wisely manage the nation's coastal and marine resources. From the 2000 census we learned that over ½ of all americans, 53%—or 148.3m people—live in a coastal county. Coastal areas are becoming more crowded every year. In 1960, an average of 187 people were living on each square mile of coastal land (excluding that in Alaska). This population density increased to 273 persons per squaremile by 1994, and is expected to reach 327 by 2015. This population density growth creates a great challenge—we need to protect the environment and the resources it provides while supporting essential economic growth. And, since we're also in the weather forecasting business, we need to ensure our hurricane forecasts and our coastal storm forecasts are as accurate as possible to protect lives and property...and to prevent costly unnecessary evacuations. Population density stresses on the environment, and resource management are increasing to unprecedented levels. Water - Quebec example, Non - point source pollution – dead zones – developing nations How do we accommodate the economic imperatives of building a vibrant commercial fishing industry and yet protect endangered species and fisheries stocks in a way that brings people together in support of a recognized and accepted solution? How do we determine the science and employ a system which will allow us to both understand, forecast and support policy makers on future climate issues? How do we accommodate what is projected to be a doubling of maritime commerce over the next twenty years safely and efficiently? How does society provide for the necessary increase in energy sources for ourselves and the developing world in a way that makes use of the ocean and environment in an environmentally responsible way? These are intriguing problems and ones that do not have a simple answer. It is exactly these kinds of question that we should want to solve! They are also issues that require harnessing the power of multi-disciplines, multi agencies and organizations and reconciling diverse interests. I believe that NOAA should be working towards playing its part in providing the answers to these societal questions and many others like it. We're attempting to do this in a number of ways. First, by reaching out proactively, trying to re-invigorate cooperation and partnerships both within our own agency and externally with other agencies—especially where our missions coincide such as with NASA, NSF, DOI, and DOE. As an example, in concert with other agency heads, I have helped to instigate and strongly support regular informal meetings among federal agency heads who have an interest in ocean and atmospheric science. Also with academia to focus on education of today's upcoming scientists and leaders and to draw the best of their expertise into our daily mission, with private industry to ensure we are working efficiently with the taxpayer's money, and with the states and local governments. We're trying to find new, innovative ways to spark new initiatives with all of our partners. I have also held a series of meetings with all of our various constituencies. I'm also making a few changes at NOAA in order to strengthen the agency for the challenges ahead. First, we've nearly completed an agency wide program review, where I've asked some fundamental questions—like whether our programs are truly aligned with our mission, do we have the proper match between our resources and our requirements, and are we working in the most efficient ways to accomplish our missions. I want to make sure we have an integrated organization structure to best manage across-the-board efforts like observing systems, and to ensure we work to eliminate from the inefficiencies of stovepipes within our own agency. My vision is to see NOAA really step up and take a leadership role in many key areas..not in an overblown or pompous way, but in the real spirit of teamwork and partnership...I see NOAA as a rallying point for many key national programs, to provide the catalyst and the facilitization for cross agency efforts in ocean and atmosphere A new strategic plan is needed. In the meantime.... We have cross cut the overall NOAA program into six themes. I think these categorize our mission well and will help focus our efforts. The themes are: Climate change, research, observations and services Ecosystem forecasting and management Environmental monitoring and prediction Energy and commerce Homeland security Infrastructure, maintenance, safety and human capital Two of these are among the president's top priorities: climate and homeland security. NOAA has taken on a key role in climate research and forecasting services. There is much debate about the climate and the stresses the global population has placed on our environment. The president came to NOAA on February 14 of this year to announce his new clear skies and global climate change initiatives from our campus in silver spring. The new global climate change initiative seeks to reduce greenhouse gas intensity as a function of gdp by 18% over the next decade. The proposal supports vital climate change research and charges the department of commerce with NOAA as the lead, along with NASA, the Department of Energy, National Science Foundation and the Department of Agriculture to implement a multi-agency climate change research initiative. $40m has been included in the FY03 request to congress for the initiation of this large effort. By delegation from Don Evans, head of the president's newly formed cabinet level panel to implement the climate initiative on research and technology, we are now in a key role. In FY03, the president's budget request for NOAA has $18m for climate observations including ocean observations. We need a fully integrated and sustained global observation system as the first step in this process. Perhaps our greatest challenge in this regard is completing the ocean part of this global network. I need to add that this ocean observation system will not only be about climate but will serve many other scientific and societal needs. Such a system can also provide consistent and authoritative data on many of the other environmental parameters that are important to such areas as coastal weather forecasting, sustaining and restoring healthy coastal ecosystems, and managing living marine resources. We are working closely with our international neighbors in planning this mutually beneficial endeavor. I returned two weeks ago from the apec oceans related ministerial meeting in seoul korea. A main point in the seoul declaration was the importance of ocean and coastal observing systems and a commitment to work together among apec nations to work towards the completion of such a system. I was greatly encouraged by the depth of understanding of the importance of this mission and the commitment to helping with the hard work it will involve. While NOAA is proud to be engaged in this vital project, we know full well that true success in our endeavor will depend on partnerships and collaborative ventures. As I said earlier, its not just intergovernmental on the federal level, but with academia, state and local governments, industry, NGOs and other stakeholders in the national ocean and atmospheric communities. The global observation effort alone is far too enormous for any one entity to build and manage, and the societal benefits of a global observing system cannot be encompassed by the mission of any one agency, or any one nation. We must work together. As an aside, let me mention the importance of education. NOAA obviously needs a cadre of experienced and talented scientists to fulfill its mission. Yet according to the U.S. Department of Education, about 50 million americans are functionally illiterate. And, each week another 44,000 adults are added to that list. I would venture to say at least twice that number are illiterate in the subjects of the oceans and atmosphere. I find that extremely disconcerting in today's world where we are increasingly turning to our scientists and policy makers to guide us through challenges like climate change and environmental resource management. NOAA has a challenge to sow the seed that will NOAA harvest its next generation of scientists and leaders of tomorrow. We have been very involved in promoting education, but I believe we need to do more—strengthening our organization, purpose and commitment. As an example of what we do well, most of you know that our Web site is continually among the top three in numbers of unique hits among government Web sites...and much of that is by teachers gathering information to teach children. I've now laid out many of our challenges in NOAA, and how I hope to address them...and shown you some of my vision for the next several years. From fisheries to El Niño, from climate change to ecosystem forecasting and management, environmental monitoring and prediction, energy and commerce to homeland security. We invest in people, in the future and in growing tomorrow's scientists and leaders. We are doing our part as stewards of the nation's coastal and ocean resources, and for meeting our mission requirements as predictors of our Earth's environment. We are America's ocean and atmosphere science agency. Thank you again for the opportunity to speak to you as the 26th annual Doherty lecture. It has been an honor and a pleasure.