PA24A-01 INVITED
Refocusing the Federal Science Complex: Appropriations, Authority, and Agendas
Fresh leadership in a new administration presents an opportunity to reinvigorate and refocus the federal research and regulatory science complex. Almost immediately, the executive branch will be architecting the first budget with a chance of Congressional approval since 2006. How might the science agencies fare, and to what extent should politically appointed science advisors influence the substance of those research agendas? Although university laboratories are more independent, even they are strongly influenced by federal priorities in areas ranging from public health and environmental protection to national security and energy technology. How would a new administration best take advantage of our nation's thought-leadership in the sciences, and where is the U.S. falling behind? Highlighting science policy issues that deserve attention from both Congressional leaders and Administration officials, the author will present a brief series of recommendations on how they could be addressed.
PA24A-02 INVITED
Geosciences at the NSF: Opportunities, Approaches, Partnerships, and Plans
The National Science Foundation's Geosciences Directorate (GEO) has worked with community leaders over the past year to develop and refine a new strategic vision for the next decade - GEOVision 2008. GEO's three scientific divisions (EAR, OCE and ATM), together with a family of complementary education and outreach programs, map extremely well into the scientific and educational interests of the AGU's membership. NSF/GEO plays a special role for the AGU community through its long-term commitment to the many programs that support basic disciplinary and interdisciplinary research and education in the geosciences. The Directorate also plays a leading role in the development of strong inter-agency, intra-agency, and international partnerships that further support geoscience research. During the next ten years, significant new facilities and capabilities will be realized that will help transform the field and many scientific breakthroughs and discoveries will undoubtedly be made through the mechanism of peer-reviewed basic research. This presentation will highlight both the opportunities and mandates that are in the new plan and will place GEOVision 2008 in the context of exciting ongoing research and important demographic and other trends.
PA24A-03 INVITED
What Does the Nation Need From the Federal Climate Program?
Federally funded U.S. climate research has a long and strong history. This research, carried out under the auspices of the U.S. Global Change Research Program / Climate Change Science Program (USGCRP/CCSP), has led to groundbreaking developments in the understanding of past, present, and future climate, its effects on society and ecosystems, and potential response options to cope with climate variability and change. A consequence of these developments is that society's concern regarding climate change has grown significantly in the past decade and the questions that society has on the issue are now quite different than at the outset of the program in 1990. It is imperative that the climate research enterprise be responsive to this evolution, while maintaining a strong base of "discovery science" and long-term observations. In an effort to do so, the USGCRP/CCSP has initiated a bottom-up strategic planning process to account for the changing needs and emerging scientific opportunities. This talk will outline some of the key directions that have been recommended to the program from the end-user and scientific audiences with which it has had wide-ranging consultations over the past several months.
PA24A-04 INVITED
Reclaiming Scientific Integrity in the Next Administration
Political interference in science has penetrated deeply into the culture and practices of federal agencies.
These systemic problems cannot be resolved quickly or simply. Leadership and an unwavering commitment
to scientific integrity from our next president, continued oversight from the legislative branch, and the
persistent and energetic engagement of many different stakeholders are critical. The United States
government must adhere to high standards of scientific integrity in forming and implementing its policies. To
meet its obligation to serve the public interest, the government must have reliable scientific work and advice
at its disposal. This requires the government to provide the resources needed to carry out its scientific
missions, and to create an environment that respects the scientific method. To that end, scientists should
have the freedoms and protections they need to fulfill their public responsibilities.
Depoliticizing federal government science requires a five-pronged approach: protecting government
scientists, making government more transparent, reforming the regulatory process, ensuring robust scientific
input to federal decision-making, and depoliticizing monitoring and enforcement of existing regulations, and
statutes.
http://www.ucsusa.org/rsi
PA24A-05 INVITED
Unfinished Business for the 111th Congress: Climate, Energy, and Science Funding
The 111th term of the U.S. Congress will inherit a great deal of unfinished business of interest to earth scientists, including policies that are languishing on renewable energy, oil development, air quality, biofuels, forest management, earth observation systems, research and development, and science education. In particular, expectations are high for a federal cap-and-trade policy, and protracted debates may entangle even less-controversial complementary policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The stakes are also high for appropriations to science in the federal budget, which have essentially been tied to a continuing resolution since 2006. Initiatives in landmark legislation such as the Energy Independence and Security Act and the America COMPETES Act for science education may first receive funding in 2009. Congressional staff and lawmakers rely on input from science in all of these negotiations, and attention to the latest developments on the eve of an inauguration will help scientists gain fluency with the policy and political issues the 111th Congress must resolve.
PA24A-06 INVITED
A New U.S. Water Policy: Long Overdue and Urgently Needed
The United States has no consistent, integrated national or international water policy in place, and has not conducted a review of its water institutions or priorities since 1970. This talk will summarize the state of US water policy and make recommendations for the new administration. As we enter the 21st century, pressures on United States and international water resources are growing and conflicts among water users are worsening. International attention to these problems is increasing and the US – intentionally or not – plays a vital and irreplaceable role. Even in the US, where basic human needs for water are largely (though not completely) satisfied, controversy continues over the proper role of expensive dams, failure to adequately fund infrastructure maintenance and expansion, the different roles of public and private corporations, and local communities in managing water. And new challenges are arising, as climate change and extreme events seem to worsen, new water quality threats materialize, and financial constraints grow. Arguments among western states over allocations of shared rivers are rising, as are tensions between cities and farmers over water rights. The US and Mexico have unresolved disagreements over the Colorado and Rio Grande/Rio Bravo rivers, and our Canadian neighbors are concerned about proposals to divert Great Lakes or Canadian water. Bottled water is raising new issues about equity, cost, environmental impacts, and the role of the private sector. Some of the new ideas, new policies, and new efforts that will be required to address these issues in the coming decade will be presented here.
PA24A-07 INVITED
The Energy/Climate Problem and What We Can Do About It
Among the world's most serious concerns are national security, which is tied to energy security, economic prosperity, and the social and potentially dire risks of climate change. At the core of these problems is need for sustainable creation and consumption of energy. Government policies are needed to accelerate the deployment of energy efficiencies and conservation and stimulate the innovation of new technologies. We also need new scientific discoveries that can transform the entire landscape of energy demand and supply. After briefly describing aspects of the energy problem, the remainder of the talk will describe some areas of research that may lead to transformative technologies.