Policy, Science, and Partnership Issues for the

Complex Urban Environment

Dr. Kathie L. Olsen, Associate DirectorOffice of Science and Technology Policy

September 21, 2004

Photo credit: Urban Heat Island Pilot Project: Sacramento, CA

Challenges in Urban MeteorologyChallenges in Urban Meteorology

• “The goal of life is living in agreement with nature.”

Zeno (335 BC - 264 BC)

• “Many difficulties which nature throws in our way, may be smoothed away by the exercise of intelligence.”

Titus Livius (59 BC - 17 AD)

• “The goal of life is living in agreement with nature.”

Zeno (335 BC - 264 BC)

• “Many difficulties which nature throws in our way, may be smoothed away by the exercise of intelligence.”

Titus Livius (59 BC - 17 AD)

Challenges in Urban MeteorologyChallenges in Urban Meteorology

• Dr. Ann Carlson

–NASA

• Dr. Gene Whitney

–Interior/USGS

• Dr. Ann Carlson

–NASA

• Dr. Gene Whitney

–Interior/USGS

The United Nations has predicted by 2025, 60 percent of the world's

population will live in cities.

1. We need to understand the hazards

2. We need to be warned and know how to react

3. We need to be safe at home and at work

4. We need to recover quickly

What are we doing in DC?

Role of White House Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP)• Advise the President & Offices of the President

• Lead the interagency effort to develop S&T policies and budgets for all areas of science

– Co-chair National Science & Technology Council (NSTC)

– PCAST

• Build strong partnerships among federal, state and local governments, other countries, industry, academia & scientific associations

• Develop clear, measurable goals and objectives for R&D programs

• Assess Federal investments relative to purposes of government

How Do We Set America’s S&T Priorities?

The Program Decision Process

The Program Decision Process

Bottom’s up(academia, industry,

agency S&E personnel)

Bottom’s up(academia, industry,

agency S&E personnel)

Top down(Agency management, OSTP/OMB, Congress)

Top down(Agency management, OSTP/OMB, Congress)

- Ideas- Concepts- Planning- Capability development

- Ideas- Concepts- Planning- Capability development

- Priorities- Budget- Strategic Planning- DECISIONS

- Priorities- Budget- Strategic Planning- DECISIONS

Establishing Program PrioritiesEstablishing Program Priorities

Science ReturnBenefit to SocietyMandated ProgramAppropriate for Federal

governmentPartnership OpportunityTechnology ReadinessProgram Balance Cost/Budget Context

Science ReturnBenefit to SocietyMandated ProgramAppropriate for Federal

governmentPartnership OpportunityTechnology ReadinessProgram Balance Cost/Budget ContextImplementation Priority

CriteriaImplementation Priority Criteria

Science Priority CriteriaScience Priority Criteria

OSTP / OMB Guidance Memorandum for FY 06 R&D Priorities

• Environment– Climate Change Science & Technology– Global Observations– Water Availability and Quality– Hydrogen Economy

• Biology of Complex Systems • Physical Sciences • R&D for Homeland Security• Networking & Information Technology• Nanotechnology

**Each Agency is required to request a budget that sustains the research important for its mission

NSTC: Coordination of Federal Policy and Interagency R&D

• A Cabinet-level council of advisers to the President on Science and Technology

• Principal means to coordinate science and technology matters within the Federal research and development enterprise

• Means to establish clear national goals for Federal science and technology investments

Current NSTCStructure

September 2004

Biotechnology

National Security R&D

Radiological/Nuclear Countermeasures

International

Social, Behavioral & Econ.

Infrastructure

IWG on Dioxin

WMD Medical Countermeasures

Health and the Environment

Oceans

WH: DaleDOD: WynneDHS: McQueary

WH: RussellDOC: Bond

WH: Olsen, EPA: Gilman, DOC: Lautenbacher

NSTCDirector, OSTP

Technology Dev.

Nanoscale Science, Eng.& Technology

Networking & Information Technology

Under development

Informal

Legend

WH: Olsen, NSF: Bement,NIH: Zerhouni

Aquaculture

Human Subjects Research

IWG Plant Genome

IWG Physics of the Universe

Large Scale Science

Education & Workforce Dev.

Research Business Models

R&D Investment CriteriaResearch Misconduct Policy

Global Change Research

IWG Earth Observations

Disaster Reduction

Ecosystems

Toxics & Risks

Water Availability & Quality

Air Quality Research

Standards

Committee on Environment &

Natural Resources

Committee on Environment &

Natural Resources

Committee on Science

Committee on Technology

Committee on Homeland and

National Security

Aeronautics

Manufacturing Research and Development

IWG Prion Research

IWG Trans-boarder Samples

IWG Multinational Orgs

IWG Dom. Animal Genomics

WH: OlsenDOC: LautenbacherEPA: Gilman

Global Change Research

IWG Earth Observations

Disaster Reduction

Ecosystems

Toxics & Risks

Water Availability & Quality

Air Quality Research

Committee on Environment &

Natural Resources

Committee on Environment &

Natural Resources

NSTC/CENR

Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction

Chair: Helen Wood (NOAA)

Purpose: facilitate and promote natural and technological disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery through science & technology

2004 Emphases:

- Earth observation for disaster prevention

- Risk and disaster warning/communication systems and methods

Disaster Reduction

• Natural hazards and disasters– Hurricanes– Tornadoes– Floods– Earthquakes– Volcanoes– Wild fires– Droughts

• Technological hazards and disasters– Oil spills– Chemical spills– Large-scale industrial

accidents or releases

Interagency Working Group on Earth Observations

Co-Chairs: Ghassem Asrar, NASAGreg Withee, NOAACliff Gabriel, OSTP

Purpose: To develop the US 10-year plan in global observations and support the US participation in the intergovernmental global observations working group

A Distributed Global Earth Observation

“System of Systems"

GEOSS will be a distributed system of systems, building step-by-step on current cooperation efforts among existing observing and processing systems within their mandates, while encouraging and accommodating new components.

Air Quality ResearchCo-Chairs:

– Dan Albritton, NOAA

– Jeffrey Holmstead, EPA

• Particulate Matter Research

• Air Toxics

Purpose: enhance the effectiveness and productivity of air quality research and to improve the information interface between the research and the policy on this issue.

Climate changeDemographicsAllocationIrrigationEconomicsSustainabilitySecurity

Fishing SwimmingDrinkingHabitatRecreationInvasive speciesBiological integrity

SUBCOMMITTEE ON WATER AVAILABILITY AND SUBCOMMITTEE ON WATER AVAILABILITY AND QUALITYQUALITY

Co-ChairsCo-Chairs: Robert Hirsch (USGS) & Lee Mulkey (EPA): Robert Hirsch (USGS) & Lee Mulkey (EPA)

PurposePurpose: Science issues and policy related to needed : Science issues and policy related to needed improvements in technology and research that will advance the improvements in technology and research that will advance the goal of ensuring a safe and sustainable supply of water in the goal of ensuring a safe and sustainable supply of water in the United States for human and ecological needs.United States for human and ecological needs.

WATER AVAILABILITY AND QUALITYWATER AVAILABILITY AND QUALITY

Homeland and National Security

• Better communications between levels of government– Federal/state/local

• Emergency preparedness and response

• First responder techniques and technologies

• Improved observational, modeling, and warning capabilities

Examples of FederalAgency Coordination

NASA/NOAA cooperation on hurricane research

TRMM measures towering rain structures in hurricane Bonnie

NASA/NASDA/ESA

Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission to launch in 2008

NOAA hurricane research aircraft

REAL-TIME STREAM CONDITIONS• USGS-NOAA-National Weather Service collaboration• Real-time discharge data and CHANGES in discharge• Allows the monitoring of flow conditions and anticipation of floods

http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch/

Urban Heat Island and Human Health(heat and air quality)

NASA GHCC

Heat Island Reduction Initiative (HIRI)

EPA/DOE/NASA• Long term interagency collaboration• Studies by the Department of Energy's

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories in California suggest mitigation strategies for urban heat island effects could save $5 billion to $10 billion in energy costs annually in the United States.

• Reductions in ozone and smog could save another $5 billion.

There are no passengers on spaceship earth. We are all crew. Marshall McLuhan (1911 - 1980)

Success is sometimes measured by what doesn’t happen