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Towards A Sustainable Future REASONS FOR URGENCY AND HOPE

Towards A Sustainable Future REASONS FOR URGENCY AND HOPE. Clark University Albert, Norma, and Howard Geller ‘77 Endowed Lecture. The Honorable Jane Lubchenco , Ph.D. Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere & NOAA Administrator April 5, 2011. OUTLINE. Challenges

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Towards A Sustainable Future REASONS FOR URGENCY AND HOPE

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  1. Towards A Sustainable Future REASONS FOR URGENCY AND HOPE Clark University Albert, Norma, and Howard Geller ‘77 Endowed Lecture The Honorable Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D. Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere & NOAA AdministratorApril 5, 2011

  2. OUTLINE • Challenges • Advances in science and policy • Sustainability in the Obama Administration • NOAA’s role • Urgency and hope TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  3. SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES Rapid, radical changes with profound consequences Cooperation, coordination and creativity needed Environmental concerns seen as a barrier to progress TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  4. LOSS OF ECOSYSTEM SRVICES • WATER PURIFICATION • PEST & PATHOGEN CONTROL • COASTAL BUFFERING • FOOD PROVISION TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope Ecosystem depletion and disruption leads to the loss of ecosystem services, e.g.:

  5. DEEPWATER HORIZON TRAGEDY • Strong connections between people and nature • NOAA: • ENSURE SEAFOOD SAFETY • PROTECT HABITATS & WILDLIFE • ASSESS DAMAGE & ENABLE • RESTORATION TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  6. GULF COAST: SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES • HABITAT DESTRUCTION • INVASIVE SPECIES • CHEMICAL & NUTRIENT POLLUTION • OVERFISHING TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope Full recovery must address systemic issues that predated spill • WATER PURIFICATION

  7. FIERCE URGENCY OF NOW BUT REASONS FOR HOPE • Advances in science and policy • New solutions and partnerships • Increased public awareness of sustainability • Engagement of business, faith leaders and youth TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  8. SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES • Our Common Journey • Millennium Ecosystem Assessment • Explosion of sustainability science • Insights: • Resilience • Complex Adaptive Systems • Scale • Coupled human-natural systems TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  9. STRENGTHENING SCIENCE-POLICY INTERFACE Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  10. SUSTAINABILITY IS A PRIORITY FOR THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION A) White House Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  11. B) NATIONAL OCEAN POLICY Healthy Oceans Matter Holistic, ecosystem-based coastal and ocean management TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  12. C) SUSTAINABILITY EXECUTIVE ORDER • “Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance” • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions • Increase energy efficiency • Reduce waste • Department of Commerce: • 21% reduction target established for greenhouse gas emissions by FY 2020. • By FY 2013, 7.5% of electricity will come from renewable resources TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  13. D) BLUEPRINT FOR A SECURE ENERGY FUTURE Challenge: grow clean energy sources • Goal of 80% of electricity from renewable sources by 2035 • Overarching goals: security & sustainability TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  14. E) INTERAGENCY CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION TASK FORCE • 23 Federal agencies & WH offices • > 35 listening sessions & outreach events • 2010 Progress Report to President Obama: • All Federal agencies now required to develop climate change adaptation plans • Realignment of US Global Change Research Program to strengthen science in support of adaptation decisions at all scales. TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  15. NOAA’S ROLE IN SUSTAINABILITY Advance scientific understanding Communicate knowledge broadly to inform societal choices “Lead by example” through stewardship, sustainability policies and practices TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  16. NOAA’S ROLE IN SUSTAINABILITY • EXAMPLES: • A) NOAA’S CLIMATE SERVICES • B) COASTAL & MARINE SPATIAL PLANNING • Marine cadastre • C) NOAA SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES • NOAA “Green” Research Vessels TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  17. A) NOAA’S CLIMATE SERVICES • “Snowmageddon” 2010 in DC 1/3 U.S. GDP affected by weather and climate 2010 tied with 2005 for record warmest year Increase in extreme weather Explosion in requests to NOAA for climate information for decision making TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  18. PROPOSED CLIMATE SERVICE LINE OFFICE • Single, reliable, and authoritative source for climate data, information, and decisionsupport • Climate Service included in President’s FY 2012 Budget TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  19. CLIMATE SERVICES IN ACTION: DIGITAL COAST • Working with partners to communicate risks of inundation • SEA LEVEL RISE IMPACTS VIEWER TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  20. B) COASTAL AND MARINE SPATIAL PLANNING • America’s coasts: tens of millions of jobs and trillions of dollars to economy annually • Framework: • Ecosystem-based management • Minimizes user conflicts, reduces impacts • Focus on stewardship TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  21. SPATIAL PLANNING IN MASSACHUSETTS • National leader in CMSP • Oceans Act of 2008 • Diversity of stakeholders and scientists • 1st state to release comprehensive ocean management plan TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  22. INTERDISCIPLINARY TOOLS Marine InVEST INtegratedValuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  23. MARINE InVESTWAVE ENERGY SITING Coastal Scale Captured WE = 46,080 MWh/yr Net Present Value = $ 19.8 mil WEC-1 WEC-2 35,040 MWh/yr $ -2.3 mil WEC device = Pelamis Number of WEC devices = 24 Life-span of the WEC facility = 25 yrs; Price of Electricity = $ 0.2 WEC-3 43,056 MWh/yr $ 14.0 mil Vancouver Island: Pelamis wave capture devices – 3 potential sites Marine InVEST models energy generation and dollar value at each site  Site #1 chosen TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  24. MARINE InVEST INFORMING DECISIONS Intersection between energy potential and fishing areas: Site #1 has least impact Site #1 achieves best balance: maximized energy potential, minimized fisheries impacts IDRISI partnership (Clark Lab) TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  25. SUSTAINABLE USE OF COASTS & OCEANS Commercial Fishing Aquaculture Wave Energy Coastal Protection Recreation Advance economic & environmental interests Foster partnerships (e.g. Regional Planning Bodies) Address long-term impacts of climate and other environmental changes Improve stewardship Protect ecosystem services TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  26. C) “WALKING THE TALK” AT NOAA: GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE • e.g., New Southwest Fisheries Science Center Laboratory in La Jolla, CA under construction • Photovoltaic cells • Elaborate water retention systems • Recycled materials and green roofs planted with California coastal chaparral • Expected to earn LEED Gold Level Southwest Fisheries Science Center Laboratory TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope DRAFT | FOR REVIEW ONLY

  27. NOAA’S GREEN SHIP INITIATIVE • Entire NOAA Great Lakes research fleet is100% petroleum-free • Lowered emissions • Decreased costs • Healthier conditions for ship crew/scientists GLERL research vessel fleet TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope DRAFT | FOR REVIEW ONLY

  28. OUTLINE • 1. Challenges for sustainability • 2. Advances in science into policy • 3. Sustainability in Obama Administration • CENRS • National Ocean Policy • Sustainability Executive Order • Blueprint for Secure Energy Future • Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  29. OUTLINE, con’t • 4. NOAA’s role in sustainability • NOAA’s climate services • Coastal and marine spatial planning • NOAA sustainability initiatives • 5. Urgency and hope TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  30. REASONS FOR URGENCY • While public understanding of sustainability opportunities and challenges has grown… …it has not grown quickly enough • While we have made progress on sustainability efforts… …further progress could be hindered by economic crisis and pending Congressional budgetary decisions TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  31. REASONS FOR HOPE • Social change is highly non-linear • Innovative solutions to sustain ecosystem services • Inspiring actions at local-to-global scales: • Commitments to source sustainably caught or farmed seafood • Consumers making more informed choices • Business focus on “triple bottom line” • If Federal agencies can transition to sustainability… TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

  32. THANK YOU!QUESTIONS? The Honorable Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D. Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere & NOAA AdministratorApril 5, 2011

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