towards a sustainable future reasons for urgency and hope

Towards A Sustainable Future

REASONS FOR URGENCY AND HOPE

The Honorable Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D.Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere & NOAA AdministratorApril 5, 2011

Clark UniversityAlbert, Norma, and Howard Geller ‘77 Endowed Lecture

TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope 2

OUTLINE1.Challenges 2.Advances in science and

policy3.Sustainability in the

Obama Administration4.NOAA’s role 5.Urgency and hope

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SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGESRapid, radical changes with profound consequences

Cooperation, coordination and creativity needed

Environmental concerns seen as a barrier to progress

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LOSS OF ECOSYSTEM SRVICESEcosystem depletion and disruption

leads to the loss of ecosystem services, e.g.:

WATER PURIFICATION

PEST & PATHOGEN CONTROL

COASTAL BUFFERING

FOOD PROVISION

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DEEPWATER HORIZON TRAGEDY

Strong connections between people and nature

NOAA:ENSURE SEAFOOD SAFETY

PROTECT

HABITATS &

WILDLIFE ASSESS

DAMAGE & ENABLERESTORATION

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GULF COAST: SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES

Full recovery must address systemic issues that predated spill

CHEMICAL & NUTRIENT

POLLUTION

HABITAT DESTRUCTION

OVERFISHING

INVASIVE SPECIES

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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

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SCIENTIFIC ADVANCESOur Common JourneyMillennium Ecosystem AssessmentExplosion of sustainability science

Insights:– Resilience – Complex

Adaptive Systems

– Scale– Coupled human-

natural systems

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STRENGTHENING SCIENCE-POLICY INTERFACE

Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)

TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency & Hope

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SUSTAINABILITY IS A PRIORITY FOR THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION

A) White House Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability

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B) NATIONAL OCEAN POLICYHealthy Oceans Matter

Holistic, ecosystem-based coastal and ocean management

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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

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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

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E) INTERAGENCY CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION TASK

FORCE23 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.

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NOAA’S ROLE IN SUSTAINABILITY

Advance scientific understandingCommunicate knowledge broadly to inform societal choices“Lead by example” through stewardship, sustainability policies and practices

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NOAA’S ROLE IN SUSTAINABILITYEXAMPL

ES: A) NOAA’S CLIMATE SERVICES

B) COASTAL & MARINE SPATIAL

PLANNING

C) NOAA SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES

Marine cadastre

NOAA “Green” Research Vessels

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A) NOAA’S CLIMATE SERVICES1/3 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

“Snowmageddon” 2010 in DC

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PROPOSED CLIMATE SERVICE LINE OFFICE

Single, reliable, and authoritative source for climate data, information, and decision support

Climate Service included in President’s FY 2012 BudgetTOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Reasons for Urgency &

Hope

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CLIMATE SERVICES IN ACTION: DIGITAL COAST

Working with partners to communicate risks of inundation

SEA LEVEL RISE IMPACTS VIEWER

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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

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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

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INTERDISCIPLINARY TOOLS

Marine InVESTINtegrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs

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MARINE InVEST WAVE ENERGY SITING

Vancouver Island: Pelamis wave capture devices – 3 potential sites

Marine InVEST models energy generation and dollar value at each site Site #1 chosen

WP (kW)1 - 3

3 - 7

7 - 11

11 - 15

15 - 19

19 - 23

23 - 27

27 - 31

31 - 34

34 - 38

Captured WE = 46,080 MWh/yrNet Present Value = $ 19.8 mil

35,040 MWh/yr$ -2.3 mil

43,056 MWh/yr$ 14.0 mil

WEC device = PelamisNumber of WEC devices = 24Life-span of the WEC facility = 25 yrs; Price of Electricity = $ 0.2

WEC-1

WEC-2

WEC-3

Coastal Scale

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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)

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SUSTAINABLE USE OF COASTS & OCEANSAdvance 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

Commercial

Fishing

Aquaculture

Wave Energ

y

Recreation

Coastal

Protection

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C) “WALKING THE TALK” AT NOAA:

GREEN INFRASTRUCTUREe.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

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NOAA’S GREEN SHIP INITIATIVEEntire NOAA Great Lakes research fleet is 100% petroleum-free

– Lowered emissions– Decreased costs– Healthier conditions for ship crew/scientists

GLERL research vessel fleet

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OUTLINE1. Challenges for sustainability2. Advances in science into policy3. Sustainability in Obama Administration

A.CENRSB.National Ocean PolicyC.Sustainability Executive

OrderD.Blueprint for Secure Energy

FutureE.Interagency Climate Change

Adaptation Task Force

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OUTLINE, con’t

4. NOAA’s role in sustainability

A.NOAA’s climate servicesB.Coastal and marine spatial

planningC.NOAA sustainability

initiatives5. Urgency and hope

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REASONS FOR URGENCYWhile public understanding of sustainability opportunities and challenges has grown…

…it has not grown quickly enoughWhile we have made progress on sustainability efforts…

…further progress could be hindered by economic crisis and pending Congressional budgetary decisions

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REASONS FOR HOPESocial change is highly non-linearInnovative solutions to sustain ecosystem servicesInspiring 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…

THANK YOU!QUESTIONS?

The Honorable Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D.Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere & NOAA AdministratorApril 5, 2011