Geoscience Policy Monthly Review
september 2015

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federal agencies & administration

President Obama plans to accelerate the acquisition of a new U.S. icebreaker

September 1, 2015

In order to keep up with increasing ship traffic in the Arctic Ocean, President Obama has announced his plan to accelerate the acquisition of a new heavy icebreaker for the United States. The plan would call for faster acquisition of a replacement heavy icebreaker by 2020 instead of 2022 to help with the growth of human activity in region. The icebreaker will be used to promote global commerce and scientific research and will be managed by the U.S. Coast Guard. In addition, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Coast Guard would begin to map and chart waters in the Chukchi, Beaufort, and Bering Seas to promote safe maritime transportation under the plan. 

Currently, the United States Coast Guard only has two functional polar icebreakers, the Healy, a medium icebreaker commissioned in 1999, and the Polar Star, a heavy-duty icebreaker commissioned in 1976.

Sources: Whitehouse.gov, The Washington Post

New Executive Order aims to improve federal programs with social science research

September 16, 2015

An Executive Order signed by President Obama on September 16 would direct federal agencies to identify programs that could benefit from social and behavioral science insights. The order is based on the new Social and Behavioral Sciences Team’s (SBST) first annual report and establishes guidelines simplifying government forms. The SBST is a White House initiative created in 2014 intended to make government programs more effective and efficient.

The SBST’s report indicated that successive reforms and improvements to federal agencies increased economic opportunities. For example, the U.S. Department of Agriculture worked with the SBST to better inform farmers on how to obtain microloans. This collaboration resulted in a 22 percent increase in farmers applying for financial aid and a subsequent 22 percent increase in likelihood that farmers would obtain a microloan.

In their second year, the SBST will take on a new project to address energy- and environmental-related challenges. The project will aim to deliver better information to automotive drivers about optimal fuel usage, increase the amount of renewable fuels used in the government fleet, and inform families about energy efficient appliance options to reduce superfluous energy usage and lower costs.

Source: The White House