Geoscience Policy Monthly Review
february 2014
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federal agencies & administration
Sec. Kerry and Administration ramp up climate rhetoric
The Obama Administration is strengthening its message on global climate change. In a series of speeches this February, Secretary of State John Kerry called upon the global community to do what they could to immediately reduce the impacts of climate change. Sec. Kerry announced that U.S. embassies across the world will realign to put climate change at the forefront of their diplomatic endeavors, and compared the threats posed by global warming to those posed by terrorism.
The Administration’s climate change message is taking center stage as the President prepares to roll out a new proposal for a $1 billion climate change resilience fund.
Sources: The Hill, The White House
New U.S. Special Representative for the Arctic Region
Secretary of State John Kerry announced this month that the U.S. will appoint an Envoy to the Arctic. The new position comes at the request of Alaskan lawmakers like Senator Mark Begich (D-AK) who argue that an official ambassador is necessary for the U.S. to remain competitive in the region. Other Arctic nations, such as Russia, are already beginning to stake claims to valuable natural resources within the region, including oil, gas, and mineral plays. An American Special Representative for the Arctic signals the U.S.’s increasing interest in the quickly developing region.
Sources: The Hill, U.S. Department of State