Geoscience Policy Monthly Review
november 2017
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federal agencies
Trump administration releases draft of comprehensive report on latest climate science
November 3, 2017
The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) released a draft of the highly-anticipated Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4) for public comment on November 3. The NCA is a quadrennial scientific assessment, which analyzes the impacts of both human-induced and natural global climate change, mandated by Congress in the Global Change Research Act (GCRA) of 1990.
The fourth NCA is being developed in two volumes, and is expected to be completed in December 2018. Volume I, the Climate Science Special Report (CSSR), assesses the physical science of climate change, with a focus on the United States. The CSSR summarizes the best-available science on observed and projected climate changes, and intends to serve as the foundation for efforts to assess climate-related risks and inform decision-making. Of note, the report finds that the global average sea level has risen by about 7-8 inches in the last 115 years, with over half of that rise occurring since 1993, and the annual average surface temperature over the contiguous United States has increased by about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit over the same period. Volume II of the NCA4 is an assessment of the impacts, risks, and adaptation across the United States.
A revised draft of the report will undergo final agency clearance following further review by hundreds of independent scientists spanning various disciplines and fields of expertise, including experts from the National Academy of Sciences, and consideration of any public comments received.
Public comments on the draft assessment must be submitted online by January 31, 2018.
Sources: Cornell Law School, U.S. Global Change Research Program
November 29, 2017
On November 13, President Donald Trump nominated Dr. Tim Petty to be Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Water and Science, with direction to oversee the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Bureau of Reclamation. Dr. Petty previously served as Acting Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science at the Department of Interior (DOI) under President George W. Bush. With a Ph.D. from the School of Engineering and Mining at University of Alaska Fairbanks, Dr. Petty has worked as a geologist in the United States and Russia. Currently, Dr. Petty is the deputy legislative director for Senator James Risch (R-ID) responsible for guiding the Senator’s environmental, science, and technology policies. President Trump has yet to nominate a USGS Director.
On November 2, the Senate confirmed by voice vote three previous nominees to serve at the Department of Energy: Steven Winberg as Assistant Secretary of Energy (Fossil Energy), Mark Wesley Menezes as Under Secretary of Energy, and Paul Dabbar as Under Secretary for Science.
On November 9, the Senate voted 49-47 to confirm Bill Wehrum as Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As the second Senate-confirmed appointee at EPA, Wehrum now heads the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. He previously practiced law and served as acting head of the EPA’s air office under President George W. Bush. Andrew Wheeler, a lobbyist and former aide in the Senate Committee on Environmental and Public Works, awaits confirmation by the Senate to be Deputy Administrator of the EPA. Kathleen White was also recommended by the Senate Committee on Environmental and Public Works to be Chairwoman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. A current senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation and former chairwoman of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Ms. White disputed mainstream climate science at her confirmation hearing.
In contrast, during his confirmation hearing on November 29, Barry Myers, the nominee for Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), agreed with the recent draft of the National Climate Assessment Report that humans are the primary driver of climate change. At the hearing, the co-founder and CEO of AccuWeather explained his relationship with the private weather industry, and his approach to lead the government agency in charge of weather observations, predictions, and warnings. On November 8, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved Dr. Neil Jacobs to head forecasting at NOAA as Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Representative Jim Bridenstine (R-OK-1) to be Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Sources: Department of the Interior, E&E News, Library of Congress, U.S. Senate, White House