President Bush Announces Clear Skies and Global Climate Change Initiatives from NOAA's Silver Spring Campus<

Yesterday, February 14, 2002, President George W. Bush announced from NOAA's Silver Spring campus his Clear Skies and Global Climate Change Initiative to an audience comprised primary of Department of Commerce and NOAA employees.

Department of Commerce Secretary Donald Evans and NOAA Administrator Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (Ret.) joined the President along with Department of Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christie Whitman.

In his opening remarks, the President mentioned NOAA Weather Radio and the accuracy of NWS weather forecasts. He said, "I also want to tell you one of my favorite moments was to go down to Crawford and turn on my NOAA radio to get the weather. I don't know whether my guy is a computer or a person. But the forecast is always accurate and I appreciate that. I also want to thank you for your hard work, on behalf of the American people."

The President stressed two environmental priorities for his administration: cleaning the air and addressing global climate change. "We must also act in a serious and responsible way, given the scientific uncertainties," the President added. "While these uncertainties remain, we can begin now to address the human factors that contribute to climate change. Wise action now is an insurance policy against future risks." President Bush called for new Clean Skies legislation that would set tough new standards to dramatically reduce the three most significant forms of pollution from power plants -- sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury. Regarding global climate change, he said the United States needs "a flexible approach that can adjust to new information and new technology." He called for a "common sense" approach toward stopping and then reversing the growth of greenhouse gas emissions. The administration, said President Bush, is committed to cutting the nation's greenhouse gas intensity--how much is emitted per unit of economic activity--by 18 percent over the next 10 years.

The full text of the President's remarks is available on the White House web page at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/02/20020214-5.html.

As part of the visit, President Bush toured the NOAA Science Center where interactive displays on climate and weather were housed. NWS Director John Jones and WFO Sterling Warning Coordination Meteorologist Barbara Watson-McNaught staffed the NWS display. The NWS exhibit contained an interactive web-based program that showed weather service forecasts from the short term (minutes) through the long term (months/seasons). As well as seasonal forecasts and animation on the looming El Niño.

"Our goal was to show President Bush that we are applying climate research today," said Jones. "We wanted him to see that our forecasts run from minutes to seasons."

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NWS Staff Visit Saudi Prince

Two NWS International Activities employees recently had a unique experience. On February 9, 2002, they met for about 1½ hours with Prince Turki bin Nasser bin Abdulaziz at his private offices in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Prince Turki is the son-in-law of Prince Sultan, the third in line to the Saudi throne. The Prince recently assumed the Presidency of Saudi Arabia's Meteorology and Environmental Protection (PME) program following his many years as a General and pilot in the Saudi Air Force. Discussions focused on the future of NWS-PME bilateral activities, which have been continuing for the past 25 years. Prince Turki expressed his support for continuation of the Saudi Training Desk at NCEP, and the assistance provided in-Kingdom for telecommunications, instrumentation, and computer networking. In the future, his Highness hopes to include doppler radar training as well as dust storm and marine forecasting improvements. The two also signed the 2002 Arsad Program Management and Financial Plan. The Arsad Program is a program of technical cooperation in meteorology and environmental services between NOAA and the PME.

"The Prince is an impressive person," said Martin Yerg, Director, NWS, International Activities, who was accompanied on the visit by one of his staff, Jeffrey Stuart. Yerg said the Prince's private offices on his palace grounds in Riyadh were spectacular. "It turns out he is also an antique car buff and owns more than 130 antique cars. He showed us the 80 cars he has on display in a room of his palace (one of several palaces he owns throughout the Kingdom). All the cars on display are in working order and one of his most prized vehicles belonged to President Harding and is only one of three of that model in the world. Interestingly, along side these priceless cars, were the plastic cars his children used when they were young."

During a tour of his antique car collection, Prince Turki expressed his desire to visit NWS at an early date. "Our meeting was very cordial and surprisingly long in that he was about to fly off (in his private jet) to a meeting in Cartagena, Colombia, immediately after we met," said Yerg.

"Quite a unique experience for me, all in all."

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Employees with disabilities at the Department of Commerce (DOC) are still able to acquire assistive technology, along with related devices and services, at no cost to DOC, through the Department of Defense's Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP). Commerce signed an agreement on September 27, 2001, for CAP to continue providing these types

of reasonable accommodations based on funding availability.

Applicants must submit a request form, available on CAP's website at http://www.tricare.osd.mil/cap.

The form and other information also are available on the DOC Office of Civil Rights' website at http://www.doc.gov/ocr.

Applicants should send completed request form, signed by a supervisor, directly to CAP. The CAP phone number is (703) 681-8813 (V/TTY), or send an e-mail to cap@tma.osd.mil.

Applicants who may need further help can contact Brenda Brittain, Disability Program Manager, at (202) 482-5691 for assistance.

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The NWS Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services has completed the latest in a series of updates to NWS safety awareness brochures.

"Winter Storms...The Deceptive Killers" (NOAA PA 200160) replaces NOAA PA 91002 with the same title. This preparedness guide explains the dangers of winter weather and suggests life-saving actions people can take. It includes the improved wind chill chart, a map detailing the winter storm hazards across the United States, and updated graphics, photographs and safety information.

"The brochure reflects recent advances in winter weather science," said Ron Gird, NWS Outreach Coordinator. "Combined with our partners safety tips, the improvements made to the Winter Storms brochure demonstrates our commitment to the fundamental message 'Working together to save lives.'"

"Our thanks to the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency for their assistance in making this publication a success," added NWS Technical Publications Editor Linda Kremkau, Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services.

The initial printing was 200,000 copies. NWS offices can order them from the National Logistics Supply Center (NLSC) in Kansas City, MO. Maximum number of copies allowed in an order is 300. Fax a Stores Requisition (NOAA Form 37-4) to NLSC at 816-926-7901. For larger orders, contact Kremkau at 301-713-0090, ext.118. The brochure also is on the NWS web site at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/brochures.shtml. For those outside the government, the American Red Cross will print the winter storms publication and have it available at local Red Cross chapters for a small fee.

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Also On the Web...

• A story on the capability of NOAA Weather Radio to carry Civil Emergency Messages aired on National Public Radio's Morning Edition program today. Todd Heitkamp, the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at WFO Sioux Falls was featured in the piece, which highlighted the unique warning capabilities of the NOAA Weather Radio network. With help from NWS Public Affairs and the efforts of Herb White and Larry Lehmann of NWS Headquarters, the reporter was provided an example of what a CEM would sound like using the new automated voice for NWR. Follow this link to hear the story: http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/me/20020215.me.05.ram
• With an El Niño possibly coming, you may interested in reading up on this climatic phenomenon. A web-based tutorial that discusses how sea surface temperatures and atmospheric conditions in the Tropical Pacific affect North American weather patterns can be found at: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/ensocycle/enso_cycle.html.
• "NOAA In Your State and Territory" is available via a point-and-click map on the NOAA Legislative Affairs web site http://www.legislative.noaa.gov/. The map lists NOAA facilities in each State and Territory, broken down by Congressional District, when applicable.

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