The Ocean Climate Action Plan

Climate change and ocean health are often thought about as separate silos, when the two are interconnected. Climate change is warming the oceans and changing their chemistry. Without ocean health, the entire planetary water cycle and oxygen cycle are in danger. The oceans sequester huge amounts of carbon dioxide helping to cool the planet, but that may not continue with “business as usual.” Climate change affects even those far from any coastline. We must solve the ocean climate challenge together, and we have a short window of time to take action. The Center for the Blue Economy has partnered with Blue Frontier to bring together thought leaders from across industry, government, academia, and the conservation community to craft the Ocean Climate Action Plan or OCAP. Key elements of the plan were passed as part of the infrastructure bill (a down payment on clean ports and clean energy) and many OCAP recommendations were included in the (now stalled) Build Back Better bill. Historic levels of funding for climate adaptation and mitigation are on the line (400+ billion over ten years). Is climate change important to you? If so, now is the time to speak up. More info: Ocean Climate Action Pla

Putting the Blue in the Green New Deal

The Green New Deal (GND) is a U.S. resolution that aims to address economic inequality and global warming through a set of proposed economic stimulus projects. As nearly half of the U.S. populace lives in or near coastal areas, the GND needs to prioritize the sustainable use and preservation of the marine environment – called the “blue economy.” David Helvarg of Blue Frontier and Jason Scorse of the International Environmental Policy Program and the Middlebury Institute of International Studies suggest a series of policy and investment priorities for incorporation of the blue economy into the GND

The Ocean and Coastal Conservation Guide : The Blue Movement Directory 2005-2006

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The Ocean Needs Our Help — Now

Our public seas must play a central role in national climate policy. The ocean, after all, is the planet’s major sequesterer of heat and carbon, as well as the source of vast quantities of carbon-free energy from winds, tides and currents. Coastal communities, from those of Native Alaskans to condo residents in south Florida, are on the frontlines for rising sea level impacts. A new version of the Build Back Better bill must pass if we are to protect our coastal population.We call on all Democrats and members of the Biden administration to take a deep breath (more than half of our oxygen comes from the ocean) and head back to the negotiating table with clear goals in sight. Manchin says he wants a few domestic spending programs that are funded for a full 10 years, instead of a larger number of proposals with differing end dates. That’s acceptable. What is nonnegotiable are the climate policies needed for the U.S. to meet its greenhouse gas reduction targets and rebuild our economy in a secure and just manner, from sea to shining sea

Charting a Sustainable Course for the Blue Economy

Ocean industries are often even more polluting than their terrestrial counterparts

Putting the Blue in the Green New Deal

The Green New Deal (GND) is a U.S. resolution that aims to address economic inequality and global warming through a set of proposed economic stimulus projects. As nearly half of the U.S. populace lives in or near coastal areas, the GND needs to prioritize the sustainable use and preservation of the marine environment – called the “blue economy.” David Helvarg of Blue Frontier and Jason Scorse of the International Environmental Policy Program and the Middlebury Institute of International Studies suggest a series of policy and investment priorities for incorporation of the blue economy into the GND

Want to fight Russian aggression in Ukraine and beyond? Decarbonize

Rapidly transitioning the U.S. and global economies to renewable energy would not only weaken our foes, it will also save millions of lives while strengthening our national security and protecting our common future

Whose shoe fits best? Dubious physics and power politics in the TMD footprint controversy

Apparent design breakthroughs in short-range missile defense systems such as Theater High-Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) have prompted questions about the legality of such systems under the 1972 Antiballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty. Prominent physicists have used computer “footprint” methodology to prove that if engineered to specifications, THAAD might exceed ABM Treaty performance limits banning highly effective missile defense systems. In response, missile defense officials commissioned Sparta, Inc. to conduct secret research casting doubt on the validity of such findings. The substantial diplomatic issues at stake and the interesting rhetorical dynamics involved in this dispute warrant close scholarly analysis. Attention to the iterative relationship between the interpenetrating spheres of public argument and scientific practice in this case yields novel insight about the processes in which technical knowledge of defense systems is forged and raises fresh issues for the “closure project” in science and technology controversy studies