Policy for the Planet celebrates 1 year! How Voices for Science helped to launch this website1/13/2022 Policy for the Planet just celebrated its 1 year anniversary! It’s hard to believe we’ve been writing posts and summarizing legislation for over a year now! It seems only fitting to give another shout out post to the American Geophysical Union’s (AGU) Voices for Science (VFS) program, as it played a big role in our efforts to launch this blog, and it’s taking applications for the 2022-2023 cohort through February 1. Last year, we wrote a post about Morgan’s experience with the VFS program, which trains scientists to effectively communicate science to different audiences. Participants are selected for one of two tracks based on their interests: communications, where they learn how to speak with journalists, media, and public audiences, or policy, where they learn how to build relationships with policymakers at the federal, state, or local levels. We both participated in the policy track. Once participants are selected and participate in training with the full cohort, they’re then split into smaller groups by geographic location and have an AGU policy staffer as their mentor for the year. Under their tutelage, each person develops an engagement plan, and then meets with their regional groups once a month to discuss progress and get feedback. Participants design their own projects and come up with their own ideas to conduct outreach either solo, in collaboration with others in the program, or other people interested in helping with the project(s). Our policy track cohort members came up with some great ideas, like conducting science policy fellowship or career webinars, writing policy op-eds and memos, and beginning podcasts, among many other things. While Morgan was a member of the 2020-2021 VFS cohort, we collaborated to start this website! After an awesome AGU Congressional Visits Day experience (virtual, of course) meeting with Representative Stauber, and staffers from Senator Smith, Senator Klobuchar, and Representative Omar’s offices, we began to understand the important role that scientists can and should play in the policy process. We decided that we wanted to continue reading and learning about science policy. Preparing for Congressional visits was a surprisingly academic exercise, from researching policy makers, reading science-based legislation and drawing connections between the two. Throughout this process we learned just how much environmental legislation is out there! Our goal was (and still is) to encourage awareness of science in policy by using our expertise to bring visibility to proposed environmental legislation and communicate it in a more digestible form. This endeavor took a lot of planning and thought, but with the mentorship of Morgan’s VFS cohort, we came up with the idea for Policy for the Planet! While designing the website and ironing out details, we also presented an introduction to science policy to our department, and led a state-level water policy discussion with interested scientists in industry and academia. This year, Mary joined the VFS program’s policy track for the 2021-2022 cohort and continued what we started. We both recently graduated with our PhDs and moved on to science policy positions in Washington, DC -- and truly owe our start in science policy to the opportunities created through VFS. While settling into new routines and adjusting to the fast pace of DC life has taken most of our focus, the VFS program has kept us motivated and on track with Policy for the Planet. Mary’s cohort is and has been a major source of support for the website. We’re not done yet -- we have a vision for PFTP and the website is still in progress. There is a lot to come in 2022 as we continue to build our platform and follow along with Congress’ historic investments in the environment and climate change mitigation. If you’re interested in VFS there is still time to APPLY for next year’s cohort! Applications for the 2022-2023 year are open through February 1: https://www.agu.org/Share-and-Advocate/Share/Sharing-science-network/Voices-for-science
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The National Science Foundation for the Future Act was introduced on March 26, 2021 by Representative Eddie Johnson [D-TX-30] on behalf of herself and Representatives Lucas Frank [R-OK-3], Haley Stevens [D-MI-11] and Michael Waltz [R-FL-6]. The subcommittee on Research and Technology marked up the bill and forwarded it to a full vote by the Committee on Science Space and Technology on May 13, 2021. The bill currently has 20 cosponsors and is viewed as a bipartisan alternative to the Endless Frontiers Act (1) that is currently in the Senate.
THE BILL: H.R.2225 “To fully realize the potential of science to benefit society, we must fund more research on the questions that matter to the American people” --Rep. Eddie Johnson What does the Bill do? The purpose of this bipartisan Bill is to authorize appropriations for the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the fiscal years 2022-2026 with the intent of doubling the agency’s overall budget over the course of five years. This would start with a $2 billion increase in FY2022, putting the NSF budget at $11.4 billion for the year, and growing at an annual average of 6%. The Bill authorizes a significant increase in funding, in order to improve STEM education, accelerate interdisciplinary research, strengthen commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and create better research security while expanding accessibility and accountability. A major goal of this Bill is to increase participation in the STEM workforce because diversifying STEM initiatives is essential for addressing some of the most pressing challenges we face as a nation. Diverse backgrounds and ideas from qualified individuals bring about the most innovative solutions. The Bill will therefore address STEM education at all levels first by encouraging the expansion of data collection on the nature of the STEM workforce, and by authorizing a 50% increase in funding for STEM education programs over the next 5 years. The Bill will provide support for advancing and developing research and initiatives to address educational challenges at all levels. This will start with a review initiated by the Director of NSF, to assess opportunities for PreK-12 STEM education research in order to provide recommendations over the next decade. Additionally, it will scale initiatives in PreK-12 education partnerships programs to support translational research. On the University level, the Bill supports efforts to align undergraduate STEM education with the current workforce needs, and will advance policies and funding to support training, mentoring and professional development for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. A priority of the Bill is to broaden participation of historically underrepresented groups, and expand partnerships or collaborations with international groups. It will establish a pilot program to support partnerships, expand research and provide opportunities to students attending minority serving institutions. By prioritizing STEM education and initiatives, the Bill would help to improve the leadership, competitiveness, and national security of the US. Security for those within research organizations funded by NSF would be improved through modifications to the mandatory responsible conduct of research training to include promising practices for preventing and addressing harassment. The Bill would also include practices for protecting against security risks that threaten research integrity. This Bill would specifically prioritize funding for research on global climate change both to improve our understanding of it and to increase the security of communities through the development of strategies for mitigating and adapting to it at the local level. Improvements to data management plans and training would allow the Director to ensure that public access to data, software, and code created by NSF-funded projects is stored and maintained with high quality. Additionally, the Bill lays out the vision for the Foundation’s future. In doing so, a Directorate for Science and Engineering Solutions would be added to the agency to determine research priorities with a focus on societal challenges such as: Climate change and environmental sustainability, the food-energy-water nexus, global competitiveness in critical technologies, cybersecurity, national security, STEM education and workforce, and social and economic inequality. Why was it proposed? Innovative research is an important part of growing the economy, enhancing national security and advancing the country as a global leader. Just after World War II, the NSF was created by Congress in 1950 with the goals of promoting and progressing science, advancing national health, prosperity and welfare, and securing national defense (2). Today, the NSF supports more than 25% of the federally funded research occurring at colleges and universities (2). However, in the 2019 fiscal year, about $3 billion in proposals that were deemed fundable by their ratings, (“very good” and above) could not be funded due to limitations on the NSF budget (3). Especially in an increasingly competitive global market, it is unfortunate that many innovative projects that would benefit the American people cannot be funded. In order for the United States to address critical societal challenges and remain a global leader, the Federal Government must increase funding for initiatives that advance science and technology innovation and broaden participation in the STEM workforce. This starts first by recruiting and supporting a diverse group of highly qualified researchers, and implementing mentorship and policies to retain STEM workers and a positive work environment. Mitigating harassment and hostile working conditions would be improved through expanded training and updated policies (4). Benefits Bipartisan support for this Bill highlights the fact that both parties believe the role of NSF is fundamental to keep the country in a global leadership position as it provides funding for research, innovation, and development. To address the worldwide threat of climate change, prioritized funding for projects studying the mechanisms and effects of this will enhance the safety and security of all communities, especially vulnerable communities in the US. Cyber security continues to be a major threat and NSF supports research on improving critical systems to identify threats, understand space weather and natural disasters that could disrupt satellites, and protect personal data (5). NSF supports a broad range of fundamental science and engineering fields - everything other than medicine. Increased funding for NSF would progress research initiatives across the board, helping to address societal challenges and expand the STEM workforce by creating programs to increase retention throughout STEM education. Challenges Many other scientific agencies also need an increase in funding to support their priorities (see our previous blog post about proposed allocations to various science agencies). Despite the desperate need for this funding, it is difficult to allocate so much to NSF when many agencies are currently underfunded compared to previous years. Expanding NSFs mission brings about worry of security issues as expansion could lead to weakened oversight of initiatives. Some argue that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is better suited to pursue these target goals as it has a stronger record on research security. However, just one agency won’t fix the major issues outlined in this Bill - collaboration between multiple agencies and internationally is needed. The work and innovation outcomes funded by NSF would support DARPA work. Want to advocate? Does this bill resonate with you? Do you want to see it become a law? Have concerns or thoughts you would like to discuss? There are currently 20 co-sponsors of this bill in the Senate: Eddie Johnson [D-TX-30], Lucas Frank [R-OK-3], Haley Stevens [D-Mi-11], Michael Waltz [R-FL-6], Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2] Gwen Moore [D-WI-4], James Baird [R-IN-4], Peter Meijer [R-MI-3], Steve Cohen [D-TN-9], Jahana Hayes [D-CT-5], Daniel Kildee [D-MI-5], Ro Khanna [D-CA-17], Brian Fitzpatrick [R-PA-1], Elaine Luria [D-VA-2], Zoe Lofgren [D-CA-19], Paul Tonko [D-NY-20], Ed Case [D-HI-1], Suzanne Bonamici [D-OR-1], Susan Wild [D-PA-7], Sheila Jackson Lee [D-TX-18] and Ed Perlmutter [D-CO-7] Do you see your Congresspeople listed above? If not, you can email your policymakers by finding their emails at https://www.congress.gov/members?searchResultViewType=expanded or call their offices to voice your thoughts. Remember to use our Resources page for more information and guidance when reaching out! Footnotes
How can we expect our policymakers to represent us if they don’t know our values?
Why is it important to speak with Congresspeople? Elected officials and their staff spend a large portion of their time meeting with constituents. In 2015 the Congressional Management Foundation released a survey of congressional staff, highlighting the significant impact constituents can have on their policymakers by taking the time to express their values and stories. There are many ways to do this including sending emails, calling offices, or signing online letters. However, taking the time to have a successful office visit, whether in your home district or in Washington DC, is more influential than any other strategy. Our Congresspeople want to hear from us, and office visits are welcomed, encouraged and easily set up through email. Many scientific societies have been trying to bridge the communication gap between scientists and policy makers by hosting and facilitating targeted Congressional Visit Days where members can meet with their policymakers to discuss topics of interest. For example, the American Geophysical Union hosts Advocacy Days, and expanded this idea into a year-long program called Voices for Science, which is geared towards honing and practicing communication skills. One of the tracks possible is for policy, where you learn more about how to use science to inform policy and engage with policymakers. These are great opportunities to partner with scientific societies to advance research, and these events are what first inspired us (Mary and Morgan) to create this blog. How do you navigate speaking with your Congresspeople? Even though it is best when the conversations in these meetings flow naturally, a successful meeting takes preparation. Think of it like preparing for an interview. Cater to your policymaker’s values and their strengths, and formulate your message accordingly. Our Congresspeople and their staffers have many meetings every day, so it is important to come ready with a plan to introduce yourself, make a clear “ask” or request of the office that is reasonable and actionable, and have a prepared story to help them make a personal connection to your ask. The preparation:
The meetings:
Meetings with the policymaker will look a bit different than those with a legislative aide. Policymakers will often have more questions for you that align with pushing their own agenda. These meetings often have more back and forth. As a result, the conversation may feel a bit more casual. Congressional staff will more often be there to listen to you and share the values of their office, and may not be able to expand on your particular “ask” without discussing it with the Representative first. Building trust with offices is important. You may not accomplish anything massive in one visit or two, but regular conversations with your Congresspeople will keep their attention and focus on topics that you care about and will set the foundation for a working relationship. Our Experiences with Congressional Visits Days May 2021 Earlier this week we met with Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar’s offices, and Representative Illhan Omar’s office on behalf of AGU to advocate for an increase in science funding for FY2022. Specifically, we asked that their offices support at least $10 billion in the Federal budget to be allocated for the National Science Foundation. For more information on the Federal budget and how it works, check out our two posts The Federal Budget Part 1: What is it and How is it Made? and The Federal Budget Part 2: What to Expect for Science Investment in FY2022. It is important to note that we realized through our research that none of our MN Representatives reside on the appropriations committee, which is the committee in charge of drafting legislation to pass the Discretionary portion of the Federal budget. However, while they may not actually write the legislation for funding, they can still be an influential voice and have a say when these bills move to the House or Senate floor, so meeting with their offices remains important. This year’s (2020-2021) visits looked a bit different than they have in the past. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all meetings are currently being held virtually rather than in person. All of our visits used Microsoft Teams, but other offices rely on different virtual platforms such as Zoom, Skype or just a conference phone call. This brings in a whole suite of possible complications including awkward delays due to poor internet connections, technology malfunctions, and difficulty reading body language. Many of us, including Congressional staffers, are dealing with the challenges of working from home and zoom burnout. As a result, sometimes staffers will choose to keep their cameras off during these meetings, which can bring additional challenges similar to poor internet connections. It can be difficult to know when to speak and leave room for natural conversation when the personal connection face-to-face isn’t there. Do the best you can, but do not worry if these feel a bit awkward, or if you’re the one with internet issues - everyone is dealing with the same thing. In fact we struggled a bit with awkward pauses and transitions along with interruptions due to poor internet connections. That said, the virtual setting brought a lot of positives. We were able to read notes directly on our computer screens to help us stay on message, and we did not have to allot time to travel to DC or the Congressperson’s local office. We were able to have these conversations from the comfort of our own homes. The availability of virtual platforms could theoretically increase engagement because the overall time spent on attending these meetings is significantly less. Perhaps in the future it would be better to maintain a virtual option, as it can increase accessibility of meetings and engagement between constituents and Congresspeople. Example: Our meeting information Topic: Budget increases for science!! (increased science funding) Ask: Increase funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF). (among others) Message: NSF was created in 1950 by Congress to promote advancing health, prosperity and welfare. NSF supports all fields of science & engineering and provides funding for cutting edge research and development. This keeps us at the forefront of innovation. 25% of all federally funded research is supported by NSF. Funding for NSF is needed because it would enhance research development, address racial equality in STEM, and address climate science and sustainability. Support is important because scientific innovation and research drives the economy, enhances national security, and advances knowledge to maintain global leadership. Stories: We both shared our experiences interacting with NSF, and tied it to the importance of our “ask”. Questions asked/things learned: We learned about the Congressperson’s science priorities Takeaway: All of the offices we talked to were supportive of increased funding for science and will keep our ask in mind as the FY2022 budget process moves forward! Although we were nervous going into the meetings because we knew the importance of building relationships with our policymakers' offices, we had a very positive experience. We came out of the meetings feeling empowered and glad that we took the preparation time to convey our message and communicate with our Congresspeople effectively about our values. “This moment of crisis is also a moment of opportunity” --wrote OMB acting director, Shalanda Young in a letter to the House and Senate appropriations committees. Last week, we wrote an overview of the Federal Budget including its three major components - Mandatory, Discretionary, and National Debt (1). The discretionary portion of the budget is particularly important for science because it funds scientific research in Agencies and Departments. This week, we’re discussing an overview of the President’s proposed 2022 Discretionary Request, and specifically highlighting science funding specific items (2,3). President Biden released his discretionary request to Congress for fiscal year 2022 (FY2022) on April 9, 2021. Typically the budget is proposed by the first Monday in February, but is often delayed for years when there is a change in administration. The President is expected to release requests for mandatory programs as well as changes to the tax code later this spring. The proposed partial budget has outlined a $118 billion dollar increase (8.4%) from the FY2021 budget, which does not include emergency funds for COVID-19 relief. The majority of the increased spending would be allocated to the non-defense part of the discretionary budget, increasing it by $106 billion. This is primarily focused on increasing the budgets of the Department of Education by 41%, the Department of Commerce by 28%, the Department of Health and Human Services by 23%, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by 21%. The proposed budget acknowledges a number of crises the United States is facing, and the proposed increases highlight the President’s priorities on education reform, investment in public health, and addressing the climate crisis. Overall, the proposed budget for FY2022 shows a major increase to science funding. Highlights specific to science and environmental policy include (2): Investments in Clean Energy and Resilience
In order to take steps to address the climate crisis, The discretionary request prioritizes transforming the energy sector through clean energy projects including retrofitting homes and buildings for energy efficiency and weatherizing low-income homes. Additionally, $2 billion will be allocated specifically to employ skilled laborers such as electricians and welders on clean energy projects across the country, which is directly in line with the President’s American Jobs Plan (3). Funds beyond the 2021 amount would be allocated to incorporate climate impacts into pre-disaster planning and increase resilience after natural disasters such as wildfires and floods. Additionally, the discretionary request would require collaboration and partnerships with rural America to grow rural economies and tackle rural poverty. Specifically, $300 million would be provided to support rural communities by investing in next generation agriculture, private land conservation, and renewable energy grants. The discretionary request also allocates funds to aid in reducing greenhouse gas emissions globally. The Green Climate Fund, which helps developing countries navigate climate change, would receive $1.2 billion. Additionally, $691 million would be set aside for the Department of State and US Agency for International Development to reach out internationally to support countries with clean energy production, emissions reduction, and climate change adaptation. Investments in Environmental Justice The discretionary request provides funds specifically geared towards addressing how environmental hazards disproportionately impact marginalized communities. The discretionary request invests more than $1.4 billion in the EPA. This would include $936 million for an Accelerating Environmental and Economic Justice initiative, which “...would create good-paying union jobs, clean up pollution, and secure environmental justice for communities that have been left behind.” Additionally, the discretionary request specifies that $100 million would be used to develop a community air quality monitoring and notification program so that places with the highest levels of pollution would be monitored in real-time. $400 million would be allocated to the HUDs Lead Hazard and Healthy Homes Grants, which will help reduce lead-based paint and other hazards in homes of low-income families. The discretionary request notes that this would help to hold polluters responsible, and work towards a cleaner future. Additionally, Tribal nations are among the marginalized communities that disproportionately feel the effects of climate change, which threatens their cultural and economic well-being. $450 million would be provided to help create climate mitigation, resilience, adaptation, and environmental justice projects in Indian Country. This will include a government supported transition of tribal colleges to renewable energy. Clean Water and Hazardous Waste Remediation The discretionary request highlights a priority to clean up hazardous sites such as oil and gas wells and abandoned mines ($550 million). This would include propelling an effort to create 250,000 jobs to undertake the remediation projects. Additionally, the discretionary request devotes $3.6 billion to water infrastructure improvement to ensure clean and safe drinking water for all communities regardless of economic status. Investments in Innovation and Science The FY2022 discretionary request provides a substantial portion of overall funding to climate science, sustainability research, and clean energy, which could greatly increase the nation’s competitiveness. Research across Agencies would receive $4 billion to better understand climate change and resilience strategies. Additionally, the discretionary request would allocate $10 billion to investing in clean energy technologies across non-defense agencies, which the document notes would help achieve net-zero carbon economy by 2050. Through this priority, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) budget would increase to $6.9 billion to expand climate forecasting work, support coastal resilience work, and provide better data to decision-makers. Benefits There are many historic increases proposed in this budget, geared towards creating a safer, more equitable, and environmentally conscious nation that would ultimately increase the United States global standing and competitiveness. There will be an increase to science funding compared to FY2021, which will boost scientific research and innovation. Communities disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards will receive aid, and clean energy initiatives will be funded and prioritized. Challenges The federal Budget is one way for a President to push their agenda. Due to the nature of Congress, passing bipartisan appropriations bills similar to the requests above will be difficult without reaching across the aisle and making compromises.The US has a lot of priorities and issues, and it is difficult to devote substantial funds to every area. If spending keeps pace with inflation, budget deficits would increase. Due to inflation, discretionary spending the US mandates for FY2022 will be even greater in the future (4). Want to advocate? Policy for science concerns the policies that address the conduct of science and the research enterprise (5). In fact, many scientists rely heavily on Federal funding in the form of grants to advance their research. Federal funding for Federal Agencies or Departments (NASA, EPA, NSF, NOAA, etc.) is determined by the yearly Federal Budget, and therefore it is important to continuously increase the awareness of the importance of science. Policy makers represent their constituents so the more people who are vocal about caring for science, the more likely it is that funding will remain steady or increase. Innovation that results from science will mirror allocations to scientific funding. If this interests you, that’s great! Everyone has a personal connection with science, and anyone can advocate. You do not need to be an expert. Share your stories, and explain why science is important to you. For more guidance on advocacy or finding your policymakers, visit our resources pages or reach out to us via email! Footnotes
Similar to how people create a budget to keep track of their finances and manage spending, the United States federal government does too. Each year in early spring, the President will release their proposed federal budget for the upcoming year to Congress. The fiscal year begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. This proposed budget, known as the federal budget, will be edited once it is sent to Congress, but it is important because it lays out the President’s priorities for the upcoming year. The budget can be broken down into three main categories: 1) Mandatory Spending. This category is the majority of the budget and is dominated by earned-benefit or entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security. The spending levels for these programs are generally determined by eligibility rules, which include factors such as age, earnings or qualifying disability. The recommendation by the White House for mandatory spending therefore does not typically include binding funding limits. Congress decides this part of the budget separately from the following categories by reviewing eligibility rules of specific programs, which in turn can increase or decrease this part of the budget based on who is eligible (1). 2) Discretionary Spending.This category is broken into two smaller categories, Defense and Non-Defense Discretionary. The Discretionary Spending category is determined by Congress each year through the annual appropriations process, which is described in detail below. Appropriations refers to the sum of money the President and Congress agree upon for a specific part of the budget. Discretionary spending incorporates everything from military programs (Defense) to the amount of money that is put toward funding science (Non-Defense), among many other things. 3) Interest on National Debt. This category makes up the final percentages of the budget. This amounts to the interest the government pays on the country’s accumulated debt, minus the interest income received by the government on assets it owns. The current national debt is about $28 trillion. The Congressional Budget Office projects that the 2021 national debt will total $2.3 trillion for the year. Together, mandatory spending and discretionary spending account for ~90% of the overall budget each year (1). For the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, the federal budget totaled $4.8 trillion, and revenues brought in $3.4 trillion. FY2021 proposed budget totaled $4.8 trillion (2), and the percent originally allocated to each main category in the proposed budget is shown in the pie chart below. The FY2021 budget was ultimately passed as a $2.3 trillion consolidated spending bill on December 27, 2020 (3). This Bill contained $900 billion in COVID-19 relief in addition to an omnibus spending Bill, which we describe in more detail below. The FY2022 Discretionary Request was released by the White House on April 9, 2021 (4). The full budget request should be made public soon. Next week, we will highlight the main components of the Discretionary Request for some of the science-related Agencies. This is important for anyone interested in science because the budget directly impacts how much money will be available for directly funding scientific innovation. If you’re interested in reading more about funding for science and science-focused engagement, check out a great resource by Hetherington & Phillips 2018 (5) The federal budget and appropriations process happens in three stages: 1) Budget formation by the White House (typically, July-February) 2) Legislative process in Congress (March-June) 3) Finalization of spending levels in Congress (July-October) The purpose of the proposed budget is to recommend amounts of government spending for public purposes, amount that should be received from tax revenues, and the surplus between the two (1). Typically, federal spending exceeds the amount taken in from tax revenues. This results in a deficit for the year and contributes to the overall national debt (6). The budget formation process begins in the Executive Branch with a collaborative effort between federal agencies and the Office of the President. The President’s Office of Management budget (often referred to as OMB) provides guidance for levels of funding and priorities to federal agencies, which in turn have to propose budgets within those guidelines. Using the proposed budgets from federal agencies, the OMB then makes final decisions to form a proposed, all-encompassing federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The budget request should be submitted to Congress by the first Monday in February. However, this process can be delayed if Congress has delayed action on the prior year’s budget or oftentimes when a new administration is transitioning. For example, the Biden Administration released their proposed FY2022 discretionary request on April 9 this year. Once Congress receives the budget request, the House of Representatives and the Senate independently review it. Each chamber creates a resolution to cap overall spending on the Discretionary portion of the budget. From there, a mixed bi-partisan committee of House and Senate members resolves differences between the two resolutions. The House and Senate then divide the resolved Discretionary budget outlined by the resolution among their 12 subcommittees. These 12 subcommittees draft their own appropriations bill which allows them to set the funding for each agency (NASA, USGS, NOAA, etc.) within their individual scope. For example, the Commerce, Justice, and Science subcommittee would draft a bill to set the spending limit on NASA and other agencies within their scope, but would not set a limit on any agency in the Energy and Water Development subcommittee. The 12 subcommittees are:
Once each subcommittee creates their appropriations bill, it will undergo a vote by members of the House/Senate (wherever it was drafted). Once voted on and passed, all 12 bills from the House and 12 bills from the Senate will go back to the mixed bi-partisan committee of House and Senate members to consolidate and agree. The resolved appropriations bills then go to the President to be signed into law. Ideally, this all happens before October 1st. If it doesn’t, a government shutdown would begin. Benefits
The budget has to be agreed upon by Congress regardless of political party, which requires collaboration and working across the aisle. Additionally, a balanced federal budget is essential for avoiding excessive spending, and allows Congress to target areas that are in need. Typically, the budget reflects the values and priorities of society. Challenges It can be very difficult to get the House and Senate to agree - since 2010 the two chambers haven’t easily come to a conclusion. If October 1 comes around and the President hasn’t signed a new budget into law for the coming year, many government services stop. If Congress can’t agree on a single budget to pass to the President, an Omnibus bill can be passed by Congress, which includes multiple funding areas. This can be passed into law and serve as a budget for the coming year. The national debt is extremely high and continues to grow as revenue is typically less than spending. Footnotes:
The United States Commitment to Climate Change Action: Simplifying the Paris Climate Agreement1/26/2021 Some important Executive Orders have been signed by President Biden since he was sworn in on Wednesday January 20. One of these includes the Executive Order to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement, a worldwide effort to combat climate change. What is the Paris Climate Agreement? The Paris Climate Agreement is an international treaty on climate change, agreed upon by 196 state parties at the 21st Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (1), which took place near Paris, France in 2015. The Agreement is the culmination of decades of international efforts to combat climate change. It is significant because it means the majority of the World’s leaders, who do not always agree, understand that humans are driving climate change, and that we can only mitigate it with global action (2, 3). The Agreement, which began in 2016, addresses greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions with the overall goal of limiting global warming to below 2 (ideally below 1.5) degrees C above pre-industrial levels. Why Greenhouse gases? GHGs are gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. While some of these gases are naturally emitted to the atmosphere, human activity is responsible for the substantial increase in their levels since the Industrial Revolution (4). Their presence in the atmosphere is bad because some can remain there for thousands of years. As they accumulate over time, they slowly alter Earth’s climate (5) by increasing average global temperatures. The increased temperature in the atmosphere, even by one degree, can facilitate more extreme weather (6) events across the planet. Although 2.5C may not seem like a lot, it will have numerous direct and indirect impacts.To read more about what this temperature increase would look like, check out this interactive website by the Carbon Brief. Common GHGs include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and hydrofluorocarbons. Some, like methane, impact Earth’s atmosphere more strongly than others by trapping heat more effectively. These gases have many origins including through the burning of fossil fuels (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide), application of fertilizers (methane, nitrous oxide), raising livestock (methane, nitrous oxide) and maintaining landfills (methane). How does the Agreement work? Broadly, the treaty works on a 5 year cycle and requires both social and economic change based around the best available science. Working towards a worldwide goal, the Agreement has a bottom-up structure. Each country must establish and submit its own climate action plan, called a nationally determined contribution (NDC), by 2020. Each NDC plan outlines nationally determined targets and intended mitigation and adaptation actions to reduce GHG emissions and to build resilience to combat the impacts of rising temperatures on Earth. Involvement by a country is voluntary, and plans are considerably variable amongst countries. This is because actions and intentions should reflect a country’s level of development, access to technology and scientific innovation, and its contribution to carbon emissions over time. Additionally, more developed countries should provide financial assistance to developing countries that are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The treaty states that each country’s commitments to these outlined actions should strengthen over time by reflecting advancing technologies. To track the progress, the Agreement established an enhanced transparency framework, in which each country will submit reports beginning in 2024 outlining actions taken, adaptation measures, and financial support given or received. The reports will be used collectively to assess progress towards long term goals (3). The United States’ Involvement President Obama entered into the Agreement by Executive Order. He was able to do this because the United States already had tools and carbon-cutting emissions laws already enacted by Congress. The US entered into the Agreement in 2016. The United States has committed to cutting its total GHG emissions by ~27 percent below its 2005 levels by 2025 (3). This is important because the U.S. is currently the second largest emitter, and is just behind China, which recently surpassed the U.S. as the largest emitter. The U.S. plans to achieve this using laws, regulations and incentives to continue and increase efforts in advancing renewable energies as alternatives to fossil fuels, and by developing better energy storage technologies. In June 2017, President Trump announced the United States withdrawal from the Agreement. This became official on November 4, 2020 within a larger effort to reverse environmental policy in the U.S. He cited that the Agreement would hurt the US economy. Research, however, clarifies that climate inaction will outweigh the immediate costs of the U.S. committed actions within the Agreement (3). Additionally, studies show that green infrastructure investments in clean energy and energy efficiency would likely have major, long term global rewards including job creation, scientific innovation, and becoming a leader in renewable energy (3). President Biden signed an Executive Order on January 20, 2021 to rejoin the Agreement. The United States will officially rejoin the Agreement 30 days after the Administration sends a letter of intent to the United Nations. Benefits: We are already seeing the impacts of climate change through more severe wildfires, hurricanes, droughts, and flooding. Rising sea levels are already impacting coastal communities with effects reaching inland to the Great Lakes. The Agreement provides a global acknowledgement of the threat of climate change, and a consensus that human behaviors are driving the rapid change. Challenges: The action plans that have currently been laid out by participating countries, will likely only limit temperature change to 2.9 degrees C, which is significantly higher than the upper 2 degree limit (7). Additionally, current evaluations of countries participating show that many countries are already falling short of their intended commitments (8, 9). This includes the United States, which is only on track to reduce emissions by ~17%. An important note: Even though an Executive Order does not go through the same legislative process as a bill that becomes law, advocacy is still important. Sending “thank you” notes or emails to your legislators who support a bill, an Executive Order, or other legislative efforts are powerful tools in forming relationships, and tells your legislator that they are representing their constituents’ needs. We encourage people to reach out to their legislators with appreciation, questions, or concerns. Footnotes
Carbon Brief Interactive Website: https://interactive.carbonbrief.org/impacts-climate-change-one-point-five-degrees-two-degrees/?utm_source=web&utm_campaign=Redirect The purposes of this blog are to bring awareness to legislation and provide encouragement and resources for advocacy. This is a special blog post that highlights a unique opportunity in science policy and advocacy.
Are you a scientist interested in advocacy or science policy, but don’t know where to start? Is science communication and outreach important to you, but maybe you don’t have experience interacting with the policy world? Are you becoming more concerned with the environmental changes you’re witnessing? Do you have a feeling of obligation to use your scientific expertise and passion for science communication to help inform our policymakers and support their legislative efforts? Like any new direction, the policy world might feel like an overwhelmingly vast unknown. Participating in the American Geophysical Union’s (AGU) Voices for Science Program could change all of that. Morgan was a part of the 2020 cohort and is sharing some of her insight and experiences below. About the Program AGU launched their Voices for Science (VFS) Program in 2018, in an effort to train scientists in effectively communicating the impact of science to a diverse set of audiences. The program is split into two tracks (you apply to the one you are interested in), a communications track focused on communicating science to journalists, media and public audiences, and a policy track geared towards communicating and building connections with policymakers. Both tracks have a central goal of increasing community engagement. Selected scientists participate in a two day training as a cohort, and then receive support from an assigned regional team and trained AGU staff throughout the year. Individuals gain a diverse and incredible network of passionate scientists, all sharing and conducting creative outreach opportunities with the common goal of advancing an understanding and trust in science. The Experience By the end of the first day of training, I (Morgan) was shocked at the vast role that science plays in policy, and surprised by the overlap of my skills as a scientist and those needed for a career in science policy. To name a few, science policy relies on persistence, natural curiosity, knowledge of the scientific process, the ability to juggle multiple projects and shift gears rapidly, familiarity with uncertainty, and communication skills. Many of these skills or qualities are what drove me to pursue a graduate degree, and others I have been consciously and steadily trying to build throughout my career. On the second day of training, with guided preparation, we led mock meetings (in non-COVID times, these would have been in person meetings on Capitol Hill) with legislators, learned how to formulate an “ask,” and connected our message with the values of our legislators. In the span of two days, I went from feeling nervous about the unknowns associated with the policy world to feeling excited and motivated to dive into advocacy. Monthly meetings with my regional team and AGU leader have held me accountable to conducting advocacy and outreach activities throughout the year. Working with this incredible team has pushed me to be more creative and confident in my outreach endeavors. This opportunity has been hugely inspiring. It has shown me the vast possibilities for connecting science and policy, and has helped me define career goals in which I can use my technical science background as a tool to help address critical societal challenges. I gained a more comprehensive understanding of the legislative process, and have learned how to articulate the importance of scientific research in an accessible way. The VFS program provided me with resources and support that enabled me to navigate my way into the policy world, and pushed me to advocate for legislation and topics I am passionate about. I would encourage anyone with an interest in science policy to take advantage of opportunities like VFS. Interested in Applying? The application for the 2021-2022 cohort is open until February 1. The application can be found at: https://www.agu.org/Share-and-Advocate/Share/Sharing-science-network/Voices-for-science If you miss the application deadline, apply next year! In the meantime, keep an eye out for the many opportunities offered by AGU, AAAS, GSA, and other scientific societies. You can also be involved by sending emails or calling your representatives offices. Check out our resources page for more on this, or if you need help getting started send us an email! There is a growing mission throughout the scientific community to make science more accessible, so take the initiative and be a part of it! If you have found opportunities or have personal experience getting involved, we would love to hear about it! Send us an email or leave a comment below. Hello and Welcome!
Before we start chatting about policy and digging into environmental topics, we wanted to introduce ourselves and give you a better idea about who we are and why we decided to start this blog. We’re both geologists, environmental scientists, and science communicators who have always been curious about the Earth. Through our time in grad school at the University of Minnesota (where we met!), we have enjoyed exploring the important connections between society and Earth’s processes. Unfortunately, we’ve noticed that all too often, great scientific discoveries get lost in the depths of the “academic black hole” because scientists fail to communicate the importance of their findings to their communities and stakeholders. As scientists, we need to be better about translating the real-life importance of our research and how it can be used to help address critical societal challenges. The idea for Policy for the Planet came from an experience we shared during one of the American Geophysical Union's (AGU) Virtual Advocacy Day events (we highly recommend these!). Through this event, we received training from AGU on how to explore proposed bills based on our own interests, research our legislators (and their values), and craft a compelling message that connects the importance of specific legislation to our needs as constituents. We then spent a week speaking with our MN Congresspeople, who have the power to enact change, about important bipartisan bills that would advance diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in STEM fields. We supported our message with statistics from peer-reviewed research, and coupled that with our own stories and experiences to help them remember our message. Our congresspeople represent our voice, but they can only do that when they know what is important to us, their constituents. Regardless of political party, we were able to communicate how important these bills are to advancing STEM fields in America. We had some surprisingly excellent conversations, and gained an appreciation for the importance of advocacy! After this experience, we were inspired to create this website to empower and encourage you to communicate with your federal, state, and local policy makers. It is important to emphasize two things, 1) we are not trained politicians, and that’s okay, and 2) you do not have to be a scientist to be passionate about an issue, research the topic, and discuss it with your policymakers. Anyone can be an advocate! And, we believe that as scientists, our role goes beyond the laboratory. We can work with our legislators, and use our expertise to effectively inform policy decisions and legislation. We must all work towards bridging the communication gap between policy makers, scientists, and our local community so that we can construct well-informed and inclusive policy that benefits us all. Our blog will primarily focus on simplifying environmental policy issues and current legislation, since our background is in Earth sciences. Occasionally, we will also touch on education and DEI related issues in STEM because these are often interconnected topics. We will report the simple facts, with links to all the bills and sources we reference. We will also address benefits and challenges to each bill. Over time, we will also build up our "Resources" page with tips, guides, and examples to help you understand our US Federal government and provide the tools for advocacy at any stage. Our goals are to showcase some of the important issues primarily in environmental policy, and help you find your voice to craft your message and speak up about issues that matter to you. Thanks for reading! For new post alerts, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, @polfortheplanet! Until next time, Morgan & Mary |