Perhaps as no shock, oceanography is going to need some more money, about $2-3 billion to be exact. A group of international scientist called the Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans (POGO) says “warming seas, over-fishing and pollution are among profound concerns that must be better measured to help society respond in a well-informed, timely and cost-effective way…A system for ocean observing and forecasting that covers the world’s oceans and their major uses can reduce growing risks, protect human interests and monitor the health of our precious oceans.” So what would we spend all that cash on?
- a stable network of satellites surveying vast extents of the surface of the oceans
- fixed stations taking continuous measurements on the seafloor or as floats and buoys moored in the water column and at the surface
- small robot submarine ocean monitors, some drifting with the currents, others motoring along programmed routes
- marine animals ingeniously outfitted with electronic tags that equip them to capture and transmit data about the environments they visit
- merchant marine and research vessels, opportunistically observing along their routes
According to the Washington Post (link below), we’re spending about $720 million PER DAY in Iraq. Whether you’re for the war or against it, there’s no denying that this funding could have gone a long way for other purposes, including renewable energy resources and oceanic research. Even knowing that federal budget messes are not their fault, it’s all I can do to bite my tongue with NOAA bureaucrats who attempt to argue with me about my university-mandated overhead charges in my grant budget spreadsheets, all the while the public hears about new contractor fiascos within the State and Defense Departments on a daily basis.
Sheesh…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/21/AR2007092102074.html
2-3 billion? That’s not alot in today’s global economy. I am glad POGO had the guts too ask for the money they need to get the job done right. They hope they also had the smarts to include a cushion fund for their unforeseeable needs. The Pentagon certainly would.