Advancing Science and Knowledge

"Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed"

8:17am, Tuesday, July 21st (NZT) marks the 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11's historic landing on the Moon.  Neil Armstrong's first steps on the lunar surface were the culmination of a decade long program of intense national effort, led by NASA, and was one of the defining moments of the 20th century.

Announced to the world in a speech President John F. Kennedy delivered to the United States Congress on 25 May 1961, the Apollo program was set the incredibly ambitious goal of landing a man on the Moon by the end of the decade.  This was such an ambitious target, that many at the time considered it science fiction, or even lunacy.  But as President Kennedy said in a perhaps more famous speech the following year,

“We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.”

(more)
 

President Barack Obama with the Apollo 11 astronauts, (L - R) Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, and Neil Armstrong.

President Obama honours the Heroes of Apollo 11

Exactly 40 years after man first stepped foot on the moon, the President welcomed Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin to the White House to honor their achievement.  He called the Apollo 11 astronauts "American heroes" and praised the entire NASA family for making that iconic flight possible.  He also noted how the men’s accomplishment served as inspiration for a generation, and reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to math and science:

"I also know that, as a consequence of the extraordinary work of NASA generally, that you inspired an entire generation of scientists and engineers that ended up really sparking the innovation, the drive, the entrepreneurship, the creativity back here on Earth.  And I think it's very important for us to constantly remember that NASA was not only about feeding our curiosity, that sense of wonder, but also had extraordinary practical applications.  And one of the things that I've committed to doing as President is making sure that math and science are cool again, and that we once again keep the goal by 2020 of having the highest college graduation rates of any country on Earth, especially in the maths and science fields."

 (more)
 

NASA astronaut Dr. Don Pettit delivers the keynote address at the ChemEd conference.

NASA Astronaut visits New Zealand

NASA astronaut Don Pettit visited New Zealand in the first week of July, to attend ChemEd:  The annual conference of New Zealand secondary school chemistry teachers.

Dr. Pettit gave the keynote speech at ChemEd where he stressed he stressed the importance of exploration, particularly in frontier environments. He described these environments provide unexpected opportunities for scientific discovery as well as human exploration.  And he underscored and the critical role of science teachers in inspiring an interest in  exporation and science within their students.

As part of his visit, Dr Pettit also visited a number of Canterbury's leading science and technology organisations, and spoke to public audiences at the Canterbury Museum, at Kidsfest, and others; drawing comparisons between Lunar exploration, and the exploration of the South Pole being supported from Christchurch.

Dr. Pettit's visit was especially timely, as it occurred only a few days before the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission; the mission that made Neil Armstrong and Buzz Adlrin the first people to set foot on the moon … (more)

President Leads by Example on Energy Efficiency

Amidst the tremedous progress being made in Congress on legislation to create a clean energy economy, on June 29 the President led by example and did his part in the Executive branch.  The President and Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today several innovative actions that will promote energy efficiency while saving Americans billions of dollars annually.

The announcement highlights the fact that clean energy not only makes environmental sense, but it also makes smart economic sense. The President explained that this is why the administration has put energy at the forefront of our economic recovery, working to build a new, clean energy economy for the future:

"So we've gotten a lot done on the energy front over the last six months.  But even as we're changing the ways we're producing energy, we're also changing the ways we use energy.  In fact, one of the fastest, easiest, and cheapest ways to make our economy stronger and cleaner is to make our economy more energy efficient.  And that's something that Secretary Chu is working every single day to work through."

(more)
 

Climate Change Impacts Across America: A renewed focus for decisions

On June 16, the White House helped to launch a new science report representing a consensus of 13 agencies developed over a year and half and focused on potential climate change impacts on the United States.

It’s the most comprehensive report to date on the possible impacts of climate change for everyone across America, and begins an important process of redefining the sort of information we need in order to deal with climate change at national and regional scales.… (more)
 

Earth Day: A New Foundation for Economic Growth

Speaking at a wind tower production facility, President obama laid out his vision for a new clean energy economy, energy independance, keeping pollution out of the air and water, and finally addressing the climate change problem that has been neglected for decades in Washington.

The President explained that that the economy must shift to a sustainable, environmentally sound basis to generate future prosperity, declaring that "on this Earth Day, it is time for us to lay a new foundation for economic growth."

He went on to explain that the days of treating environmental concerns as obstacles to economic growth are over, and that instead environmental challenges must be considered opportunities for innovation. "the choice we face is not between saving our environment and saving our economy.  The choice we face is between prosperity and decline," he said.
 

Secretary Clinton Opens Antarctic Treaty Meeting

Calling the Antarctic “one of the planet’s most remote, beautiful and dangerous places,” Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton opened the joint session of the 2009 Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting on April 6.

The historic meeting, hosted by the United States in Baltimore April 6–17, marks the 50th anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty.  Secretary Clinton described Antarctic Treaty as being written to meet the challenges of a previous time, but that its genius lies in its relevance for today.

"The treaty is a blueprint for the kind of international cooperation that will be needed more and more to address the challenges of the 21st century, and it is an example of smart power at its best. Governments coming together around a common interest and citizens, scientists, and institutions from different countries joined in scientific collaboration to advance peace and understanding," she said.

This year's meeting also marks the conclusion of the International Polar year, and brings together nearly 400 diplomats, Antarctic program managers and logistics experts, along with polar scientists from 47 countries, to discuss environmental protection, polar science and tourism.  [full text]

NZ Foreign Minister McCully with U.S. Chargé d’Affaires David Keegan, pictured at the NZ US Council function where the Minister announced his upcoming trip to the U.S

Minister McCully’s U.S. Visit Welcomed

New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully has announced that he will be visiting Washington April 6-8 to meet with U.S Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and to participate in the 2009 Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM).

Minister McCully described the United States as "one of New Zealand's oldest friends" saying that "share common values and interests, as well as a commitment to promoting a free, democratic and secure world".

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be hosting the ATCM this year, marking the 50th anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty.  Minister McCully has announced that in addition to taking meetings in Washington he will, at the Secretary's invitation, chair one of the ministerial sessions of the ATCM.

ATCM 2009 will include nearly 400 diplomats and Antarctic experts from 47 countries, as well as representatives from other Antarctic Treaty system entities and observers from non-governmental organizations.
 

Related Links

• Old friends, new opportunities - Speech by Minister McCully to the New Zealand-United States Council
• McCully to meet US Secretary of State in Washington - Press release from Minister McCully
• Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting

Green Jobs:  The Pathway to a Strong Middle Class

President Obama's new "Middle Class Task Force" is a major initiative targeted at raising the living standards of middle-class, working families in America.  The task force is lead by Vice President Joe Biden, and it is comprised of top-level administration policy makers.

The task force’s first meeting is scheduled for February 27, when the focus will be green jobs as a pathway to a strong middle class.

Green jobs are jobs that provide products and services which use renewable energy resources, reduce pollution, conserve energy and natural resources and reconstitute waste… (more)