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climate forecasts. The science of climate prediction has advanced rapidly over the 

 last decade. However, to date, climate prediction has been done on an experimental 

 basis only. NOAA plans to provide reliable one-year lead time forecasts of global cli- 

 mate variability, esf>ecially El Nino and the consequent precipitation and surface 

 temperature distributions. This will enable Americans to respond to the forecasts 

 so as to increase economic advantage and to mitigate against economic losses and 

 social disruption. There are four program goals that are necessary to implement sea- 

 sonal to interannual climate forecasts. They are: predictions, observing and data 

 systems, process research, and socio-economic and educational dimensions. 



In FY 1995, NOAA requests a total of $94.4 million for the Seasonal and 

 Interannual Climate initiative. Included in this initiative is $38.6 million for the 

 President's U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), reflecting an increase 

 of $14.7 million, which directly supports NOAA's seasonal-to-interannual activities. 



Predict and Assess Decadal to Centennial Change 



Our planet is naturally a place of change, often with severe impacts on society. 

 The Sahelian drought and the Midwestern Dust Bowl are examples of decadal 

 change, while the Little Ice Age of the 17th century exemplifies the high-impact cli- 

 matic fluctuations have on the centennial time scale. Such natural climatic swings 

 will undoubtedly be a part of our future. Human activities can now induce addi- 

 tional changes with equally large impacts. Human -induced changes observed on 

 decadal time scales are already evident. Atmospheric pollution, the thinning ozone 

 layer and greenhouse gasses are a few of the man-made problems which could great- 

 ly affect the future of our glpbal climate. NOAA is committed to providing science- 

 based advice to policy malters by detecting and assessing decadal to centennial 

 changes in the global environment — with special emphasis on climate change and 

 greenhouse warming, ozone layer depletion and air quality improvement. To address 

 these long-term changes, NOAA requests $94.1 million for the Decadal to Centen- 

 nial initiative. 



CROSSCUT PROGRAMS 



NOAA's efforts to provide leadership in environmental stewardship and environ- 

 mental prediction and assessment would be incomplete without the successful pur- 

 suit of programs of technology and education that cross agency lines to tap external 

 resources, expertise and experience NOAA's cross-cut programs aim to build effec- 

 tive bridges to other Department of Commerce bureaus, federal agencies and private 

 sector partners to leverage limited resources in support of mission objectives. 



In FY 1995, NOAA will share host responsibilities with NASA for the Vice-Presi- 

 dent's interagency Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment 

 (GLOBE) Program. GLOBE will enhance global environmental awareness and in- 

 crease scientific understanding of the Earth by working with the worldwide network 

 of schools to collect environmental observations. This program focuses on the envi- 

 ronmental education of our human resources, and our budget contains a $7.0 million 

 increase for this exciting program. 



Education and Human Resources 



A strong education and human resources agenda will contribute to a national goal 

 of ensuring and enhancing economic opportunity for the American people by foster- 

 ing a scientifically literate public. A good example of this is the new GLOBE pro- 

 gram, a vice-presidential initiative that teaches sound science practices to students 

 while at the same time using their observations to further our knowledge of the 

 Earth. To make the long-term convmitment required to provide the highest quality 

 environmental stewardship and predictions, NOAA must increase the pool of capa- 

 ble scientists and technicians available for public service. To attract and develop the 

 best talent in a highly competitive market, NOAA must be recognized as an agency 

 where talent and,, individual differences are respected and rewarded. 



Environmental Technology 



Few areas show the link between the environment and the economy more clearly 

 than environmental techndlogies. This segment of the economy has been projected 

 to grow as large as $600 billion by the turn of the century, creating high skill/high 

 wage jobs for American workers. For NOAA, the end challenge is to ensure that the 

 environmental technologies are in place worldwide to protect the environment and 

 to maintain and rebuild the world's natural atmospheric and oceanic resource base. 

 Four distinct pilot programs will focus NOAA's unique contribution to environ- 

 mental technology efforts: Marine Biotechnology through the National Sea Grant 

 College Program and the National Marine Fisneries Service; Weather, Hydrologic 



