Res Communis

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

From NASA:

RELEASE : 08-307

NASA and USAID Bring Earth-Observation Benefits to Africa

WASHINGTON — NASA, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and their international partners cut the ribbon Friday in Nairobi, Kenya, for SERVIR-Africa. The SERVIR-Africa system integrates the satellite resources of the United States and other countries into a Web-based Earth information system. This effort puts previously inaccessible information into the hands of local scientists, government leaders and communities to help address concerns related to natural disasters, disease outbreaks, biodiversity and climate change.

SERVIR, Spanish for “to serve,” has been in operation in Central America, the Caribbean and southern Mexico since 2005. Now, through the support of multiple government agencies and other organizations, NASA and USAID are expanding the system to Africa in partnership with the Regional Center for Mapping of Resources for Development in Nairobi. The center, an intergovernmental organization with 15 member states in eastern and southern Africa, is a leader in geospatial mapping in the region.

“A satellite birds-eye view can provide an overall picture of a natural disaster, such as a flood, and its consequences,” said Tesfaye Korme, director of remote sensing and geographic information systems at the center. “Using the SERVIR-Africa platform, we will be able to develop near-real time maps of flood-affected areas to estimate the number of displaced people and locate potential transportation disruptions.” . . .”

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

The European Parliament adopted European Parliament resolution of 20 November 2008 on the European space policy: how to bring space down to earth on November 20, 2008:

European Parliament resolution of 20 November 2008 on the European space policy: how to bring space down to earth

The European Parliament ,

– having regard to the Council resolution of 26 September 2008 on taking forward the European Space Policy(1) ,

– having regard to the UN Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (Resolution 2222 (XXI) – Outer Space Treaty),

– having regard to its resolutions of 10 July 2008 on space and security(2) , and of 29 January 2004 on the action plan for implementing the European space policy(3) , and to the deliberations of the public hearing organised by its Committee on Industry, Research and Energy on 16 July 2007,

– having regard to Council resolution of 21 May 2007 on the European space policy(4) ,

– having regard to the Commission working document of 11 September 2008 entitled European Space Policy Progress Report (COM(2008)0561),

– having regard to the Council Decision of 7 October 2003 on the signing of the Framework Agreement between the EC and the European Space Agency,

– having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and the Treaty on European Union (TEU), as amended by the Treaty of Lisbon, and the relevant provisions on the European space policy (Article 189 of the TFEU),

– having regard to Rule 108(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas space is a strategic asset of fundamental importance for Europe’s independence, security and prosperity and whereas political developments in this area must be spearheaded by the Council together with Parliament,

B. whereas the EU and a number of its Member States have been involved in financing and developing space technology and science for over 30 years, resulting in the establishment of a vision for a European space policy (ESP), and recognising the fruitful cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA),

C. whereas there is a growing interest in a strong and leading role for the EU in an ESP in order to foster solutions in the field of the environment, transport, research, defence and security,

D. whereas a strong ESP, in particular, in terms of applications, services and related infrastructures, will contribute to the EU’s societal, cultural, economic and scientific influence, help develop its industrial and scientific base, contribute to its growth and employment and will ensure its political and technological autonomy in a coherent and realistic manner,

E. whereas all Europe’s space activities fully respect the principle that the exploration and use of outer space are for the benefit and in the interests of all countries and recognise outer space as a province of all mankind to be used for exclusively peaceful purposes,

F. whereas the EU is committed to promoting international cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space; sharing the Council’s view that Europe should undertake its actions regarding space exploration within a worldwide programme,

G. whereas it is important to the development of the ESP to reinforce public understanding and support for the development of space technologies, ensuring the complementarity of actions and maximising synergies with non-space developments,

H. whereas there is a strategic need for Europe to guarantee the continuity of autonomous, reliable, sustainable and cost-efficient access to space, based on both the availability of a set of adequate and competitive world-class launchers and an operational European space port,

I. whereas it is necessary to find adequate EU instruments and funding schemes for the ESP to supplement the allocations from the Seventh Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration Activities (2007-2013), so as to allow the different economic actors to plan their actions in the medium and long term,

J. whereas an adequate structure of governance in the field of space policy and activities and an appropriate regulatory framework to ease the swift emergence of innovative and competitive downstream services, in particular with the objective of guaranteeing sustained access to spectrum for all space-based applications, are fundamental to ensure that the ESP delivers the expected results and matches the ambitions of the EU, the ESA and their respective Member States,

K. whereas a precise calendar needs to be defined to fulfil the goals of Galileo, EGNOS and the programme for Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES - renamed Copernicus) and a roadmap should be established for the various bodies playing a role in the implementation of these programmes,

L. whereas space now represents a unique tool for instantaneous collection and worldwide broadcasting of large quantities of data in today’s society, as well as a crucial tool for the understanding and monitoring of global climate change, a field in which Europe is at the forefront; calling on the other international actors to a more responsible attitude towards future generations,

M. whereas important breakthroughs can be achieved regarding security aspects in space, mainly in the field of telecommunications, surveillance and Earth observation,

N. whereas the resolution of the fourth Space Council of 22 May 2007 (joint meeting between the Council of the European Union and the ESA Council) calls for the optimisation of the decision-making process on space-related issues in the Council of the European Union as well as in other EU institutions,

O. whereas the next financial framework should take into account adequate EU instruments and funding schemes to allow long-term Community investment for space-related research and for the operation of sustainable space-based applications for the benefit of Europe and its citizens,

P. whereas the EU should strengthen its cooperation with developing countries,

1. Welcomes the Council conclusions of 26 September 2008 as a useful political commitment towards the development of anESP which contributes strongly to a European identity and reiterates its intention of being constructive and participating fully in its implementation, as if the Treaty of Lisbon were in force;

2. Agrees with the Council that the current priorities are the timely implementation of the Galileo and EGNOS and GMES/Copernicus programmes;

3. Welcomes in particular the creation of the Galileo Inter-institutional Panel which may serve as a model in the development of the ESP;

4. Calls on the Commission and the Council to set a precise calendar for the creation of an efficient governance structure regarding the GMES/Copernicus programme and to clearly establish a roadmap for this programme with the aim of improving its efficiency and specifying its budget allocation;

5. Insists on the decisive role of the GMES/Copernicus programme as a user-driven initiative implemented thanks to the essential contribution of the in-situ Earth- and space-based observation infrastructures; stresses that data and service continuity is indispensable; takes the view, more particularly, that the Commission should first undertake to commission an impact assessment of the potential benefits, the costs to be incurred and the long-term evolution of the GMES/Copernicus programme, and then submit to Parliament and the Council an action plan covering, inter alia, the following aspects:
– the legal framework of the GMES/ Copernicus programme,
– GMES/Copernicus governance, including the role of EU and non-EU bodies,
– funding of the GMES/ Copernicus programme,
– an implementation plan,
– the role of similar but complementary initiatives, both intergovernmental and multilateral,
– the international aspects of the GMES/ Copernicus programme, and hence the necessary cooperation;

6. Regrets that, despite the clear recommendations of the user community, the continuity of the low inclination altimetry data is not ensured after the end of life of the Jason 2 satellite already in orbit, and asks the Commission to tackle the problems relating to the financing of Jason 3, which risk endangering the short-term sustainability of Copernicus services, and to report to Parliament on the decisions taken in this respect;

7. Encourages the establishment of a structured dialogue between European institutional actors and intergovernmental actors, ensuring for all Member States an open and equitable access to the benefits of the ESP;

8. Calls on the Council and the Commission to encourage synergies between civilian and security developments in the field of space; points out that the European security and defence capabilities depend among other things on the availability of satellite-based systems and that access to these is crucial for the European Union;

9. Asks the Council and the Commission to make progress on the subject of international relations, namely on competition in international commercial and government markets, with the goal of ensuring that Europe speaks with one voice and follows an agreed strategy;

10. Agrees with the Council that international cooperation on space must serve the interests of Europe and that, with this purpose, should contribute to global initiatives; stresses the importance of ensuring Europe’s political, technological and operational autonomy;

11. Reminds the Council and the Commission of their stated intention of submitting to Parliament, in the context of the ESP implementation plan, specific recommendations or proposals, given the nature of the four priority areas, on:
– space and climate change,
– the ESP’s contribution to the Lisbon Strategy,
– space and security, based on its resolution of 10 July 2008,
– space exploration, including human presence and manned space flight;

12. Stresses the importance of developing a space-related industrial policy, a crucial element in this policy being the regulatory framework and the standardisation programme which contributes to the emergence of new European downstream markets, and recalls that the Galileo Regulation sets a benchmark for the involvement of small and medium-sized enterprises in European space-related industrial policy;

13. Recognises the unique contribution of space programmes which, allowing global and long-term coverage, make available important data for research into climate change, and provide the evidence base for key decisions to be taken in environment policy;

14. Recognises that space can contribute to reaching the Lisbon goals so as to fulfil the economic, educational, social and environmental ambitions of the EU and the expectations of its citizens;

15. Recognises the need for the EU to take practical steps to pursue the reduction of Europe’s dependence concerning selected critical space technologies, components and operations;

16. Considers that Europe should develop a common vision and long-term strategic planning for space exploration to play a role in international programmes (such as the Global Exploration Strategy) for human and robotic space exploration, including the possibility of a human expedition to Mars;

17. Urges that consideration be given to a possible new specific budget line for the ESP in the EU budget in order to reflect the strong commitment of the EU towards the ESP and to increase the clarity and transparency of this policy, should the provisions of the Lisbon Treaty relating to space policy enter into force;

18. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote investments in space-related science and technology;

19. Calls on the Commission to take the appropriate initiatives for developing the use of space for the collection and distribution of information and insists on the need to encourage technological developments in the field of surveillance and observation of space;

20. Calls on the Commission to take the necessary measures to avoid pollution of outer space;

21. Calls on the Commission to produce a study on the impact of space tourism and its necessary relevant safety, security and regulatory framework;

22. Calls on the Council and the Commission to initiate a large-scale effort of reflection on space exploration, defining a vision of what should be Europe’s position in, and resources for, future worldwide exploration endeavours; in this respect, wishes to be closely associated with the forthcoming high-level conference on exploration proposed by the Commission;

23. Stresses the value of space exploration for inspiring young Europeans to choose a career in science and technology and to strengthen research capabilities in Europe;

24. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the European Space Agency, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

From the ITU:

RESOLUTION 73
Information and communications technologies and climate change
(Johannesburg, 2008)
The World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (Johannesburg, 2008),

considering

a) that the issue of climate change is rapidly emerging as a global concern and requires global collaboration;

b) that the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimated that global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions had risen by more than 70 per cent since 1970, having an effect on global warming, changing weather patterns, rising sea-levels, desertification, shrinking ice cover and other long-term effects;

c) that ITU, at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Bali, Indonesia, on 3-14 December 2007, highlighted the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) as both a contributor to climate change, and an important element in tackling the challenge;

d) the work being undertaken following agreement to the Bali roadmap, and the importance of reaching international agreement on an effective post-2012 outcome;

e) the role that ICTs and ITU can play in contributing to the implementation of such an agreement;

f) the importance of promoting sustainable development and the ways in which ICTs can enable clean development;

g) the initiatives taken in some regions,

considering also

a) the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) Technology Watch Briefing Report No. 3 (2007), which highlighted the issue of climate change and the role of ICTs;

b) in addition to the work in ITU-T, the ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) and ITU Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D) initiatives in considering climate change and the role of ICTs;

c) that ITU Recommendations, which focus on energy-saving systems and applications, can play a critical role in the development of ICTs;

d) the leadership of ITU-R, in collaboration with the ITU membership, in identifying the necessary radio-frequency spectrum for climate monitoring and disaster prediction, detection and relief, including the establishment of cooperative arrangements with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in the field of remote-sensing applications;

e) the report entitled, “Strategy for a climate-neutral United Nations”, prepared by the Environment Management Group, and the endorsement by the Chief Executives Board (CEB) in October 2007 of the strategy committing the United Nations system to attain climate neutrality within three years;

f) the standards-development activities on ICTs and climate change by, for example, relevant ITU-T study groups in work related to ubiquitous sensor networks (USN), which allow the detection, storage, processing and integration of situational and environmental information gathered from sensor devices connected to telecommunication networks;

g) the outcomes of the Symposia on “ICTs and Climate Change”, held in Kyoto, Japan, on 15-16 April 2008, and in London, United Kingdom, on 17-18 June 2008;

h) the establishment of a Focus Group on ICTs and Climate Change by the Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group (TSAG) at its July 2008 meeting,

noting
that, in the report of the conclusions from the Global Standards Symposium (GSS), it was recognized that the ICT industry and its members can set an example by committing to specific programmes, with objectives, that reduce overall GHG emissions (e.g., the power consumption of ICT devices) and to ensuring that the expansion of the global communications network is done in an environmentally-friendly manner, recognizing

a) that ICTs can make a substantial contribution to mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change;

b) that ICTs play a vital role in monitoring and addressing climate change by supporting basic scientific research, which has helped to bring the issue of climate change into the public domain and to raise awareness of future challenges;

c) that a future high-bandwidth, lower-carbon information society offers a platform for economic, social and cultural development that is sustainable;

d) that the adverse effects of climate change may be uneven in their impact and may fall disproportionately on the most vulnerable countries, mainly the developing countries1, given their limited capacity to adapt;

e) that ICTs contribute approximately 2 - 2.5 per cent of GHG emissions, which may grow as ICTs become more widely available;

f) that ICTs can, however, be a major mitigating factor in efforts to moderate climate change and to limit and ultimately reduce GHG emissions through, for example, the development and introduction of energy-efficient devices, applications and networks;

g) that the use of ICTs as a key component of energy-efficient work methods could include the reduction of emissions through, for example, paperless meetings, virtual conferencing, teleworking, etc, which in turn would be beneficial in terms of reducing the need to travel,

resolves

1 to continue and further develop the ITU-T work programme initially launched in December 2007 on ICTs and climate change, as a high priority, in order to contribute to the wider global efforts to moderate climate change, as part of the United Nations processes;

2 to take into account the progress already made in the international symposia on ICTs and climate change, held in Kyoto, Japan, 15-16 April 2008 and in London, United Kingdom, 17-18 June 2008, by distributing their outcomes as widely as possible;

3 to create, within ITU-T, a repository and knowledge base on the relationships between ICTs and climate change;

4 to promote the adoption of Recommendations for enhancing the use of ICTs to serve as a potent and cross-cutting tool to measure and reduce GHG emissions across economic and social activities;

5 to increase awareness and promote information sharing on the role of ICTs in combating climate change, in particular by promoting the use of more energy-efficient1 devices and networks and more efficient working methods, as well as ICTs that can be used to replace or displace higher energy consuming technologies/uses;

6 to work towards the reductions in emissions of GHGs arising from the use of ICTs that are necessary to meet the goals of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),

instructs the Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group

1 to review the results of the Focus Group on ICTs and Climate Change and take appropriate actions in accordance with Resolution 22 of this assembly, including, for example, the identification of possible structural mechanisms and a lead study group, and to progress the work on this topic by encouraging the involvement of all ITU-T study groups;

2 to ensure that study groups carry out a review of both the appropriate existing ITU-T Recommendations and all future Recommendations to assess their implications and the application of best practices in the light of climate change;

3 to consider possible changes to working procedures in order to meet the objective of this resolution, including and extending the use of electronic working methods to reduce the climate change impact, such as paperless meetings, virtual conferencing, teleworking, etc.,

invites all ITU-T study groups
1 to develop appropriate Recommendations on climate-change issues within the mandate and competency of ITU-T, including telecommunication networks used for monitoring climate change, for example signalling and quality of service issues, taking into account any economic impact on all countries and in particular on developing countries;

2 to identify best practices and opportunities for new applications using ICTs to reduce the impact of climate change and to identify appropriate actions;

3 to commence such studies prior to the approval of the necessary Questions, taking into consideration the output of the Focus Group, in accordance with Resolution 1 of this assembly;

4 to liaise with the relevant ITU-R and ITU-D study groups and promote liaison with other standards development organizations in order to avoid duplication of work and to optimize the use of resources,

instructs the Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau
1 to report on progress on the application of this resolution annually to the ITU Council and to the 2012 world telecommunication Standardization Assembly;

2 to establish a calendar of events relevant to ICTs and climate change based on proposals by TSAG and in close collaboration with the other two Sectors;

3 to organize, in close collaboration with the Directors of the Telecommunication Development (BDT) and Radiocommunication (BR) Bureaux, workshops and seminars for developing countries, to raise awareness and identify their needs in this domain, as they are the most vulnerable countries affected by climate change;

4 to report to TSAG on the progress regarding invites the Secretary-General below,

invites the Secretary-General

1 to bring the content of this resolution to the attention of the Council and invite it to study the issue of climate neutrality for all ITU activities and take appropriate actions, taking into consideration the United Nations commitment to lead by example, to achieve climate-neutral status within three years;

2 to continue to cooperate and collaborate with other entities within the United Nations in formulating future international efforts for the effective addressing of climate change,

invites Member States, Sector Members and Associates
1 to continue to contribute actively to the ITU-T work programme on ICTs and climate change;

2 to continue or initiate public and private programmes that include ICTs and climate change, giving due consideration to relevant ITU-T Recommendations and relevant work;

3 to support and contribute to the wider United Nations process on climate change, such as the United Nations Climate Change conferences in Poznan, Poland (1-12 December 2008) and Copenhagen, Denmark (30 November-11 December 2009).

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

The French National Assembly adopted TEXTE ADOPTÉ n° 204: PROJET DE LOI de finances pour 2009 on November 19, 2008. The bubget bill appropriates 1,280,247,629 Euros for Space Research.

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

From Daniel A. Reifsnyder, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment and Sustainable Development, Statement at the High-Level Segment 20th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer on November 19, 2008:

. . . Mr. President, two final points. The achievements I have described could not have come about without good science. We owe a significant debt of gratitude to the investments of scientists and scientific institutions worldwide for the contributions they have made and the vital insights they have brought to policy makers, enabling them to take action. In the case of my own country, I would be remiss not to highlight the efforts of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Altogether, the U.S. contribution to scientific monitoring, modeling and analysis activities since 1980 – excluding the significant additional investments in satellite hardware – exceeds $200 million. . . .

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

The NASA Inspector General has released a report titled NASA’s Most Serious Management and Performance Challenges. The challenges outlined include:

• Transitioning from the Space Shuttle to the Next Generation of Space Vehicles. Effectively planning, implementing, and monitoring transition activities while maintaining the capabilities required to fly the Space Shuttle safely and effectively.

• Managing Risk to People, Equipment, and Mission. Ensuring that effective risk management, safety, and mission assurance controls are in place to provide robust and reliable operations in the context of very challenging mission schedules and budget constraints.

• Financial Management. Ensuring that the Agency implements the appropriate processes, controls, and resources to improve NASA’s ability to efficiently provide reliable information to management; address continuing problems, such as NASA’s internal control over property, plant, and equipment (PP&E); and comply with the Chief Financial Officers Act and other Federal requirements.

• Acquisition and Contracting Processes. Ensuring that adequate requirements and cost estimates are developed, program costs are adequately managed, and the most advantageous acquisition and procurement strategies and safeguards are in place to promote competition and ensure programs and projects are within schedule and performance parameters.

•Information Technology (IT) Security. Continuing efforts to address management, operational, and technical weaknesses and to implement effective controls to protect the information and information systems vital to the Agency’s mission.