President Joe Biden exclaimed that science is back at the beginning of the year. Across the federal government, that phrase still rings true. Every agency uses science to address public health challenges, build new transportation infrastructure, inform policy decisions and tackle the climate crisis.
The Department of the Interior uses the best available science in order to do its job. Our top scientists are shining in one area. We serve up the observations from outer space to the public.
The USGS took over operations of Landsat 9 from NASA last year. Satellites help to monitor Earth's land, water and other natural resources. High-resolution satellite imagery supports climate resilience. In July, we celebrated 50 years of the NASA and US Geological Survey Landsat partnership that has helped us understand our planet and the changes that are occurring on it. Through the launch of successive Landsat satellites, the partnership has propelled research and observation forward over the years.
I'm from people who were among the first Earth watchers, biologists and agriculturalists. Indigenous peoples have been studying the cycles of the seasons and the flow of the waters for generations. They mapped the stars and watched the moon to know when to harvest and when to plant.
Our history as a nation is an extension of the Landsat program. Climate change's effects on the U.S. are obvious, according to the satellites.
I attended and witnessed the launch of Landsat 9 last year. It was simply incredible. I went to the mission control center and met a young scientist from the tribe. She works to help her community manage water resources in the face of a changing climate by using Landsat imagery to see her home from more than one thousand miles away. This is how science works.
All around the globe, researchers, analysts and experts use Landsat and other imagery to interpret what is happening on the Earth and compare it to the 50 years of data that the Landsat program has collected.
The forecast is not good.
The changes to our water resources are shown in the images. Most people are aware of this reality. I meet with communities that feel the changes.
With water allocations at historic lows across the nation, there is an urgent need to develop long-term plans to facilitate the use of water. Sea level rise is submerging coastal communities. Home and businesses are threatened by wildfire seasons.
We can use science to plan for our future. The stunning Landsat images of our planet can help us better support environmentalsustainability, climate change resilience and economic growth, all while expanding an unparalleled record of Earth's changing landscapes
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Our efforts to manage our resources are aided by the science-based program and others like it. The Biden- Harris administration is committed to lead with science. The president's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act will help us develop long-term sustainable measures to respond to climate change, including building more resilient communities.
We will be working with NASA on Landsat Next. For the next 50 years and beyond, its improved observation capabilities will power better science and decision-making to ensure communities are ready to adapt to our changing climate and restore balance to nature. Our path to a brighter future is being helped by science.
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