FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks at the High-level Meeting: Equal Access, Inclusive Development
Remarks
Judith E. Heumann
Special Advisor for International Disability Rights
As Prepared for Delivery During APEC Leaders' Week
Beijing, China
November 10, 2014
Thank you, and I would like to thank in particular the Chinese Disabled Persons’ Federation for hosting today’s event. It is a great honor to be with you today, at what I hope will be the start of a robust, substantive, and on-going dialogue on promoting truly equal access and inclusive development for persons with disabilities throughout APEC member economies. Achieving progress will require sustained engagement, and I would also like to congratulate China for its leadership in developing a Group of Friends to continue this important conversation in the months and years ahead.
I’d like to focus my remarks this morning on securing equal opportunities in education and employment for persons with disabilities. There is no denying that for our economies to achieve their full potential, we must draw upon the contributions of all our peoples, and this must include the fifteen or more percent of our populations that live with various forms of disabilities.
But before contemplating the path ahead, I want to take a moment to reflect upon the road the United States has traveled these last few decades. As a child, I, like more than 1 million other American children with disabilities, did not have the benefit of attending inclusive schools. Although access to quality education is critical to an individual’s future employment prospects, we were not allowed to attend school. I was nine years old before I went to school and even then I was placed in classes only for disabled children. Although I later attended university and earned my Bachelor’s degree, levels of inaccessibility prevalent at that time are no longer permitted in our universities. It was clear at that time in the 1950s that employment was not something our government anticipated we would have. When I applied for my first job as a teacher, I was initially denied my certification simply because I could not walk. I went to court and sued the Board of Education to obtain my certificate to teach, and finally did get a job teaching elementary school children.
Today, I am proud to say that such blatant forms of discrimination are no longer legal in the United States. With strong federal legislation and effective enforcement by the federal and state government agencies, a knowledgeable and active disability rights community playing a key role, and more than four decades of experience, Americans with all kinds of disabilities are attending educational institutions, including universities, and getting jobs in the public and private sector to a degree unprecedented in our history. However, that does not mean our work is done. Far from it. We now collect data on the unemployment rate of disabled people and know that the rate of unemployment for disabled people is higher than that of non-disabled people. We still have a long way to go to ensure that all persons with disabilities can enjoy meaningful careers, economic self-sufficiency for ourselves and our families, and the sense of purpose and self-worth that can come from work freely chosen, undertaken in workplaces that are respectful and support us in maximizing our contributions.
As recently noted by President Obama in his proclamation for our National Disability Employment Awareness Month, “When employees with disabilities are passed over in the workplace or denied fair accommodations, it limits their potential and threatens our democracy; when disproportionate numbers of Americans with disabilities remain unemployed, more work must be done to achieve the spirit of what is one of the most comprehensive civil rights bills in the history of our country;” the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
This work begins with strong leadership by government, private sector, and civil society. The U.S. federal government has sought to be a leader in the employment arena by increasing the number of persons with disabilities within its own ranks. In 2010, President Obama issued Executive Order 13548, which calls upon federal government departments and agencies to improve recruitment, hiring, retention, and advancement of persons with disabilities. Government agencies developed plans and published statistics on progress toward achieving the goals of the Executive Order. In 2012, total permanent employment in the federal government for persons with disabilities had increased to 11.89%, with more people with disabilities in federal service both in real terms and by percentage than at any time in the past 32 years.
The key U.S. enforcement of disability rights protections in the workplace is carried out by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Labor. Together, these three agencies enforce federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against qualified job applicants or employees because of those individuals’ disabilities, history of disability, appearance of disability, or association with someone with a disability. The law requires an employer to provide reasonable accommodation to an employee or job applicant with a disability, unless doing so would cause undue hardship for the employer. Reasonable accommodation means a modification to the work environment so a disabled person can perform his or her job. For example, provision of a sign language interpreter for someone who is deaf, an accessible bathroom for a wheelchair user, or screen reading software for someone who is blind. Our laws also prohibit employers from creating a hostile work environment for workers with disabilities and from retaliating against individuals who assert their legal rights.
In all of these areas, non-governmental disabled people’s organizations have been ever present in holding government accountable and pushing it to do better. The private business sector has also taken up the challenge of increasing employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. For example, the U.S. Business Leadership Network is a national disability organization that has over 60 affiliates across North America, representing over 5,000 employers. Such private sector initiatives help create workplaces, marketplaces, and supply chains where persons with disabilities are included and respected for their talents, abilities, and contributions.
I look forward to exploring how we can work together as APEC economies to improve development outcomes for persons with disabilities, including through enhanced legislative, enforcement, and programmatic initiatives to support equal access to education and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. We have much to learn from each other, and everything to gain in building more inclusive societies, with workforces that benefit from the unique contributions of persons with disabilities.
Thursday, November 13, 2014
FTC APPROVES 2 FINAL ORDERS IN CASE INVOLVING CAFFEINE-INFUSED SHAPEWEAR UNDERGARMENTS
FROM: U.S. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
FTC Approves Final Orders Banning Two Companies From Making Unsubstantiated Slimming Claims for Shapewear Undergarments
Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved two final orders settling charges that two companies, Norm Thompson Outfitters. Inc., and Wacoal America, Inc., misled consumers regarding the ability of their caffeine-infused shapewear undergarments to reshape the wearer’s body and reduce cellulite.
According to the FTC’s complaints, announced in September, the two companies’ marketing claims for their caffeine-infused products were false and not substantiated by scientific evidence.
In settling the charges, the companies are banned from claiming that any garment that contains any drug or cosmetic causes substantial weight or fat loss or a substantial reduction in body size. The companies also are prohibited from making claims that any drug or cosmetic reduces or eliminates cellulite or reduces body fat, unless they are not misleading and can be substantiated by competent and reliable scientific evidence.
The final orders also require the companies to pay $230,000 and $1.3 million, respectively, that the FTC can use to provide refunds to consumers.
The Commission vote approving each final consent order was 5-0.
FTC Approves Final Orders Banning Two Companies From Making Unsubstantiated Slimming Claims for Shapewear Undergarments
Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved two final orders settling charges that two companies, Norm Thompson Outfitters. Inc., and Wacoal America, Inc., misled consumers regarding the ability of their caffeine-infused shapewear undergarments to reshape the wearer’s body and reduce cellulite.
According to the FTC’s complaints, announced in September, the two companies’ marketing claims for their caffeine-infused products were false and not substantiated by scientific evidence.
In settling the charges, the companies are banned from claiming that any garment that contains any drug or cosmetic causes substantial weight or fat loss or a substantial reduction in body size. The companies also are prohibited from making claims that any drug or cosmetic reduces or eliminates cellulite or reduces body fat, unless they are not misleading and can be substantiated by competent and reliable scientific evidence.
The final orders also require the companies to pay $230,000 and $1.3 million, respectively, that the FTC can use to provide refunds to consumers.
The Commission vote approving each final consent order was 5-0.
WHITE HOUSE FACT SHEET: JOB GROWTH THROUGH U.S./CHINA VISA VALIDITY
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
November 10, 2014
FACT SHEET: Supporting American Job Growth And Strengthening Ties By Extending U.S./China Visa Validity for Tourists, Business Travelers, and Students
Today, President Obama announced that the United States and the People’s Republic of China are concluding a reciprocal visa validity arrangement during his visit that will strengthen our ever-broadening economic and people-to-people ties. Both countries have agreed to increase the validity of short-term tourist and business visas issued to each other’s citizens from one to ten years – the longest validity possible under U.S. law – and increase the validity of student and exchange visas from one to five years. The United States will begin issuing visas in accordance with the new reciprocal agreement on November 12, 2014.
This arrangement will improve trade, investment, and business ties by facilitating travel and offering easier access to both economies. Extended validity visas for students and exchange visitors will boost the bonds between our two peoples and facilitate travel for outstanding students from around the world who attend U.S. institutions of higher education. As a result of this arrangement, the United States hopes to welcome a growing share of eligible Chinese travelers, inject billions in the U.S. economy and create enough demand to support hundreds of thousands of additional U.S. jobs. Travelers will continue to be subject to all the same legal and security reviews that currently apply to visa applicants.
Welcoming a Growing Share of Chinese Travelers.
China is the fastest-growing outbound tourism market in the world, and in 2013, 1.8 million Chinese travelers visited the United States, contributing $21.1 billion to the U.S. economy and supporting more than 109,000 American jobs.
Chinese travelers consistently rank the United States as their most-desired travel destination, yet less than 2 percent of total Chinese travelers come to the United States.
Chinese travelers cite ease of visa policies as the second most important factor in deciding where to travel, behind only cost.
A competitive visa policy will help us meet projections that suggest as many as 7.3 million Chinese travelers will come to the United States by 2021, contributing nearly $85 billion a year to the economy and supporting up to 440,000 U.S. jobs.
Strengthening Bonds Between Chinese and American Students.
28 percent of all foreign students and exchange visitors in the United States originate from China.
Chinese students in the United States spent $8 billion in 2013, an increase of nearly 24 percent over the previous year.
Today’s arrangement will allow American and Chinese students to more easily travel back and forth, making foreign study a more attractive option, increasing opportunities for people-to-people ties, and boosting mutual understanding.
Extending Visa Validity to Increase the Number of Chinese Travelers Coming to the United States and Support American Jobs
Today, the President is taking action to welcome more Chinese visitors to the United States, in order to support America’s most important and largest services export – tourism. Chinese travelers persistently rank the United States as their top desired travel destination, but only slightly more than 1.8 percent of total outbound travelers go to the United States. Chinese travelers cite ease of visa policies as the second most important factor in deciding where to travel, behind only cost. A competitive visa policy is needed to secure our place as the chosen destination for millions of Chinese travelers.
Travel and tourism is a major driver of the U.S. economy and we have made significant progress in improving our visa processing. In 2013, nearly 70 million international travelers visited the United States, experiencing all that America has to offer from our cities to our many national parks. Those visits support nearly 1.1 million American jobs – including thousands at local and small businesses. Growth in international visitors has created roughly 260,000 American jobs over the past five years alone. The Administration has taken steps to support this impressive growth, including improving visa processing waiting periods in important markets like China where they have dropped from as high as several months to less than five days on average. In total, the State Department issued 9.2 million visas worldwide in 2013, up 42 percent since 2010.
Global growth of outbound travel from China represents an unprecedented opportunity to foster job creation across the country. China is the fastest growing outbound tourism market in the world, and Chinese visitors have accounted for 20 percent of the growth in overseas travel to the United States since 2008. In 2013, 1.8 million Chinese travelers visited the United States, contributing $21.1 billion to the U.S. economy and supporting more than 109,000 U.S. jobs. As incomes in China continue to rise, the number of Chinese citizens able to afford international travel and tourism is projected to more than double over the next few years, reaching the hundreds of millions. Close to 7.3 million Chinese are projected to travel to the United States by 2021, contributing nearly $85 billion a year to the economy and supporting 440,000 jobs. But if our visa policy were allowed to fall behind other countries, we might miss out on much of this additional economic activity.
The United States must continue to maintain a competitive advantage in the global business arena. Extending visa validity will bring the United States into line or surpass other destinations that have already eased visa restrictions for Chinese travelers such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan. The European Commission, France, Germany, and Italy are also taking steps to extend visa validity to Chinese travelers. Today’s announcement will allow more Chinese to make the United States their destination of choice.
Increasing business travel will support the President’s goal of increasing exports. Increasing visa validity for U.S. citizens traveling to China makes it easier to respond to market and commercial opportunities in China, helping to boost U.S. exports, foster increased trade ties, and improve commercial linkages between U.S. and Chinese firms. In the near term, extending visa validity for Chinese business travelers will also help meet the President’s SelectUSA goal of boosting inward investment into the United States as the U.S. travel and tourism industry commits to making upfront investments in new hotels and other infrastructure in anticipation of a rise in Chinese inbound travel.
Strengthening Tourism and Education Opportunities by Enhancing Student Visas
Chinese student and exchange visitors represent 30 percent of all such visas issued worldwide, with Chinese nationals comprising the largest group of foreign students in the United States. Students, exchange visitors, and their dependents may now receive multiple-entry visas valid for up to five years, depending on their program. This will allow American and Chinese students to more easily travel back and forth, making foreign study a more attractive option, increasing opportunities for people-to-people ties, and boosting mutual understanding.
November 10, 2014
FACT SHEET: Supporting American Job Growth And Strengthening Ties By Extending U.S./China Visa Validity for Tourists, Business Travelers, and Students
Today, President Obama announced that the United States and the People’s Republic of China are concluding a reciprocal visa validity arrangement during his visit that will strengthen our ever-broadening economic and people-to-people ties. Both countries have agreed to increase the validity of short-term tourist and business visas issued to each other’s citizens from one to ten years – the longest validity possible under U.S. law – and increase the validity of student and exchange visas from one to five years. The United States will begin issuing visas in accordance with the new reciprocal agreement on November 12, 2014.
This arrangement will improve trade, investment, and business ties by facilitating travel and offering easier access to both economies. Extended validity visas for students and exchange visitors will boost the bonds between our two peoples and facilitate travel for outstanding students from around the world who attend U.S. institutions of higher education. As a result of this arrangement, the United States hopes to welcome a growing share of eligible Chinese travelers, inject billions in the U.S. economy and create enough demand to support hundreds of thousands of additional U.S. jobs. Travelers will continue to be subject to all the same legal and security reviews that currently apply to visa applicants.
Welcoming a Growing Share of Chinese Travelers.
China is the fastest-growing outbound tourism market in the world, and in 2013, 1.8 million Chinese travelers visited the United States, contributing $21.1 billion to the U.S. economy and supporting more than 109,000 American jobs.
Chinese travelers consistently rank the United States as their most-desired travel destination, yet less than 2 percent of total Chinese travelers come to the United States.
Chinese travelers cite ease of visa policies as the second most important factor in deciding where to travel, behind only cost.
A competitive visa policy will help us meet projections that suggest as many as 7.3 million Chinese travelers will come to the United States by 2021, contributing nearly $85 billion a year to the economy and supporting up to 440,000 U.S. jobs.
Strengthening Bonds Between Chinese and American Students.
28 percent of all foreign students and exchange visitors in the United States originate from China.
Chinese students in the United States spent $8 billion in 2013, an increase of nearly 24 percent over the previous year.
Today’s arrangement will allow American and Chinese students to more easily travel back and forth, making foreign study a more attractive option, increasing opportunities for people-to-people ties, and boosting mutual understanding.
Extending Visa Validity to Increase the Number of Chinese Travelers Coming to the United States and Support American Jobs
Today, the President is taking action to welcome more Chinese visitors to the United States, in order to support America’s most important and largest services export – tourism. Chinese travelers persistently rank the United States as their top desired travel destination, but only slightly more than 1.8 percent of total outbound travelers go to the United States. Chinese travelers cite ease of visa policies as the second most important factor in deciding where to travel, behind only cost. A competitive visa policy is needed to secure our place as the chosen destination for millions of Chinese travelers.
Travel and tourism is a major driver of the U.S. economy and we have made significant progress in improving our visa processing. In 2013, nearly 70 million international travelers visited the United States, experiencing all that America has to offer from our cities to our many national parks. Those visits support nearly 1.1 million American jobs – including thousands at local and small businesses. Growth in international visitors has created roughly 260,000 American jobs over the past five years alone. The Administration has taken steps to support this impressive growth, including improving visa processing waiting periods in important markets like China where they have dropped from as high as several months to less than five days on average. In total, the State Department issued 9.2 million visas worldwide in 2013, up 42 percent since 2010.
Global growth of outbound travel from China represents an unprecedented opportunity to foster job creation across the country. China is the fastest growing outbound tourism market in the world, and Chinese visitors have accounted for 20 percent of the growth in overseas travel to the United States since 2008. In 2013, 1.8 million Chinese travelers visited the United States, contributing $21.1 billion to the U.S. economy and supporting more than 109,000 U.S. jobs. As incomes in China continue to rise, the number of Chinese citizens able to afford international travel and tourism is projected to more than double over the next few years, reaching the hundreds of millions. Close to 7.3 million Chinese are projected to travel to the United States by 2021, contributing nearly $85 billion a year to the economy and supporting 440,000 jobs. But if our visa policy were allowed to fall behind other countries, we might miss out on much of this additional economic activity.
The United States must continue to maintain a competitive advantage in the global business arena. Extending visa validity will bring the United States into line or surpass other destinations that have already eased visa restrictions for Chinese travelers such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan. The European Commission, France, Germany, and Italy are also taking steps to extend visa validity to Chinese travelers. Today’s announcement will allow more Chinese to make the United States their destination of choice.
Increasing business travel will support the President’s goal of increasing exports. Increasing visa validity for U.S. citizens traveling to China makes it easier to respond to market and commercial opportunities in China, helping to boost U.S. exports, foster increased trade ties, and improve commercial linkages between U.S. and Chinese firms. In the near term, extending visa validity for Chinese business travelers will also help meet the President’s SelectUSA goal of boosting inward investment into the United States as the U.S. travel and tourism industry commits to making upfront investments in new hotels and other infrastructure in anticipation of a rise in Chinese inbound travel.
Strengthening Tourism and Education Opportunities by Enhancing Student Visas
Chinese student and exchange visitors represent 30 percent of all such visas issued worldwide, with Chinese nationals comprising the largest group of foreign students in the United States. Students, exchange visitors, and their dependents may now receive multiple-entry visas valid for up to five years, depending on their program. This will allow American and Chinese students to more easily travel back and forth, making foreign study a more attractive option, increasing opportunities for people-to-people ties, and boosting mutual understanding.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S TOAST REMARKS IN LUNCHEON WITH CHINESE PRESIDENT XI
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
November 12, 2014
Toast Remarks by President Obama in Luncheon with President Xi of China
Great Hall of the People
Beijing, China
PRESIDENT OBAMA: President Xi, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen -- thank you for your extraordinary hospitality and the honor of this state visit, which is a reflection of the deep ties between our countries and our peoples.
I’m told that one of your great Chinese authors once wrote, “Originally there was no path, but after many people travel a certain way, a path is forged.”
Thirty-five years ago, our two nations established diplomatic relations. Since then, many people -- Chinese and Americans -- have travelled between us. Business people, tourists, students and teachers, scientists and researchers. And as a result, a new path has been forged.
Among those who traveled that path was President Xi, who on an exchange program as a younger man visited our state of Iowa and stayed with a local family. Mr. President, as a result of the ties you forged then, families in Iowa still welcome young men and women from China into their homes and communities.
That path has also been traveled by my wife Michelle and our two daughters, who visited China earlier this year. As I was on my visit five years ago, they were deeply moved by the history and majesty of this nation and its people. And Michelle even tried her hand at tai chi.
Now, this path is being walked in new ways. We recently witnessed an inspiring sight -- a Chinese plane landing in Liberia with supplies to fight Ebola, and it was unloaded by Chinese and Americans and Liberians, working together, shoulder to shoulder. And today we showed that we can bring that same spirit to bear as leaders in the fight against climate change.
In closing, I’d like to recall a Chinese saying that reflects this spirit of possibility -- nothing is too difficult, as long as people have resolve. And so I propose a toast -- to our people and the resolve we share, I wish the best of health to President Xi, his family, and the people of China, may we continue to walk the path of friendship and cooperation for the benefit of ourselves and for the world. Ganbei.
(A toast is given.)
November 12, 2014
Toast Remarks by President Obama in Luncheon with President Xi of China
Great Hall of the People
Beijing, China
PRESIDENT OBAMA: President Xi, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen -- thank you for your extraordinary hospitality and the honor of this state visit, which is a reflection of the deep ties between our countries and our peoples.
I’m told that one of your great Chinese authors once wrote, “Originally there was no path, but after many people travel a certain way, a path is forged.”
Thirty-five years ago, our two nations established diplomatic relations. Since then, many people -- Chinese and Americans -- have travelled between us. Business people, tourists, students and teachers, scientists and researchers. And as a result, a new path has been forged.
Among those who traveled that path was President Xi, who on an exchange program as a younger man visited our state of Iowa and stayed with a local family. Mr. President, as a result of the ties you forged then, families in Iowa still welcome young men and women from China into their homes and communities.
That path has also been traveled by my wife Michelle and our two daughters, who visited China earlier this year. As I was on my visit five years ago, they were deeply moved by the history and majesty of this nation and its people. And Michelle even tried her hand at tai chi.
Now, this path is being walked in new ways. We recently witnessed an inspiring sight -- a Chinese plane landing in Liberia with supplies to fight Ebola, and it was unloaded by Chinese and Americans and Liberians, working together, shoulder to shoulder. And today we showed that we can bring that same spirit to bear as leaders in the fight against climate change.
In closing, I’d like to recall a Chinese saying that reflects this spirit of possibility -- nothing is too difficult, as long as people have resolve. And so I propose a toast -- to our people and the resolve we share, I wish the best of health to President Xi, his family, and the people of China, may we continue to walk the path of friendship and cooperation for the benefit of ourselves and for the world. Ganbei.
(A toast is given.)
LETTER TO CONGRESS REGARDING CONTINUATION OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO IRAN
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
November 12, 2014
Letter - Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran
TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:
Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to Iran that was declared in Executive Order 12170 of November 14, 1979, is to continue in effect beyond November 14, 2014.
Because our relations with Iran have not yet returned to normal, and the process of implementing the agreements with Iran, dated January 19, 1981, is still under way, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 12170 with respect to Iran.
BARACK OBAMA
November 12, 2014
Letter - Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran
TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:
Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to Iran that was declared in Executive Order 12170 of November 14, 1979, is to continue in effect beyond November 14, 2014.
Because our relations with Iran have not yet returned to normal, and the process of implementing the agreements with Iran, dated January 19, 1981, is still under way, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 12170 with respect to Iran.
BARACK OBAMA
U.S. DOD PHOTOS: LIVE-FIRE NIGHT EXERCISE
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
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| Soldiers coordinate their attack during a live-fire exercise on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Nov. 4, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Justin Connaher. |
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| An Army sniper, left, and his spotter acquire targets during a live-fire exercise on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Nov. 4, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Justin Connaher. |
SECRETARY HAGEL REFLECTS ON VIETNAM WAR DURING VETERANS DAY SPEECH
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Hagel Says Vietnam Wall Teaches Sacrifice, Need for Questioning Policies
By Jim Garamone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, Nov. 11, 2014 – The Vietnam War Memorial teaches Americans to honor those who sacrificed, but also to be honest and to question the policies that send Americans to war, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said today.
Hagel served as an Army sergeant in the 9th Infantry Division during the war and spoke at the Wall today about the meaning of the memorial.
The secretary spoke about his first Veterans Day as a veteran in Omaha, Nebraska. “I’ve always remembered that Veterans Day in 1969, because it reminded me of the one constant throughout the Vietnam War – the uncommon valor of common Americans from every corner of our country,” he said. “They were the quiet heroes of our time. Some of these veterans are here today, and the names of many more are memorialized on the Wall behind us.”
The Wall lists the names of the more than 58,000 Americans killed during the war. Those looking at the names also see the reflections of themselves.
“As it records the names of the past, and reflects our hopes for the future, it also offers a reminder – a message that carries across generations: The Wall reminds us to honor those who defend our country – from making sure they’re treated with the dignity, respect, and appreciation they deserve, to caring for those who return home with visible – and invisible – wounds of war,” Hagel said.
No matter when, where or what war, the United States has “a sacred responsibility” to care for and honor those who sacrificed, the secretary said.
The Wall also reminds Americans to be honest. “There is nothing to be gained by glossing over the darker portions of a war that bitterly divided America,” Hagel said. “We must openly acknowledge past mistakes, and learn from them, because that is how we avoid repeating them.”
The Wall reminds Americans to not take security for granted, and that “we must always question our policies that send our citizens to war, because our nation’s policies must always be worthy of the sacrifices we ask of the men and women who defend our country,” he said.
As secretary, Hagel has a private lunch each month with junior enlisted personnel. “What they tell me – and what every American should know – is that today’s service members don’t want to be glorified or given special treatment,” he said. “The entire 9/11 generation volunteered to serve at a time of war, and they have a strong desire to continue making a difference in the world.”
These men and women want to continue to serve even after leaving the military, he said. “They don’t need a hand-out or a hand-up – they just want the opportunity to continue proving themselves,” Hagel said. “It falls on us to make sure they get that opportunity – the opportunity that too many veterans were denied in the past.”
Hagel called on all Americans to honor veterans by “creating new opportunities for them to contribute after their service in uniform, so they can continue to help make a better world. America is forever grateful for their service to our country.”
Hagel Says Vietnam Wall Teaches Sacrifice, Need for Questioning Policies
By Jim Garamone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, Nov. 11, 2014 – The Vietnam War Memorial teaches Americans to honor those who sacrificed, but also to be honest and to question the policies that send Americans to war, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said today.
Hagel served as an Army sergeant in the 9th Infantry Division during the war and spoke at the Wall today about the meaning of the memorial.
The secretary spoke about his first Veterans Day as a veteran in Omaha, Nebraska. “I’ve always remembered that Veterans Day in 1969, because it reminded me of the one constant throughout the Vietnam War – the uncommon valor of common Americans from every corner of our country,” he said. “They were the quiet heroes of our time. Some of these veterans are here today, and the names of many more are memorialized on the Wall behind us.”
The Wall lists the names of the more than 58,000 Americans killed during the war. Those looking at the names also see the reflections of themselves.
“As it records the names of the past, and reflects our hopes for the future, it also offers a reminder – a message that carries across generations: The Wall reminds us to honor those who defend our country – from making sure they’re treated with the dignity, respect, and appreciation they deserve, to caring for those who return home with visible – and invisible – wounds of war,” Hagel said.
No matter when, where or what war, the United States has “a sacred responsibility” to care for and honor those who sacrificed, the secretary said.
The Wall also reminds Americans to be honest. “There is nothing to be gained by glossing over the darker portions of a war that bitterly divided America,” Hagel said. “We must openly acknowledge past mistakes, and learn from them, because that is how we avoid repeating them.”
The Wall reminds Americans to not take security for granted, and that “we must always question our policies that send our citizens to war, because our nation’s policies must always be worthy of the sacrifices we ask of the men and women who defend our country,” he said.
As secretary, Hagel has a private lunch each month with junior enlisted personnel. “What they tell me – and what every American should know – is that today’s service members don’t want to be glorified or given special treatment,” he said. “The entire 9/11 generation volunteered to serve at a time of war, and they have a strong desire to continue making a difference in the world.”
These men and women want to continue to serve even after leaving the military, he said. “They don’t need a hand-out or a hand-up – they just want the opportunity to continue proving themselves,” Hagel said. “It falls on us to make sure they get that opportunity – the opportunity that too many veterans were denied in the past.”
Hagel called on all Americans to honor veterans by “creating new opportunities for them to contribute after their service in uniform, so they can continue to help make a better world. America is forever grateful for their service to our country.”
A.G. HOLDER'S STATEMENT ON PASSING OF JOHN DOAR
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Attorney General Holder Statement on the Passing of Civil Rights Leader John Doar
Attorney General Eric Holder released the following statement Tuesday on the passing of civil rights leader John Doar:
"John Doar was a giant in the history of the Civil Rights movement, a courageous advocate for those who suffered discrimination, and a true champion of justice and equality over the course of many decades devoted to improving the country he loved so dearly.
"From Selma, to Montgomery, to the campus of Ole Miss, he stood with pioneers, rode with Freedom Riders, and marched with those who called for nothing more – and nothing less – than the rights which were theirs under the Constitution. At a time when America's cities rioted – and Mississippi burned – he was never far from the front lines of this momentous struggle, leading efforts to overturn an unjust status quo and striving to achieve justice for civil rights workers who were senselessly murdered.
"Brave but unassuming, passionate but unbiased, he repeatedly risked his life to preserve the rule of law and stand up for that which was right. He was one of the greatest leaders the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division has ever known. And during a period of great national turmoil and transformative change, alongside countless other leaders and seemingly-ordinary citizens, he helped usher in a brighter dawn, and build a better future, for everyone in this country.
"I have always regarded John Doar as a personal hero and an embodiment of what it means to be a public servant. In so many ways, he defined what is best about the Department he served so faithfully during one of its golden eras – proving every day, by word and by deed, that the law can be a strong, deft instrument of lasting, positive change.
"I was deeply saddened to learn of John Doar's passing, and I join President Obama and others throughout the nation in extending my deep condolences to his family and friends. Although he will be sorely missed, we vow today that his vital work will go on – and his contributions, and shining example, will not merely endure; they will continue to push us forward."
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Attorney General Holder Statement on the Passing of Civil Rights Leader John Doar
Attorney General Eric Holder released the following statement Tuesday on the passing of civil rights leader John Doar:
"John Doar was a giant in the history of the Civil Rights movement, a courageous advocate for those who suffered discrimination, and a true champion of justice and equality over the course of many decades devoted to improving the country he loved so dearly.
"From Selma, to Montgomery, to the campus of Ole Miss, he stood with pioneers, rode with Freedom Riders, and marched with those who called for nothing more – and nothing less – than the rights which were theirs under the Constitution. At a time when America's cities rioted – and Mississippi burned – he was never far from the front lines of this momentous struggle, leading efforts to overturn an unjust status quo and striving to achieve justice for civil rights workers who were senselessly murdered.
"Brave but unassuming, passionate but unbiased, he repeatedly risked his life to preserve the rule of law and stand up for that which was right. He was one of the greatest leaders the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division has ever known. And during a period of great national turmoil and transformative change, alongside countless other leaders and seemingly-ordinary citizens, he helped usher in a brighter dawn, and build a better future, for everyone in this country.
"I have always regarded John Doar as a personal hero and an embodiment of what it means to be a public servant. In so many ways, he defined what is best about the Department he served so faithfully during one of its golden eras – proving every day, by word and by deed, that the law can be a strong, deft instrument of lasting, positive change.
"I was deeply saddened to learn of John Doar's passing, and I join President Obama and others throughout the nation in extending my deep condolences to his family and friends. Although he will be sorely missed, we vow today that his vital work will go on – and his contributions, and shining example, will not merely endure; they will continue to push us forward."
EXPORT-IMPORT BANK SUPPORTS VET-OWNED BUSINESSES
FROM: U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
Ex-Im Bank Supports Veteran-Owned Businesses as they Export Products Abroad and Support Jobs at Home
Washington, D.C. – As Veterans Day approaches, the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. remains proud to support veterans across all of the branches who continue to serve the nation by exporting quality, made-in-America goods and services abroad, while creating more jobs in local communities across the country.
“Veterans Day—as well as the Marines’ birthday on November 10th—affords us a wonderful opportunity to thank our veterans for their service, and to reaffirm our support for veteran-owned businesses as they seek out opportunities in the global marketplace,” said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg. “Those who bravely served our country, and returned home to start and run businesses, deserve to have reliable support standing behind them as they sell quality products and promote American economic leadership overseas—and Ex-Im Bank is proud to be a part of that support for countless veteran-owned businesses.”
The following veteran-owned small business success stories underscore the commitment the Bank has made to ensuring that those who sacrificed for this country are supported in turn. Ex-Im equips these businesses with the financing support needed to grow, win sales in global markets, and create good-paying American jobs.
Jeco Plastic Products, headquartered in Plainfield, Ind., sells custom high-tolerance pallets to customers abroad.
Jeco opened for business in 1973, but it did not start exporting until joining forces with Ex-Im Bank in 1999. Since then, Jeco has shipped products to Germany, Austria, Japan, Mexico, and Canada, among others. The export growth, in turn, has led to the creation of 23 jobs and could very well lead to the creation of 27 more over the next two years. Approximately 65 percent of company sales are export related.
“Jeco has grown 300 percent since we started using Ex-Im Bank so we could offer open account terms to overseas customers,” said Craig Carson, owner and CEO of Jeco. “We anticipate an additional 300 percent growth from our existing base if we continue to have Ex-Im Bank support. We have routinely displaced low-cost alternatives from competitors in China on the basis of technology and kept the production base in the U.S. We could not have done this without Ex-Im Bank, and probably would not have survived the downturn in 2008 and 2009.”
Carson graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1968 and commanded an airborne infantry company in Vietnam.
Energy International Corporation (EIC), based in Canton, Mich., exports a variety of products that includes HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) electromechanical components, cooling towers, fire and smoke curtains, fire dampers, and industrial plumbing.
The company was founded in 1979 by Dr. Nassib Fawaz, a U.S. Army veteran, to meet a need for HVAC and electromechanical components for construction projects in the Middle East. Today the company employs 170 people, 18 of whom work in the company’s Canton office.
Since it started using Ex-Im Bank products in 1985, EIC has transacted more than $100 million in business over the years. Total revenue in 2013 amounted to nearly $15.7 million, and exports accounted for all of it.
“Plain and simple, without Ex-Im Bank we would not have been able to finance our export receivables,” said Fawaz. “Our sales have expanded by more than 100 percent since receiving Ex-Im Bank support.”
Surface Armor, a small business based in Rockwall, Texas, exports temporary surface protection films and tapes.
Founded in 2005 by a service disabled veteran who had served for seven years in the U.S. Air Force, the company now employs eight people. Since taking advantage of Ex-Im Bank financing in 2014, the company, which previously exported to Brazil, Peru, Mexico, and Europe, has expanded its export reach to China. Due to Ex-Im Bank’s support, annual sales have grown by more than $100,000.
“Without credit insurance coverage from Ex-Im Bank, we would not have been able to provide credit terms to customers in China and would not gotten that business,” said Rick Pietrykowski, owner of Surface Armor. “Previously we could not offer foreign buyers favorable credit terms.”
Ex-Im Bank Supports Veteran-Owned Businesses as they Export Products Abroad and Support Jobs at Home
Washington, D.C. – As Veterans Day approaches, the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. remains proud to support veterans across all of the branches who continue to serve the nation by exporting quality, made-in-America goods and services abroad, while creating more jobs in local communities across the country.
“Veterans Day—as well as the Marines’ birthday on November 10th—affords us a wonderful opportunity to thank our veterans for their service, and to reaffirm our support for veteran-owned businesses as they seek out opportunities in the global marketplace,” said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg. “Those who bravely served our country, and returned home to start and run businesses, deserve to have reliable support standing behind them as they sell quality products and promote American economic leadership overseas—and Ex-Im Bank is proud to be a part of that support for countless veteran-owned businesses.”
The following veteran-owned small business success stories underscore the commitment the Bank has made to ensuring that those who sacrificed for this country are supported in turn. Ex-Im equips these businesses with the financing support needed to grow, win sales in global markets, and create good-paying American jobs.
Jeco Plastic Products, headquartered in Plainfield, Ind., sells custom high-tolerance pallets to customers abroad.
Jeco opened for business in 1973, but it did not start exporting until joining forces with Ex-Im Bank in 1999. Since then, Jeco has shipped products to Germany, Austria, Japan, Mexico, and Canada, among others. The export growth, in turn, has led to the creation of 23 jobs and could very well lead to the creation of 27 more over the next two years. Approximately 65 percent of company sales are export related.
“Jeco has grown 300 percent since we started using Ex-Im Bank so we could offer open account terms to overseas customers,” said Craig Carson, owner and CEO of Jeco. “We anticipate an additional 300 percent growth from our existing base if we continue to have Ex-Im Bank support. We have routinely displaced low-cost alternatives from competitors in China on the basis of technology and kept the production base in the U.S. We could not have done this without Ex-Im Bank, and probably would not have survived the downturn in 2008 and 2009.”
Carson graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1968 and commanded an airborne infantry company in Vietnam.
Energy International Corporation (EIC), based in Canton, Mich., exports a variety of products that includes HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) electromechanical components, cooling towers, fire and smoke curtains, fire dampers, and industrial plumbing.
The company was founded in 1979 by Dr. Nassib Fawaz, a U.S. Army veteran, to meet a need for HVAC and electromechanical components for construction projects in the Middle East. Today the company employs 170 people, 18 of whom work in the company’s Canton office.
Since it started using Ex-Im Bank products in 1985, EIC has transacted more than $100 million in business over the years. Total revenue in 2013 amounted to nearly $15.7 million, and exports accounted for all of it.
“Plain and simple, without Ex-Im Bank we would not have been able to finance our export receivables,” said Fawaz. “Our sales have expanded by more than 100 percent since receiving Ex-Im Bank support.”
Surface Armor, a small business based in Rockwall, Texas, exports temporary surface protection films and tapes.
Founded in 2005 by a service disabled veteran who had served for seven years in the U.S. Air Force, the company now employs eight people. Since taking advantage of Ex-Im Bank financing in 2014, the company, which previously exported to Brazil, Peru, Mexico, and Europe, has expanded its export reach to China. Due to Ex-Im Bank’s support, annual sales have grown by more than $100,000.
“Without credit insurance coverage from Ex-Im Bank, we would not have been able to provide credit terms to customers in China and would not gotten that business,” said Rick Pietrykowski, owner of Surface Armor. “Previously we could not offer foreign buyers favorable credit terms.”
WHITE HOUSE FACT SHEET: U.S.-AUSTRALIA ALLIANCE
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE KOREA
November 10, 2014
FACT SHEET: The U.S.-Australia AllianceReinforcing our long history of close cooperation and partnership, President Obama and Prime Minister Abbott today reviewed a series of initiatives to expand and deepen collaboration between the United States and Australia.
Security and Defense Cooperation
The U.S.-Australia alliance is an anchor of peace and stability not only in the Asia-Pacific region but around the world. The United States and Australia will work together – bilaterally, in regional bodies, and through the UN – to advance peace and security from the coast of Somalia to Afghanistan and to confront international challenges, such as Syria; Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine; and North Korea.
In responding to the threat posed by ISIL and foreign terrorist fighters, the United States and Australia are working together with an international coalition to degrade and defeat ISIL by providing military support to Iraq, cutting off ISIL’s funding, countering its warped ideology, and stemming the flow of foreign terrorist fighters into its ranks. The United States and Australia are coordinating closely through the Global Counterterrorism Forum. Australia supported U.S.-drafted United Nations Security Council Resolution 2178, which condemns violent extremism and underscores the need to stem support for foreign terrorist fighters, and the two countries will work together toward its implementation. Additionally, together, we continue to provide critical humanitarian support to the victims of conflict in Syria and Iraq.
In Afghanistan, the United States and Australia have worked to together to enable the Afghan government to provide effective security across the country and develop the new Afghan security forces to ensure Afghanistan can never again become a safe haven for terrorists. The United States and Afghanistan will continue this close partnership, focused on the development and sustainment of Afghan security forces and institutions, after the combat mission ends in Afghanistan this year and the Resolute Support Mission begins.
The U.S.-Australian Force Posture Agreement, announced by the President and Prime Minister in June and signed in August, deepens our long-standing defense cooperation and the advancement of a peaceful, secure, and prosperous Asia-Pacific region. While implementing the force posture initiatives jointly announced in 2011, the United States and Australia continuously seek opportunities to strengthen our interoperability, coordination, and cooperation.
As Pacific nations, the United States and Australia share an abiding interest in peaceful resolution of disputes in the maritime domain; respect for international law and unimpeded lawful commerce; and preserving freedom of navigation and overflight. Both countries oppose the use of intimidation, coercion, or force to advance territorial or maritime claims in the East and South China Seas. In their June 2014 joint op-ed, the two leaders called on claimants to clarify and pursue claims in accordance with international law, including the Law of the Sea Convention, and expressed support for the rights of claimants to seek peaceful resolution of disputes through legal mechanisms, including arbitration, under the Convention. Both countries continue to call for ASEAN and China to reach early agreement on a meaningful Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.
The United States and Australia are responding to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa and supporting the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) to accelerate measureable progress toward a world safe and secure from infectious disease threats.
The United States congratulates Australia as it nears the end of its two years on the United Nations Security Council, during which time Australia has been a powerful and important voice on a range of issues relating to international peace and security, especially the ongoing conflict in Syria and the global threat posed by terrorism.
Cooperation for Economic Growth and Prosperity
The United States and Australia share a commitment to deepening further economic ties, including by concluding the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a high-standard, 21st century agreement that will promote economic growth and job creation in both countries and around the region. In January 2015, the Australia-U.S. Free Trade Agreement will celebrate ten years of facilitating trade and investment between our two countries, having nearly doubled our goods trade and increased our services trade by more than 122 percent.
The United States remains the largest foreign investor in Australia, accounting for over a quarter of its foreign investment. The United States and Australia also work closely in multilateral institutions such as APEC to promote sustainable growth and shared prosperity in the region.
A vital aspect of economic growth is promoting greater gender equality. The United States and Australia are working together to enhance women’s political and economic participation. As founding members of the Equal Futures Partnership, our two nations continue to collaborate to expand economic opportunities for women and increase women’s participation in leadership positions in politics, civic society, and economic life.
The United States and Australia recognize the threat of climate change, including in the Pacific, and the need to take bold steps to boost clean energy, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and help ensure a successful and ambitious global climate change agreement in Paris next year. The United States underscored the importance of submitting ambitious post-2020 climate commitments for the new agreement as soon as possible and preferably by the end of March 2015. Both countries are collaborating with Pacific Island countries to promote sustainable development practices.
The President congratulated Prime Minister Abbott on the preparations for the G20 Summit, and noted he looks forward to the important and vibrant discussions ahead.
Science, Technology, and Innovation
U.S.-Australia science, technology, and innovation cooperation will strengthen our work on cutting edge issues, ranging from neuroscience to clean energy to information technology. Under the auspices of the U.S.-Australia Science and Technology Agreement, our two countries collaborate on clean energy, marine, and health research.
Through the Ambassador of the United States’ Innovation Roundtables, the United States and Australia are creating an additional platform to leverage U.S.-Australia innovation partnerships and strengthen our interactions in innovative areas and promote a positive, future-oriented vision of our bilateral relationship.
The United States and Australia are two of the founding partners of the new $200 million Global Innovation Fund (GIF), which will invest in social innovations that aim to improve the lives of and opportunities for millions of people in the developing world.
People-to-People Ties
The U.S.-Australia Alliance is based on a long tradition of cooperation at all levels of government, business and civil society.
In partnership with the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney and the Perth USAsia Centre at the University of Western Australia, the United States established the “Alliance 21 Fellowship,” a three-year exchange of senior scholars and policy analysts that will further examine the shared interests and mutual benefits of the U.S.-Australia alliance through research and public engagement.
The United States and Australia form a partnership that is key to the future of both countries and peace and prosperity around the globe.
THE FUTURE OF HYDROPONICS
FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Soil-free farming prepares next generation for Green Energy future
In a cramped city, growing a garden is a luxury. For some Boston teens, two square feet of space is all they need to grow up to 40 plants--without any soil. Boston College, with funding from NSF, is teaching teens the power of hydroponics
When Boston College Professor Mike Barnett first got students involved in hydroponics, he couldn't get them to go home.
"We charged them with the task of building a hydroponic system to grow 50 plants that would fit in a closet, and they wouldn't leave the lab." Barnett said. "At that point, we knew we were on to something."
Hydroponics is the process of growing food with nutrient-rich water instead of soil and is the basis for a project that high school students have been working on at Boston College since 2012.
Boston College's Urban Hydrofarmers project is part of its College Bound program, which prepares high school students for college by teaching them valuable skills in business and science.
With funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and in partnership with the STEM Garden Institute, Boston College chose to pursue hydroponics with teenagers because it involves all the basic disciplines students learn in high school.
The goal of the project is to motivate students to pursue science in higher education, according to NSF Program Director David Campbell.
"It addresses the ultimate goals of NSF by engaging young people in science and preparing the next generation of the scientific workforce," Campbell said.
About 60 high school students come to learn at Boston College's greenhouse every year. The program targets teens with average grades, Barnett said, and many of the students come from immigrant families. Some of these students would not reach college without the aid and skills the program provides, according to Campbell.
Students are a part of the growing process from start to finish, from designing the hydroponic systems to selling the produce they grew.
The greenhouse is 1200 square feet of growing space, Barnett said and can produce about 1,000 plants every two weeks. The produce is then sold at a farmers market.
Students run a stand at local farmers markets almost every Saturday, and have to step up to answer questions from customers who are skeptical about hydroponics, Barnett said.
For Stonehill College student Lori Phillips, these questions were both her favorite and most challenging experiences while in the program.
"The very first time the Hydroponics team went to sell at a farmers market, it was a hot, slow day, and we couldn't get any one to stop and hear us out," Phillips said. "I swallowed my fear and spoke out to an older woman about College Bound and the Hydroponic team's goal."
When the woman she spoke to that first day asked for Barnett's contact information to tell him how impressed she was, Phillips became more confident in her public speaking and now enjoys speaking up.
Students not only gain experience in public speaking by running the stand, but also business planning, according to Barnett.
The program lets the students decide how to spend the money made from the farmers markets. They learn how to run a business, according to Barnett, because they come to understand that they have to save up and invest in materials.
This business savvy, coupled with science learning, gives students a foot in the door in the green energy industry, Barnett said.
The project teaches the students how both wind and solar power can create a reliable source of energy for the hydroponics systems. Green energy also opens up the possibility to expand the hydroponics outside the greenhouse, Barnett said. Students have started five hydroponics systems on campus and a few more in the city, all powered by solar panels.
By combining green energy and hydroponics, students are taking part in an emerging market for locally grown produce.
Green energy, such as wind and solar, can heat greenhouses during off-seasons, so produce can be grown anywhere year-round, according to Barnett.
Barnett cited the increasing number of farmers markets and the farm-to-table movement as evidence of hydroponics' bright future.
"Now you can grow the produce for the same price as it's being shipped from California, but the difference it is it ends up being healthier, tasting better and being more nutritious," Barnett said. "It's not been picked and shipped for 3,000 miles. It's local."
With hydroponics, the space constraint and soil contamination found in urban areas is no longer a deterrent for growing local. According to Barnett, a person can grow 40 plants within a space of two square feet.
The project has given some young people the idea of starting hydroponics businesses of their own to bring local produce to their neighborhoods, according to Barnett.
For Phillips, the project has inspired her to get other students involved in hydroponics and even start a major for it at her college.
"I think that we've got the kids right at the cusp of what could be a really nice place for them to be," Barnett said, "in terms of capitalizing on an emerging market."
-- Kierstyn Schneck
-- Maria C. Zacharias, (703) 292-8454 mzachari@nsf.gov
Investigators
George Barnett
Eric Strauss
Elizabeth Bagnani
Catherine Wong
David Blustein
Related Institutions/Organizations
Boston College
Soil-free farming prepares next generation for Green Energy future
In a cramped city, growing a garden is a luxury. For some Boston teens, two square feet of space is all they need to grow up to 40 plants--without any soil. Boston College, with funding from NSF, is teaching teens the power of hydroponics
When Boston College Professor Mike Barnett first got students involved in hydroponics, he couldn't get them to go home.
"We charged them with the task of building a hydroponic system to grow 50 plants that would fit in a closet, and they wouldn't leave the lab." Barnett said. "At that point, we knew we were on to something."
Hydroponics is the process of growing food with nutrient-rich water instead of soil and is the basis for a project that high school students have been working on at Boston College since 2012.
Boston College's Urban Hydrofarmers project is part of its College Bound program, which prepares high school students for college by teaching them valuable skills in business and science.
With funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and in partnership with the STEM Garden Institute, Boston College chose to pursue hydroponics with teenagers because it involves all the basic disciplines students learn in high school.
The goal of the project is to motivate students to pursue science in higher education, according to NSF Program Director David Campbell.
"It addresses the ultimate goals of NSF by engaging young people in science and preparing the next generation of the scientific workforce," Campbell said.
About 60 high school students come to learn at Boston College's greenhouse every year. The program targets teens with average grades, Barnett said, and many of the students come from immigrant families. Some of these students would not reach college without the aid and skills the program provides, according to Campbell.
Students are a part of the growing process from start to finish, from designing the hydroponic systems to selling the produce they grew.
The greenhouse is 1200 square feet of growing space, Barnett said and can produce about 1,000 plants every two weeks. The produce is then sold at a farmers market.
Students run a stand at local farmers markets almost every Saturday, and have to step up to answer questions from customers who are skeptical about hydroponics, Barnett said.
For Stonehill College student Lori Phillips, these questions were both her favorite and most challenging experiences while in the program.
"The very first time the Hydroponics team went to sell at a farmers market, it was a hot, slow day, and we couldn't get any one to stop and hear us out," Phillips said. "I swallowed my fear and spoke out to an older woman about College Bound and the Hydroponic team's goal."
When the woman she spoke to that first day asked for Barnett's contact information to tell him how impressed she was, Phillips became more confident in her public speaking and now enjoys speaking up.
Students not only gain experience in public speaking by running the stand, but also business planning, according to Barnett.
The program lets the students decide how to spend the money made from the farmers markets. They learn how to run a business, according to Barnett, because they come to understand that they have to save up and invest in materials.
This business savvy, coupled with science learning, gives students a foot in the door in the green energy industry, Barnett said.
The project teaches the students how both wind and solar power can create a reliable source of energy for the hydroponics systems. Green energy also opens up the possibility to expand the hydroponics outside the greenhouse, Barnett said. Students have started five hydroponics systems on campus and a few more in the city, all powered by solar panels.
By combining green energy and hydroponics, students are taking part in an emerging market for locally grown produce.
Green energy, such as wind and solar, can heat greenhouses during off-seasons, so produce can be grown anywhere year-round, according to Barnett.
Barnett cited the increasing number of farmers markets and the farm-to-table movement as evidence of hydroponics' bright future.
"Now you can grow the produce for the same price as it's being shipped from California, but the difference it is it ends up being healthier, tasting better and being more nutritious," Barnett said. "It's not been picked and shipped for 3,000 miles. It's local."
With hydroponics, the space constraint and soil contamination found in urban areas is no longer a deterrent for growing local. According to Barnett, a person can grow 40 plants within a space of two square feet.
The project has given some young people the idea of starting hydroponics businesses of their own to bring local produce to their neighborhoods, according to Barnett.
For Phillips, the project has inspired her to get other students involved in hydroponics and even start a major for it at her college.
"I think that we've got the kids right at the cusp of what could be a really nice place for them to be," Barnett said, "in terms of capitalizing on an emerging market."
-- Kierstyn Schneck
-- Maria C. Zacharias, (703) 292-8454 mzachari@nsf.gov
Investigators
George Barnett
Eric Strauss
Elizabeth Bagnani
Catherine Wong
David Blustein
Related Institutions/Organizations
Boston College
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
U.S. CONGRATULATES PEOPLE OF KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA ON THEIR INDEPENDENCE DAY
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Cambodia's Independence Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
November 11, 2014
On behalf of the United States, I would like to congratulate the people of the Kingdom of Cambodia on the 61st anniversary of your independence and send my best wishes for a joyous celebration.
I’ve visited Cambodia many times and always been impressed by its natural beauty and the hospitality of its people. The United States continues to support the Cambodian people through a variety of programs designed to strengthen the health, rights, and economic situation for all Cambodians.
We look forward to continuing the cooperative and dynamic relationship between Cambodia and United States. Again, to all Cambodians, I extend my congratulations.
Cambodia's Independence Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
November 11, 2014
On behalf of the United States, I would like to congratulate the people of the Kingdom of Cambodia on the 61st anniversary of your independence and send my best wishes for a joyous celebration.
I’ve visited Cambodia many times and always been impressed by its natural beauty and the hospitality of its people. The United States continues to support the Cambodian people through a variety of programs designed to strengthen the health, rights, and economic situation for all Cambodians.
We look forward to continuing the cooperative and dynamic relationship between Cambodia and United States. Again, to all Cambodians, I extend my congratulations.
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S STATEMENT ON NET NEUTRALITY
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
November 10, 2014
Statement by the President on Net Neutrality
An open Internet is essential to the American economy, and increasingly to our very way of life. By lowering the cost of launching a new idea, igniting new political movements, and bringing communities closer together, it has been one of the most significant democratizing influences the world has ever known.
“Net neutrality” has been built into the fabric of the Internet since its creation — but it is also a principle that we cannot take for granted. We cannot allow Internet service providers (ISPs) to restrict the best access or to pick winners and losers in the online marketplace for services and ideas. That is why today, I am asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to answer the call of almost 4 million public comments, and implement the strongest possible rules to protect net neutrality.
When I was a candidate for this office, I made clear my commitment to a free and open Internet, and my commitment remains as strong as ever. Four years ago, the FCC tried to implement rules that would protect net neutrality with little to no impact on the telecommunications companies that make important investments in our economy. After the rules were challenged, the court reviewing the rules agreed with the FCC that net neutrality was essential for preserving an environment that encourages new investment in the network, new online services and content, and everything else that makes up the Internet as we now know it. Unfortunately, the court ultimately struck down the rules — not because it disagreed with the need to protect net neutrality, but because it believed the FCC had taken the wrong legal approach.
The FCC is an independent agency, and ultimately this decision is theirs alone. I believe the FCC should create a new set of rules protecting net neutrality and ensuring that neither the cable company nor the phone company will be able to act as a gatekeeper, restricting what you can do or see online. The rules I am asking for are simple, common-sense steps that reflect the Internet you and I use every day, and that some ISPs already observe. These bright-line rules include:
No blocking. If a consumer requests access to a website or service, and the content is legal, your ISP should not be permitted to block it. That way, every player — not just those commercially affiliated with an ISP — gets a fair shot at your business.
No throttling. Nor should ISPs be able to intentionally slow down some content or speed up others — through a process often called “throttling” — based on the type of service or your ISP’s preferences.
Increased transparency. The connection between consumers and ISPs — the so-called “last mile” — is not the only place some sites might get special treatment. So, I am also asking the FCC to make full use of the transparency authorities the court recently upheld, and if necessary to apply net neutrality rules to points of interconnection between the ISP and the rest of the Internet.
No paid prioritization. Simply put: No service should be stuck in a “slow lane” because it does not pay a fee. That kind of gatekeeping would undermine the level playing field essential to the Internet’s growth. So, as I have before, I am asking for an explicit ban on paid prioritization and any other restriction that has a similar effect.
If carefully designed, these rules should not create any undue burden for ISPs, and can have clear, monitored exceptions for reasonable network management and for specialized services such as dedicated, mission-critical networks serving a hospital. But combined, these rules mean everything for preserving the Internet’s openness.
The rules also have to reflect the way people use the Internet today, which increasingly means on a mobile device. I believe the FCC should make these rules fully applicable to mobile broadband as well, while recognizing the special challenges that come with managing wireless networks.
To be current, these rules must also build on the lessons of the past. For almost a century, our law has recognized that companies who connect you to the world have special obligations not to exploit the monopoly they enjoy over access in and out of your home or business. That is why a phone call from a customer of one phone company can reliably reach a customer of a different one, and why you will not be penalized solely for calling someone who is using another provider. It is common sense that the same philosophy should guide any service that is based on the transmission of information — whether a phone call, or a packet of data.
So the time has come for the FCC to recognize that broadband service is of the same importance and must carry the same obligations as so many of the other vital services do. To do that, I believe the FCC should reclassify consumer broadband service under Title II of the Telecommunications Act — while at the same time forbearing from rate regulation and other provisions less relevant to broadband services. This is a basic acknowledgment of the services ISPs provide to American homes and businesses, and the straightforward obligations necessary to ensure the network works for everyone — not just one or two companies.
Investment in wired and wireless networks has supported jobs and made America the center of a vibrant ecosystem of digital devices, apps, and platforms that fuel growth and expand opportunity. Importantly, network investment remained strong under the previous net neutrality regime, before it was struck down by the court; in fact, the court agreed that protecting net neutrality helps foster more investment and innovation. If the FCC appropriately forbears from the Title II regulations that are not needed to implement the principles above — principles that most ISPs have followed for years — it will help ensure new rules are consistent with incentives for further investment in the infrastructure of the Internet.
The Internet has been one of the greatest gifts our economy — and our society — has ever known. The FCC was chartered to promote competition, innovation, and investment in our networks. In service of that mission, there is no higher calling than protecting an open, accessible, and free Internet. I thank the Commissioners for having served this cause with distinction and integrity, and I respectfully ask them to adopt the policies I have outlined here, to preserve this technology’s promise for today, and future generations to come.
November 10, 2014
Statement by the President on Net Neutrality
An open Internet is essential to the American economy, and increasingly to our very way of life. By lowering the cost of launching a new idea, igniting new political movements, and bringing communities closer together, it has been one of the most significant democratizing influences the world has ever known.
“Net neutrality” has been built into the fabric of the Internet since its creation — but it is also a principle that we cannot take for granted. We cannot allow Internet service providers (ISPs) to restrict the best access or to pick winners and losers in the online marketplace for services and ideas. That is why today, I am asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to answer the call of almost 4 million public comments, and implement the strongest possible rules to protect net neutrality.
When I was a candidate for this office, I made clear my commitment to a free and open Internet, and my commitment remains as strong as ever. Four years ago, the FCC tried to implement rules that would protect net neutrality with little to no impact on the telecommunications companies that make important investments in our economy. After the rules were challenged, the court reviewing the rules agreed with the FCC that net neutrality was essential for preserving an environment that encourages new investment in the network, new online services and content, and everything else that makes up the Internet as we now know it. Unfortunately, the court ultimately struck down the rules — not because it disagreed with the need to protect net neutrality, but because it believed the FCC had taken the wrong legal approach.
The FCC is an independent agency, and ultimately this decision is theirs alone. I believe the FCC should create a new set of rules protecting net neutrality and ensuring that neither the cable company nor the phone company will be able to act as a gatekeeper, restricting what you can do or see online. The rules I am asking for are simple, common-sense steps that reflect the Internet you and I use every day, and that some ISPs already observe. These bright-line rules include:
No blocking. If a consumer requests access to a website or service, and the content is legal, your ISP should not be permitted to block it. That way, every player — not just those commercially affiliated with an ISP — gets a fair shot at your business.
No throttling. Nor should ISPs be able to intentionally slow down some content or speed up others — through a process often called “throttling” — based on the type of service or your ISP’s preferences.
Increased transparency. The connection between consumers and ISPs — the so-called “last mile” — is not the only place some sites might get special treatment. So, I am also asking the FCC to make full use of the transparency authorities the court recently upheld, and if necessary to apply net neutrality rules to points of interconnection between the ISP and the rest of the Internet.
No paid prioritization. Simply put: No service should be stuck in a “slow lane” because it does not pay a fee. That kind of gatekeeping would undermine the level playing field essential to the Internet’s growth. So, as I have before, I am asking for an explicit ban on paid prioritization and any other restriction that has a similar effect.
If carefully designed, these rules should not create any undue burden for ISPs, and can have clear, monitored exceptions for reasonable network management and for specialized services such as dedicated, mission-critical networks serving a hospital. But combined, these rules mean everything for preserving the Internet’s openness.
The rules also have to reflect the way people use the Internet today, which increasingly means on a mobile device. I believe the FCC should make these rules fully applicable to mobile broadband as well, while recognizing the special challenges that come with managing wireless networks.
To be current, these rules must also build on the lessons of the past. For almost a century, our law has recognized that companies who connect you to the world have special obligations not to exploit the monopoly they enjoy over access in and out of your home or business. That is why a phone call from a customer of one phone company can reliably reach a customer of a different one, and why you will not be penalized solely for calling someone who is using another provider. It is common sense that the same philosophy should guide any service that is based on the transmission of information — whether a phone call, or a packet of data.
So the time has come for the FCC to recognize that broadband service is of the same importance and must carry the same obligations as so many of the other vital services do. To do that, I believe the FCC should reclassify consumer broadband service under Title II of the Telecommunications Act — while at the same time forbearing from rate regulation and other provisions less relevant to broadband services. This is a basic acknowledgment of the services ISPs provide to American homes and businesses, and the straightforward obligations necessary to ensure the network works for everyone — not just one or two companies.
Investment in wired and wireless networks has supported jobs and made America the center of a vibrant ecosystem of digital devices, apps, and platforms that fuel growth and expand opportunity. Importantly, network investment remained strong under the previous net neutrality regime, before it was struck down by the court; in fact, the court agreed that protecting net neutrality helps foster more investment and innovation. If the FCC appropriately forbears from the Title II regulations that are not needed to implement the principles above — principles that most ISPs have followed for years — it will help ensure new rules are consistent with incentives for further investment in the infrastructure of the Internet.
The Internet has been one of the greatest gifts our economy — and our society — has ever known. The FCC was chartered to promote competition, innovation, and investment in our networks. In service of that mission, there is no higher calling than protecting an open, accessible, and free Internet. I thank the Commissioners for having served this cause with distinction and integrity, and I respectfully ask them to adopt the policies I have outlined here, to preserve this technology’s promise for today, and future generations to come.
DOJ GOES AFTER APPROX. $100,000 IN BRIBES PAID TO FORMER CHAD AMBASSADOR BY CANADIAN COMPANY
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Friday, November 7, 2014
Department of Justice Seeks Recovery of Approximately $100,000 in Bribes Paid to Former Chad Ambassador
The Department of Justice has filed a civil forfeiture complaint made public late yesterday seeking the forfeiture of $106,488.31 in allegedly laundered funds traceable to a $2 million bribe payment made by a Canadian energy company to Chad’s former Ambassador to the United States and Canada and his wife.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant Director Joseph S. Campbell of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
From 2004 to 2012, Mahamoud Adam Bechir, 49, served as Chad’s Ambassador to the United States and Canada. According to the forfeiture complaint, Bechir agreed to use his position to influence the award of oil development rights in Chad in exchange for $2 million and other valuable interests from Griffiths Energy International Inc., a Canadian company. In order to conceal the bribe, Bechir and his wife, Nouracham Niam, 44, allegedly entered into a series of agreements with Griffiths Energy that provided for the payment of a $2 million “consulting fee” if the company secured the oil rights in Chad. After securing these oil rights in February 2011, Griffiths Energy allegedly transferred $2 million to an account located in Washington, D.C. held by a shell company created by Niam. In 2013, Griffiths Energy pleaded guilty in Canadian court to bribing Bechir.
The complaint further alleges that, after commingling the bribe payment with other funds and laundering these funds through U.S. bank accounts and real property, Bechir transferred $1,474,517 of the criminal proceeds traceable to the bribe payment to his account in South Africa, where he is now serving Chad’s Ambassador to South Africa. The current action seeks forfeiture of $106,488.31, which is the current balance of Bechir’s accounts in South Africa. Those funds have been seized pursuant to the complaint unsealed today. The Department of Justice is also seeking additional assets from Bechir and Niam.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The case is being handled by Trial Attorney Nalina Sombuntham of the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section.
This case was brought under the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative by a team of dedicated prosecutors in the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, working in partnership with federal law enforcement agencies to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption and, where appropriate, return those proceeds to benefit the people harmed by these acts of corruption and abuse of office.
Friday, November 7, 2014
Department of Justice Seeks Recovery of Approximately $100,000 in Bribes Paid to Former Chad Ambassador
The Department of Justice has filed a civil forfeiture complaint made public late yesterday seeking the forfeiture of $106,488.31 in allegedly laundered funds traceable to a $2 million bribe payment made by a Canadian energy company to Chad’s former Ambassador to the United States and Canada and his wife.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant Director Joseph S. Campbell of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
From 2004 to 2012, Mahamoud Adam Bechir, 49, served as Chad’s Ambassador to the United States and Canada. According to the forfeiture complaint, Bechir agreed to use his position to influence the award of oil development rights in Chad in exchange for $2 million and other valuable interests from Griffiths Energy International Inc., a Canadian company. In order to conceal the bribe, Bechir and his wife, Nouracham Niam, 44, allegedly entered into a series of agreements with Griffiths Energy that provided for the payment of a $2 million “consulting fee” if the company secured the oil rights in Chad. After securing these oil rights in February 2011, Griffiths Energy allegedly transferred $2 million to an account located in Washington, D.C. held by a shell company created by Niam. In 2013, Griffiths Energy pleaded guilty in Canadian court to bribing Bechir.
The complaint further alleges that, after commingling the bribe payment with other funds and laundering these funds through U.S. bank accounts and real property, Bechir transferred $1,474,517 of the criminal proceeds traceable to the bribe payment to his account in South Africa, where he is now serving Chad’s Ambassador to South Africa. The current action seeks forfeiture of $106,488.31, which is the current balance of Bechir’s accounts in South Africa. Those funds have been seized pursuant to the complaint unsealed today. The Department of Justice is also seeking additional assets from Bechir and Niam.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The case is being handled by Trial Attorney Nalina Sombuntham of the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section.
This case was brought under the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative by a team of dedicated prosecutors in the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, working in partnership with federal law enforcement agencies to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption and, where appropriate, return those proceeds to benefit the people harmed by these acts of corruption and abuse of office.
THE SPECIATION OF TREES
FROM: THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Tracing the evolution of forest trees
Evergreen tree in Hawaii offers clues into survival of tropical ecosystems
There are at least 60,000 identified tree species in the world, "but we know next to nothing about how they got here," Elizabeth Stacy says. "Trees form the backbone of our forests, and are ecologically and economically important, yet we don't know much about how speciation happens in trees."
Speciation, the evolutionary process by which new biological species arise, fascinates Stacy, an associate professor of biology at the University of Hawaii Hilo, and forms the core of her research. The National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded scientist is focusing on the origins of the many forms of Metrosideros, a diverse genus of forest trees, and on one of its species in particular--Hawaii's M. polymorpha--as a model for studying diversification.
The Hawaiian Islands were formed and continue to be formed from volcanic activity, which makes them an ideal place to study speciation. Because the islands are so isolated, their plant and animal species almost certainly colonized for the first time millions of years ago when wind, ocean currents, birds and insects carried early specimens there.
"Hawaii is a fantastic place to study evolution and the origins of species," Stacy says. "It's like its own planet, its own evolutionary experiment."
Metrosideros comprises trees and shrubs found predominantly in the Pacific Rim region. The name means "iron heartwood," and derives from the ancient Greek metra, or "heartwood," and sideron, or "iron." Stacy is trying to discern the relationships among the many forms of this genus in Hawaii and learn how reproductive barriers arise between diverging populations.
"Over time, Metrosideros has diversified into five species," she says. "M. polymorpha is by far the most abundant. It's unusual for its huge ecological breadth. You can find it in almost every habitat in Hawaii. It's everywhere."
Insights into the evolution of such long-lived trees as these could have important implications for future conservation practices in Hawaii, and possibly elsewhere.
"Because it is so abundant and dominant, Metrosideros is a keystone species for many of Hawaii's terrestrial environments," Stacy says. "It is an important resource for native birds and insects. Insights into how the many forms of Metrosideros originated and how different they are from each other today can reveal insights into the same for the many animals that use Metrosideros. Understanding the ecological needs of species is an essential first step in their conservation.
"Conservation biology has gained an appreciation for evolution," she adds. "Over the last decade, people have grown to appreciate that we need to pay attention to the processes that give rise to species. Speciation is literally the origin of the biodiversity that we are concerned about saving. To really think about long-term conservation, we need to be aware of these evolutionary processes."
Stacy is conducting her research under an NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award, which she received in 2010. The award supports junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organization. NSF is funding her work with about $750,000 over five years.
Her project uses molecular genetic methods to "try to unravel the very shrouded evolutionary history of Metrosideros in Hawaii," she says. "We're experimenting with novel molecular markers--previously inaccessible genes and gene regions--to get a clearer picture of how the forms of Metrosideros are related, both within and across islands."
Uncovering the evolutionary relationships among closely related trees is especially difficult because of their tendency to hybridize, and thus share the same genetic material, she adds.
Also, she and her team are conducting experiments in the field and in the greenhouse with seedlings of various forms, exposing them to different stresses to compare their differences.
"These experiments are revealing insights into how long-term exposure of tree populations to Hawaii's famous environmental gradients can lead to diversification, and they reveal which specific environmental factors, for example, water, light and wind are most important for causing the differences among the forms of the tree," she says.
"Lastly, we are looking at their reproductive barriers: can you two make 'babies' with each other, and how fit are your 'babies?"' she adds. "How well do your offspring survive, and reproduce compared to everyone else in your population? We do a lot of hand-crossing, or hand pollination, where you take pollen from one tree and pollinate another."
These crosses allow examination of the both prezygotic (before fertilization) and postzygotic (after fertilization) barriers that accumulate between diverging populations on the way to speciation.
"I posit that adaptation of this widespread tree to Hawaii's highly varied environments has led to the evolution of partial reproductive isolating barriers between forms that are adapted to different habitats," she says.
As part of the grant's educational component, she is encouraging her students to participate in research through field and lab projects. The team also has established Ho'oulu Lehua, a community-based organization that provides hands-on environmental education for youth with projects that address real conservation issues in the native forests of East Hawaii Island.
The goal of Ho'oulu Lehua, under the leadership of CAREER technician Jennifer Johansen, is to strengthen connections between Hawaii's young people and native forests through restoration activities based on scientific understanding and cultural traditions.
"This island has 11 of 13 climate zones," she says. "We have desert, and wet forests and bogs. Because we are in this amazing evolutionary laboratory, I think we excel in engaging our students with authentic research experiences outside. You can't do this stuff in a lab."
-- Marlene Cimons, National Science Foundation
Investigators
Elizabeth Stacy
Related Institutions/Organizations
University of Hawaii at Hilo
Tracing the evolution of forest trees
Evergreen tree in Hawaii offers clues into survival of tropical ecosystems
There are at least 60,000 identified tree species in the world, "but we know next to nothing about how they got here," Elizabeth Stacy says. "Trees form the backbone of our forests, and are ecologically and economically important, yet we don't know much about how speciation happens in trees."
Speciation, the evolutionary process by which new biological species arise, fascinates Stacy, an associate professor of biology at the University of Hawaii Hilo, and forms the core of her research. The National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded scientist is focusing on the origins of the many forms of Metrosideros, a diverse genus of forest trees, and on one of its species in particular--Hawaii's M. polymorpha--as a model for studying diversification.
The Hawaiian Islands were formed and continue to be formed from volcanic activity, which makes them an ideal place to study speciation. Because the islands are so isolated, their plant and animal species almost certainly colonized for the first time millions of years ago when wind, ocean currents, birds and insects carried early specimens there.
"Hawaii is a fantastic place to study evolution and the origins of species," Stacy says. "It's like its own planet, its own evolutionary experiment."
Metrosideros comprises trees and shrubs found predominantly in the Pacific Rim region. The name means "iron heartwood," and derives from the ancient Greek metra, or "heartwood," and sideron, or "iron." Stacy is trying to discern the relationships among the many forms of this genus in Hawaii and learn how reproductive barriers arise between diverging populations.
"Over time, Metrosideros has diversified into five species," she says. "M. polymorpha is by far the most abundant. It's unusual for its huge ecological breadth. You can find it in almost every habitat in Hawaii. It's everywhere."
Insights into the evolution of such long-lived trees as these could have important implications for future conservation practices in Hawaii, and possibly elsewhere.
"Because it is so abundant and dominant, Metrosideros is a keystone species for many of Hawaii's terrestrial environments," Stacy says. "It is an important resource for native birds and insects. Insights into how the many forms of Metrosideros originated and how different they are from each other today can reveal insights into the same for the many animals that use Metrosideros. Understanding the ecological needs of species is an essential first step in their conservation.
"Conservation biology has gained an appreciation for evolution," she adds. "Over the last decade, people have grown to appreciate that we need to pay attention to the processes that give rise to species. Speciation is literally the origin of the biodiversity that we are concerned about saving. To really think about long-term conservation, we need to be aware of these evolutionary processes."
Stacy is conducting her research under an NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award, which she received in 2010. The award supports junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organization. NSF is funding her work with about $750,000 over five years.
Her project uses molecular genetic methods to "try to unravel the very shrouded evolutionary history of Metrosideros in Hawaii," she says. "We're experimenting with novel molecular markers--previously inaccessible genes and gene regions--to get a clearer picture of how the forms of Metrosideros are related, both within and across islands."
Uncovering the evolutionary relationships among closely related trees is especially difficult because of their tendency to hybridize, and thus share the same genetic material, she adds.
Also, she and her team are conducting experiments in the field and in the greenhouse with seedlings of various forms, exposing them to different stresses to compare their differences.
"These experiments are revealing insights into how long-term exposure of tree populations to Hawaii's famous environmental gradients can lead to diversification, and they reveal which specific environmental factors, for example, water, light and wind are most important for causing the differences among the forms of the tree," she says.
"Lastly, we are looking at their reproductive barriers: can you two make 'babies' with each other, and how fit are your 'babies?"' she adds. "How well do your offspring survive, and reproduce compared to everyone else in your population? We do a lot of hand-crossing, or hand pollination, where you take pollen from one tree and pollinate another."
These crosses allow examination of the both prezygotic (before fertilization) and postzygotic (after fertilization) barriers that accumulate between diverging populations on the way to speciation.
"I posit that adaptation of this widespread tree to Hawaii's highly varied environments has led to the evolution of partial reproductive isolating barriers between forms that are adapted to different habitats," she says.
As part of the grant's educational component, she is encouraging her students to participate in research through field and lab projects. The team also has established Ho'oulu Lehua, a community-based organization that provides hands-on environmental education for youth with projects that address real conservation issues in the native forests of East Hawaii Island.
The goal of Ho'oulu Lehua, under the leadership of CAREER technician Jennifer Johansen, is to strengthen connections between Hawaii's young people and native forests through restoration activities based on scientific understanding and cultural traditions.
"This island has 11 of 13 climate zones," she says. "We have desert, and wet forests and bogs. Because we are in this amazing evolutionary laboratory, I think we excel in engaging our students with authentic research experiences outside. You can't do this stuff in a lab."
-- Marlene Cimons, National Science Foundation
Investigators
Elizabeth Stacy
Related Institutions/Organizations
University of Hawaii at Hilo
ROSE GOTTENMOELLER'S REMARKS: "NUCLEAR POLICY AND NEGOTIATIONS IN 21ST CENTURY"
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Nuclear Policy and Negotiations in the 21st Century
Remarks
Rose Gottemoeller
Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security
The Warren B. Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership & Public Policy, University of New Hampshire School of Law
Concord, New Hampshire
November 6, 2014
Good Afternoon. Thank you, John, for the kind introduction. Thank you very much for inviting me to join you at here at the Rudman Center. I was last here in May of 2013 to talk about export control reform with Senator Jeanne Shaheen. I am glad to be back to talk about arms control and nonproliferation negotiations in the 21st century.
While we are gathered here tonight in Concord, the world is facing serious challenges: the threats to Ukraine’s sovereignty and Russia’s flagrant disregard for international law, the continuing conflicts in the Middle East, a dangerous Ebola outbreak in West Africa that has travelled to our shores. It is not surprising that most people are not focused on nuclear weapons or nuclear deterrence.
When the Cold War ended, the looming threat of nuclear war seemed to drift away for the average American. When was the last time you even heard of someone doing a duck-and-cover drill or building a bomb shelter in their backyard? Unfortunately, there are still thousands and thousands of nuclear weapons in the world. The threat from these weapons is real and I would argue that it has become more serious due to the threat from nuclear weapons in the hands of terrorists.
That is why this Administration, like the Administrations before it, is working so hard to reduce the nuclear threat. One of the steps in that process was the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) – a Treaty for which I led the U.S. negotiating team.
In negotiating New START, we knew that it was necessary to replace the expiring START Treaty with a new agreement reflecting progress in arms control and the changes in the world in the 20 years since START came into force.
This was no small task and it took many, many months to complete, but we were successful and in December of 2010, the Senate gave its advice and consent to its ratification. The implementation of this Treaty is now well underway and when it is completed, we will have the lowest levels of deployed strategic nuclear arms since the 1950’s.
As we now look to the future of arms control and nonproliferation agreements and treaties, it is important to recognize that we will need a host of new technical and legal experts to conduct these discussions. It is true that diplomacy is an art, not a science, but there are a number of reliable tools upon which I rely during negotiations.
One: Building Relationships
First, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of building good, professional relationships. With the New START Treaty, the two delegations launched into the negotiations committed to conducting them in an atmosphere of mutual respect with a premium on keeping the tone businesslike and productive, even when we did not agree. My counterpart on the Russian delegation, Ambassador Anatoly Antonov, always used to say, “business is business.” And what he meant was that we needed to keep the tone of the discussion businesslike even when we were butting heads – as we frequently did.
We also were very aware of the role of a human gesture. Even things as simple as acknowledging national holidays, cultural and sport events are important. The Vancouver Olympics were going on while were in Geneva for New START, and we cheered on each other’s teams. Well, maybe not each other’s hockey teams.
Also, never underestimate the power of a smile or a joke. You would be very surprised about how much a well-placed joke can help move talks along.
Two: Establishing Trust
Second, building relationships is one thing, but establishing trust is another, and it takes longer. Between negotiating teams, it is pivotal and more difficult than it sounds. In our case, we had over a year to get to know our counterparts. Further, members of both delegations brought valuable experience to the table, having worked as inspectors under START. They had inspected each other’s ICBM bases, SLBM bases, heavy bomber bases, and storage facilities multiple times. They regarded each other as professionals. That helped to establish trust.
One of the most important very important things is that our delegations agreed to disagree in private. That was good considering how easily either delegation could have broadcast negative comments that would have reached Moscow or Washington before we could pick up a phone.
Trying to work out issues and disagreements through the press is – as you can imagine – is not a great model for success.
So make sure the people you are working with know that they can trust you. Trust is the foundation of any good agreement.
Three: Creating Value for Both Sides
Third, and particularly important right now, is the fact that negotiations should not be a zero-sum game. The point is to negotiate for mutual benefit. When we finished negotiating New START, then-President Medvedev referred to it as a “win-win” situation. That should always be our goal.
This is especially important for multilateral discussions, but harder to accomplish. No one will ever get everything they want – the point is to come away with a fair deal all-around. You may not get a “win-win” situation all the time, but you can avoid a situation where parties come away from a negotiation feeling that they have lost.
Four: LISTENING
It may seem simple, but another key to negotiating is listening.
During New START, it really helped that we spoke each other’s languages. I am very proud to say that there were probably as many Russian speakers on the U.S. delegation as there were English speakers on the Russian delegation. For me, hearing things twice helped me to listen to things extra well.
It is also something you probably heard from your mothers, but you also need to make sure you are really listening to people and not just waiting for your turn to talk. You might miss something important!
Five: Negotiating Process AND Substance
In addition to negotiating skills, you also need expertise on the substance. One of the things that made the New START negotiations work smoothly was the fact that we had experienced diplomats and experienced inspectors, as well as weapon systems operators. All of them had to work together.
You can negotiate beautiful language, but if you don’t understand the ins and outs of an inspection on the ground, imprecise language in the treaty can come back to haunt you. But you also need room for flexibility. You may think you understand exactly how to inspect a re-entry vehicle on a missile, but you need to tread lightly when codifying the requirement to conduct such an inspection in a treaty. An inspector also needs room to use his or her judgment.
You always have to think about both the big picture and the little details: it’s a balancing act.
Six: Be Thorough and Be Prepared
Finally, it is important to remember that every negotiation is different. While the START negotiations from over 20 years ago informed our approach, we were in a completely new era with New START. We had to think about what worked and didn’t work for previous treaties, without letting that bind our creativity.
One of the great strengths of the New START Treaty rested on the fact that we took into account the broad perspectives of the State Department, the Department of Defense, the uniformed military, the Department of Energy, and other agencies, from the very beginning and at every step throughout the negotiations. It was a true inter-agency effort from day one until the day it entered into force and that cooperation continues, as we work to implement the Treaty.
Dealing with Difficulties
Even with the tools that I have discussed in hand, there were some days during the New START negotiations that were very rough and very long. Beyond that, I like to joke that I went through two sets of negotiations- one with the Russian Federation and one with the Senate. We had a tough, vigorous debate up on Capitol Hill, but in the process, I think we rekindled some important interest in arms control and nonproliferation issues.
In the end, the hard work paid off. New START is enhancing our national security, as well as strategic stability with Russia. The current tensions with Russia highlight the importance of mutual confidence provided by data exchanges and on-site inspections under the Treaty, and the security and predictability provided by verifiable, mutual limits on strategic weapons.
As we look to the future with respect to future nuclear reduction agreements, the United States will only pursue agreements that are in our national security interest and that of our allies. Historically, the United States and Russia have always been able to continue our work to reduce nuclear threats. That fact should not change.
The United States has made clear that we are prepared to engage Russia on the full range of issues affecting strategic stability and that there are real and meaningful steps we should be taking that can contribute to a more predictable and safer security environment.
In June 2013 in Berlin, President Obama stated U.S. willingness to negotiate a reduction of up to one-third of our deployed strategic warheads from the level established in the New START Treaty.
Progress requires a willing partner and a conducive strategic environment.
As I have said, no one here should doubt that we are in a difficult crisis period with Russia, but we need nuclear cooperation with Russia and others to address global threats – first and foremost the threat of terrorists acquiring a nuclear weapon or nuclear material.
The reason we can and must continue to pursue arms control and nonproliferation tools is that they are the best - and quite frankly - the only path that we can take to effectively prevent a terrorist nuclear threat and reduce nuclear dangers more broadly.
That will take new, and I am sure, difficult negotiations.
Final Thoughts
With that I would like to wrap up and take some questions, but I want to leave you with some final thoughts. With all the challenges in the world, it is sometimes easy to despair, but I assure you that through hard work, humor, patience and persistence, we can meet and solve these challenges.
One of our less-quoted presidents, Calvin Coolidge had a quote about persistence that I often think of:
“Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
That is what I think about when I think about the next set of negotiations in front of me. Whether that involves the next steps in nuclear reductions or banning the production of the fissile material used in nuclear weapons, we will be patient, but we will be persistent. Progress will not only require building on the success of New START, but new and innovative approaches to the challenges we face…and some really good negotiating. Thank you.
Nuclear Policy and Negotiations in the 21st Century
Remarks
Rose Gottemoeller
Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security
The Warren B. Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership & Public Policy, University of New Hampshire School of Law
Concord, New Hampshire
November 6, 2014
Good Afternoon. Thank you, John, for the kind introduction. Thank you very much for inviting me to join you at here at the Rudman Center. I was last here in May of 2013 to talk about export control reform with Senator Jeanne Shaheen. I am glad to be back to talk about arms control and nonproliferation negotiations in the 21st century.
While we are gathered here tonight in Concord, the world is facing serious challenges: the threats to Ukraine’s sovereignty and Russia’s flagrant disregard for international law, the continuing conflicts in the Middle East, a dangerous Ebola outbreak in West Africa that has travelled to our shores. It is not surprising that most people are not focused on nuclear weapons or nuclear deterrence.
When the Cold War ended, the looming threat of nuclear war seemed to drift away for the average American. When was the last time you even heard of someone doing a duck-and-cover drill or building a bomb shelter in their backyard? Unfortunately, there are still thousands and thousands of nuclear weapons in the world. The threat from these weapons is real and I would argue that it has become more serious due to the threat from nuclear weapons in the hands of terrorists.
That is why this Administration, like the Administrations before it, is working so hard to reduce the nuclear threat. One of the steps in that process was the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) – a Treaty for which I led the U.S. negotiating team.
In negotiating New START, we knew that it was necessary to replace the expiring START Treaty with a new agreement reflecting progress in arms control and the changes in the world in the 20 years since START came into force.
This was no small task and it took many, many months to complete, but we were successful and in December of 2010, the Senate gave its advice and consent to its ratification. The implementation of this Treaty is now well underway and when it is completed, we will have the lowest levels of deployed strategic nuclear arms since the 1950’s.
As we now look to the future of arms control and nonproliferation agreements and treaties, it is important to recognize that we will need a host of new technical and legal experts to conduct these discussions. It is true that diplomacy is an art, not a science, but there are a number of reliable tools upon which I rely during negotiations.
One: Building Relationships
First, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of building good, professional relationships. With the New START Treaty, the two delegations launched into the negotiations committed to conducting them in an atmosphere of mutual respect with a premium on keeping the tone businesslike and productive, even when we did not agree. My counterpart on the Russian delegation, Ambassador Anatoly Antonov, always used to say, “business is business.” And what he meant was that we needed to keep the tone of the discussion businesslike even when we were butting heads – as we frequently did.
We also were very aware of the role of a human gesture. Even things as simple as acknowledging national holidays, cultural and sport events are important. The Vancouver Olympics were going on while were in Geneva for New START, and we cheered on each other’s teams. Well, maybe not each other’s hockey teams.
Also, never underestimate the power of a smile or a joke. You would be very surprised about how much a well-placed joke can help move talks along.
Two: Establishing Trust
Second, building relationships is one thing, but establishing trust is another, and it takes longer. Between negotiating teams, it is pivotal and more difficult than it sounds. In our case, we had over a year to get to know our counterparts. Further, members of both delegations brought valuable experience to the table, having worked as inspectors under START. They had inspected each other’s ICBM bases, SLBM bases, heavy bomber bases, and storage facilities multiple times. They regarded each other as professionals. That helped to establish trust.
One of the most important very important things is that our delegations agreed to disagree in private. That was good considering how easily either delegation could have broadcast negative comments that would have reached Moscow or Washington before we could pick up a phone.
Trying to work out issues and disagreements through the press is – as you can imagine – is not a great model for success.
So make sure the people you are working with know that they can trust you. Trust is the foundation of any good agreement.
Three: Creating Value for Both Sides
Third, and particularly important right now, is the fact that negotiations should not be a zero-sum game. The point is to negotiate for mutual benefit. When we finished negotiating New START, then-President Medvedev referred to it as a “win-win” situation. That should always be our goal.
This is especially important for multilateral discussions, but harder to accomplish. No one will ever get everything they want – the point is to come away with a fair deal all-around. You may not get a “win-win” situation all the time, but you can avoid a situation where parties come away from a negotiation feeling that they have lost.
Four: LISTENING
It may seem simple, but another key to negotiating is listening.
During New START, it really helped that we spoke each other’s languages. I am very proud to say that there were probably as many Russian speakers on the U.S. delegation as there were English speakers on the Russian delegation. For me, hearing things twice helped me to listen to things extra well.
It is also something you probably heard from your mothers, but you also need to make sure you are really listening to people and not just waiting for your turn to talk. You might miss something important!
Five: Negotiating Process AND Substance
In addition to negotiating skills, you also need expertise on the substance. One of the things that made the New START negotiations work smoothly was the fact that we had experienced diplomats and experienced inspectors, as well as weapon systems operators. All of them had to work together.
You can negotiate beautiful language, but if you don’t understand the ins and outs of an inspection on the ground, imprecise language in the treaty can come back to haunt you. But you also need room for flexibility. You may think you understand exactly how to inspect a re-entry vehicle on a missile, but you need to tread lightly when codifying the requirement to conduct such an inspection in a treaty. An inspector also needs room to use his or her judgment.
You always have to think about both the big picture and the little details: it’s a balancing act.
Six: Be Thorough and Be Prepared
Finally, it is important to remember that every negotiation is different. While the START negotiations from over 20 years ago informed our approach, we were in a completely new era with New START. We had to think about what worked and didn’t work for previous treaties, without letting that bind our creativity.
One of the great strengths of the New START Treaty rested on the fact that we took into account the broad perspectives of the State Department, the Department of Defense, the uniformed military, the Department of Energy, and other agencies, from the very beginning and at every step throughout the negotiations. It was a true inter-agency effort from day one until the day it entered into force and that cooperation continues, as we work to implement the Treaty.
Dealing with Difficulties
Even with the tools that I have discussed in hand, there were some days during the New START negotiations that were very rough and very long. Beyond that, I like to joke that I went through two sets of negotiations- one with the Russian Federation and one with the Senate. We had a tough, vigorous debate up on Capitol Hill, but in the process, I think we rekindled some important interest in arms control and nonproliferation issues.
In the end, the hard work paid off. New START is enhancing our national security, as well as strategic stability with Russia. The current tensions with Russia highlight the importance of mutual confidence provided by data exchanges and on-site inspections under the Treaty, and the security and predictability provided by verifiable, mutual limits on strategic weapons.
As we look to the future with respect to future nuclear reduction agreements, the United States will only pursue agreements that are in our national security interest and that of our allies. Historically, the United States and Russia have always been able to continue our work to reduce nuclear threats. That fact should not change.
The United States has made clear that we are prepared to engage Russia on the full range of issues affecting strategic stability and that there are real and meaningful steps we should be taking that can contribute to a more predictable and safer security environment.
In June 2013 in Berlin, President Obama stated U.S. willingness to negotiate a reduction of up to one-third of our deployed strategic warheads from the level established in the New START Treaty.
Progress requires a willing partner and a conducive strategic environment.
As I have said, no one here should doubt that we are in a difficult crisis period with Russia, but we need nuclear cooperation with Russia and others to address global threats – first and foremost the threat of terrorists acquiring a nuclear weapon or nuclear material.
The reason we can and must continue to pursue arms control and nonproliferation tools is that they are the best - and quite frankly - the only path that we can take to effectively prevent a terrorist nuclear threat and reduce nuclear dangers more broadly.
That will take new, and I am sure, difficult negotiations.
Final Thoughts
With that I would like to wrap up and take some questions, but I want to leave you with some final thoughts. With all the challenges in the world, it is sometimes easy to despair, but I assure you that through hard work, humor, patience and persistence, we can meet and solve these challenges.
One of our less-quoted presidents, Calvin Coolidge had a quote about persistence that I often think of:
“Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
That is what I think about when I think about the next set of negotiations in front of me. Whether that involves the next steps in nuclear reductions or banning the production of the fissile material used in nuclear weapons, we will be patient, but we will be persistent. Progress will not only require building on the success of New START, but new and innovative approaches to the challenges we face…and some really good negotiating. Thank you.
Monday, November 10, 2014
U.S. CONGRATULATES PEOPLE OF ANGOLA ON THEIR INDEPENDENCE DAY
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Angola National Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
November 10, 2014
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Angola as you celebrate your national independence on November 11.
Last May, I traveled to Luanda to see your country’s progress firsthand. From the plane, I watched tankers at the Port of Luanda carrying the fruits of your economic miracle to the world. I toured a General Electric factory, where I heard how American companies employ and train thousands of Angolans. And I spoke with six remarkable young Angolan leaders who are part of the Young African Leaders Initiative and will carry on the progress your country has made since peace came to Angola.
After meeting with your president, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, and Foreign Minister, Rebelo Chikoti, I can say with confidence that Africa is on the move. And Angola is leading the way.
This summer, I was pleased to continue our dialogue by welcoming Vice President Vicente to Washington, D.C. for the African Leaders’ Summit. We discussed critical issues like our shared commitment to regional peace and security and how we will continue to seek new opportunities for growth benefitting all Angolans and Americans.
As you celebrate this special day, the United States stands with you as a partner and friend.
Angola National Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
November 10, 2014
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Angola as you celebrate your national independence on November 11.
Last May, I traveled to Luanda to see your country’s progress firsthand. From the plane, I watched tankers at the Port of Luanda carrying the fruits of your economic miracle to the world. I toured a General Electric factory, where I heard how American companies employ and train thousands of Angolans. And I spoke with six remarkable young Angolan leaders who are part of the Young African Leaders Initiative and will carry on the progress your country has made since peace came to Angola.
After meeting with your president, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, and Foreign Minister, Rebelo Chikoti, I can say with confidence that Africa is on the move. And Angola is leading the way.
This summer, I was pleased to continue our dialogue by welcoming Vice President Vicente to Washington, D.C. for the African Leaders’ Summit. We discussed critical issues like our shared commitment to regional peace and security and how we will continue to seek new opportunities for growth benefitting all Angolans and Americans.
As you celebrate this special day, the United States stands with you as a partner and friend.
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S REMARKS ON TPP MEETING
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
November 10, 2014
Remarks by the President Before TPP Meeting
Beijing, China
1:17 P.M. CST
PRESIDENT OBAMA: I want to thank all my fellow peers and the trade ministers for joining us here today. I know we all have very busy schedules, so I’m going to keep my remarks brief.
We’re here today because the Trans-Pacific Partnership is a high priority for our nations and for the region. As President, strengthening American leadership in the Asia Pacific has been one of my top foreign policy priorities. And central to that objective is working with some of our most important trading partners to find ways in which we can facilitate increased growth for all of us, increased investment for all of us, improve jobs prospects for all of us.
And what we are seeing is momentum building around a Trans-Pacific Partnership that can spur greater economic growth, spur greater jobs growth, set high standards for trade and investment throughout the Asia Pacific. And I don’t think I have to explain to the press why this region is so important. This is the fastest-growing, most populous, most dynamic region in the world economically.
During the past few weeks, our teams have made good progress in resolving several outstanding issues regarding a potential agreement. Today is an opportunity at the political level for us to break some remaining logjams. To ensure that TPP is a success, we also have to make sure that all of our people back home understand the benefits for them -- that it means more trade, more good jobs, and higher incomes for people throughout the region, including the United States. And that’s the case that I’ll continue to make to Congress and the American people. And I know that the leaders here are committed to making that case as well.
This has the potential for being a historic achievement. It’s now up to all of us to see if we can finalize a deal that is both ambitious and comprehensive. The stronger the agreement, the greater the benefits to our people.
So to all my fellow leaders, I want to thank you not just for your participation here today but, more importantly, for the mandate that you have given to your negotiating teams to engage in some very serious work that promises to deliver greater prosperity, trade and commerce between our nations in the future.
Thank you very much.
END
1:19 P.M. CST
November 10, 2014
Remarks by the President Before TPP Meeting
Beijing, China
1:17 P.M. CST
PRESIDENT OBAMA: I want to thank all my fellow peers and the trade ministers for joining us here today. I know we all have very busy schedules, so I’m going to keep my remarks brief.
We’re here today because the Trans-Pacific Partnership is a high priority for our nations and for the region. As President, strengthening American leadership in the Asia Pacific has been one of my top foreign policy priorities. And central to that objective is working with some of our most important trading partners to find ways in which we can facilitate increased growth for all of us, increased investment for all of us, improve jobs prospects for all of us.
And what we are seeing is momentum building around a Trans-Pacific Partnership that can spur greater economic growth, spur greater jobs growth, set high standards for trade and investment throughout the Asia Pacific. And I don’t think I have to explain to the press why this region is so important. This is the fastest-growing, most populous, most dynamic region in the world economically.
During the past few weeks, our teams have made good progress in resolving several outstanding issues regarding a potential agreement. Today is an opportunity at the political level for us to break some remaining logjams. To ensure that TPP is a success, we also have to make sure that all of our people back home understand the benefits for them -- that it means more trade, more good jobs, and higher incomes for people throughout the region, including the United States. And that’s the case that I’ll continue to make to Congress and the American people. And I know that the leaders here are committed to making that case as well.
This has the potential for being a historic achievement. It’s now up to all of us to see if we can finalize a deal that is both ambitious and comprehensive. The stronger the agreement, the greater the benefits to our people.
So to all my fellow leaders, I want to thank you not just for your participation here today but, more importantly, for the mandate that you have given to your negotiating teams to engage in some very serious work that promises to deliver greater prosperity, trade and commerce between our nations in the future.
Thank you very much.
END
1:19 P.M. CST
LEADERS MAKE STATEMENT ON TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP (TPP)
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
November 10, 2014
Trans-Pacific Partnership Leaders’ Statement
November 10, 2014
We, the Leaders of Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United States, and Vietnam, welcome the significant progress in recent months, as reported to us by our Ministers, that sets the stage to bring these landmark Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations to conclusion. We are encouraged that Ministers and negotiators have narrowed the remaining gaps on the legal text of the agreement and that they are intensively engaging to complete ambitious and balanced packages to open our markets to one another, in accordance with the instructions we gave them in Bali a year ago. With the end coming into focus, we have instructed our Ministers and negotiators to make concluding this agreement a top priority so that our businesses, workers, farmers, and consumers can start to reap the real and substantial benefits of the TPP agreement as soon as possible.
As we mobilize our teams to conclude the negotiations, we remain committed to ensuring that the final agreement reflects our common vision of an ambitious, comprehensive, high-standard, and balanced agreement that enhances the competitiveness of our economies, promotes innovation and entrepreneurship, spurs economic growth and prosperity, and supports job creation in our countries. We are dedicated to ensuring that the benefits of the agreement serve to promote development that is sustainable, broad based and inclusive, and that the agreement takes into account the diversity of our levels of development. The gains that TPP will bring to each of our countries can expand even further should the open approach we are developing extend more broadly throughout the region. We remain committed to a TPP structure that can include other regional partners that are prepared to adopt its high standards.
Our fundamental direction to our Ministers throughout this process has been to negotiate an outcome that will generate the greatest possible benefit for each of our countries. In order to achieve that, our governments have worked to reflect the input we each have received from our stakeholders in the negotiation. Continued engagement will be critical as our Ministers work to resolve the remaining issues in the negotiation.
November 10, 2014
Trans-Pacific Partnership Leaders’ Statement
November 10, 2014
We, the Leaders of Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United States, and Vietnam, welcome the significant progress in recent months, as reported to us by our Ministers, that sets the stage to bring these landmark Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations to conclusion. We are encouraged that Ministers and negotiators have narrowed the remaining gaps on the legal text of the agreement and that they are intensively engaging to complete ambitious and balanced packages to open our markets to one another, in accordance with the instructions we gave them in Bali a year ago. With the end coming into focus, we have instructed our Ministers and negotiators to make concluding this agreement a top priority so that our businesses, workers, farmers, and consumers can start to reap the real and substantial benefits of the TPP agreement as soon as possible.
As we mobilize our teams to conclude the negotiations, we remain committed to ensuring that the final agreement reflects our common vision of an ambitious, comprehensive, high-standard, and balanced agreement that enhances the competitiveness of our economies, promotes innovation and entrepreneurship, spurs economic growth and prosperity, and supports job creation in our countries. We are dedicated to ensuring that the benefits of the agreement serve to promote development that is sustainable, broad based and inclusive, and that the agreement takes into account the diversity of our levels of development. The gains that TPP will bring to each of our countries can expand even further should the open approach we are developing extend more broadly throughout the region. We remain committed to a TPP structure that can include other regional partners that are prepared to adopt its high standards.
Our fundamental direction to our Ministers throughout this process has been to negotiate an outcome that will generate the greatest possible benefit for each of our countries. In order to achieve that, our governments have worked to reflect the input we each have received from our stakeholders in the negotiation. Continued engagement will be critical as our Ministers work to resolve the remaining issues in the negotiation.
SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS AT NATIONAL CENTER FOR ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION LUNCHEON
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks at the National Center for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Luncheon
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Intercontinental Beijing
Beijing, China
November 8, 2014
SECRETARY KERRY: Scott, thank you. Thank you very much. I apologize for being a little bit late. And it’s an honor for me to be able to be here. I’m delighted to be here with everybody. I’m particularly happy to be here with my good friend and colleague, the Foreign Minister from the Philippines, Albert Del Rosario. Albert, always good to be with you, and thank you very much. Albert said to me he was deathly afraid he was going to be late and he was glad I was the guy who was. (Laughter.) Modern diplomacy.
Scott, I’m really grateful to you. Monica sort of described it in her introductory comments, but we’re really delighted with what you have done to make NC-APEC what it is at this moment at the 20th anniversary celebration. And I think nobody who knows Scott is going to be surprised by what he has been able to accomplish, congratulate you on your new and large role. But through programs like Direct Farm at Walmart, he’s made it his mission to balance the needs of customers with corporate social responsibility, and I think all of us are very grateful to him for the leadership that he has shown.
I also want to thank Monica. When you think about the progress that we have made in building a public-private partnership here in the Pacific, it’s fair to say that Monica has been there every single step of the way. And I’m delighted that she is able to be here with us this afternoon. I also want to acknowledge a few folks that are in the APEC Business Advisory Council. All of them contribute significantly. I had the pleasure to be starting a conversation last year in Bali. Particularly from an American point of view, I want to single out Bart Peterson of Eli Lily, Peggy Johnson of Microsoft, Ed Rapp of Caterpillar, and we’re delighted for all that they represent in terms of their corporate engagement and the ability of their companies.
When you consider the long list of challenges that we are discussing here at APEC, it’s interesting for me to note how APEC itself has been somewhat transformed not just into an economic forum, but frankly, it has also evolved so much and has become such a competent place of discussion of important issues, and it’s also security (inaudible). And I think it’s fair to say that in today’s world, a world with ISIL and Ebola, Ukraine, Syria, climate change, it’s impossible not to recognize the relatedness of a lot of the choices that we make economically with the choices that are also (inaudible) at the same time integrated into a security matrix.
Nowhere is the unprecedented set of challenges, but also opportunities more clear than here in Asia and throughout the Asia Pacific. And it is important for people to focus on the fact that even as there are the challenges that I listed, we are staring at a world with absolutely unprecedented opportunity. I think that’s part of the attraction in putting so many of the businesses here, not just to APEC, but to the region, and has brought so many more over the last years. We are literally building prosperity and stability in the long term, and that’s why, unabashedly, economic policy is at the center of President Obama’s rebalance to Asia.
This is my fourth trip right here just to Beijing, my multiple trips to the region over the course of the last year and a half that I have been Secretary. And it will be one of many trips of the President when he arrives here on Monday and spends not one day or two days, but I think about eight days going to the ASEAN meeting and to the G20 meeting, ultimately, in Brisbane. There is no doubt that how this region grows and how we engage the 2.7 billion customers who live here is going to shape the future of the global economy, and it will do much to define the 21st century.
The numbers themselves of the last years of development actually define this story. The fact is that more than half the world’s GDP is represented in this region. Fully half of America’s top 10 trading partners are APEC economies. And we send the majority of our exports here to the Asia Pacific. And outside of America over the next five years, this region is expected to grow as much as all other countries combined. Just think about that. So if we put it all together, it’s pretty obvious why we all have a huge stake in the choices that are made here.
But getting these choices right is not automatic. That means to have to develop even closer cooperation between the public and the private sectors. And what you sell, how you invest, how you operate – these are all major parts of the equation. Our ambassadors throughout the region, including our outstanding Ambassador to China, Max Baucus, are completely at the disposal of all businesses. And I have said since day one, when I became Secretary of State, that foreign policy is economic policy, and economic policy is foreign policy. We’re living in that much of a different world in many ways.
And I have directed all of our embassies, under the good stewardship of our Assistant Secretary of State Charlie Rivkin, who’s sitting over here, Assistant Secretary of State for Business Affairs, and our Assistant Secretary of State Danny Russel, who’s over here, for East Asia and Pacific, that I want all embassies and every official within our embassies to be economic officers. That’s how important it is for us today to be able to promote and help to marry businesses with opportunities.
President Obama has set the tone by saying again and again that the way to grow our economies is to grow our exports. And that’s exactly what’s happening. Since the President took office, U.S. exports have increased more than 50 percent, and the two-way trade between the United States and other APEC countries, economies has grown by nearly the same amount during that period of time. That’s five, six years now (inaudible) growth nearly 50 percent. Every single one of you here, almost all of you, have been involved here for decades, frankly. I know this. So you’ve seen with your own eyes how dramatic the transformation is. Many of you are the transformation. You understand it. And it’s been a remarkable transformation in the 25 years since APEC was founded.
Back when it was founded, real GDP was 15 trillion in the region. Now it’s doubled to 30 trillion. Back then, when it was founded, trade was around $3 trillion. Now it’s grown to nearly seven-fold more than 20 trillion and growing. Back then, the average tariffs were 17 percent. Now, they’re under 6 percent. And that is a fundamental of the kind of growth that has taken place. And today, the 1.1 trillion in U.S. foreign direct investment in other APEC economies is a tremendous vote of American confidence in the region. Investment coming the other way – from APEC economies into the United States – now tops some $660 billion and it has created tens of thousands of jobs throughout the region and in the United States. The mutual benefits are absolutely undeniable.
So we have made extraordinary progress. The question now is: What do we do with the next 25 years? How do we guarantee that what we can do together, the steps that we take together, are going to build an even more prosperous future for all of the APEC countries? Well, today, I’d argue that we have to organize ourselves fundamentally around four principles of growth: We need to grow openly and accountably. We need to grow green. We need to grow just. And we need to grow smart. Now let me tell you what I mean about each of those.
First, openly and accountably. As any business leader would agree, freer markets create more opportunity, more competition, more growth, and more innovation. And that means that we need to do everything we can to open up trade and investment in every single corner of the globe, particularly here in the Asia Pacific. And that’s why President Obama and I are laser-focused on the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.
The TPP represents a state-of-the-art, 21st century trade agreement that will connect more than 40 percent of the global GDP and one-third of global trade. But more than that, it doesn’t just connect it; it raises standards. It creates a race to the top, not a race to the bottom. And any of you who are wondering today about the security challenge of increased level with extremism, just look to those places where it is most taking hold, and you’ll find places that aren’t just racing to the bottom; they’ve been stuck at the bottom. And if you stay stuck at the bottom, your people are going to find something to latch on to that they will organize themselves around.
Governance is a critical component of being able to grow effectively and have this race to the top, where all people do better, and any one of you in business here in this part of the world understands the difference that moving to the top has made to the sense of quality of life and the opportunities that citizens have in the countries that are affected. And that’s true whether we’re talking about agriculture, manufacturing, or intellectual property, or the challenge of ensuring that state-owned enterprises compete fairly with privately owned companies. TPP will build prosperity and ensure prosperity and stability throughout the region, and it will do so based on shared principles and shared values. It is not just a technical trade agreement. It is a strategic opportunity for all of us, and we need to make sure we seize it. That’s why we need every single one of you here to make the case – with all of the leaders and all of the population that you come in contact with, particularly all the opinion leaders – make your case for TPP in every country and in every capital. This is a battle that we need to be prepared to make, and make no mistake, it is a battle that we absolutely must win, because if you don’t, the levels of unfairness and the shut doors will create inequities that will encourage corruption and begin to insidiously invade populations of countries that are affected.
Secondly, we need to grow green. That means stepping up our engagement on clean energy and oceans conservation. Cleaner energy means more sustainable sources of energy. It means reduced air pollution. Reduced air pollution means healthier populations. In America in the summertime, the greatest single cause of young kids being hospitalized is environmentally induced asthma. You want to reduce the cost of hospitalization, the cost of healthcare? Breathe cleaner air. Reduce the level of long-term illness that comes from carcinogens in the air that give people cancer.
There’s a long list of benefits – your healthier populations, your reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The latest UN panel report of just a week or so or two weeks ago is chilling, and I urge everybody here to read it. It’s not a political document. It’s a scientific document. And most of us learned at the elementary stages in school science has value. It’s not everything in life, but facts are facts. The latest report tells us that those who deny climate change are playing with fire. And all of the evidence that has been predicted for the last 20 or 30 years is not just coming back the way it was predicted; it’s coming back faster and it’s coming back with bigger consequences than were predicted.
For anybody in public life, the warning is clear. It means the precautionary principle has to be applied, and you need to take steps to deal with them. Scientists now predict that by the end of the century, the sea could rise by a full meter. Now a meter, 39 inches, may not seem like a lot to everybody here, but I got news for you: It is enough to displace hundreds of millions of people, and it is enough to throw a multi-billion dollar monkey wrench into the global economy.
That’s why we are promoting the use of electric cars throughout the APEC region, and that’s why more countries are reconsidering the wisdom of fossil fuel subsidies. And this week, I am proud to say that we are set – that we set the ambitious goal of doubling the share of renewables in the region’s energy by mid-2030. We’re also strengthening our partnership on oceans. Now oceans are affected by climate change. The amount of acidity in the ocean, which is affected fish populations, food, coral reefs, plankton, comes from greenhouse gases that dump into the ocean. And we are seeing significant increases in various parts of the planet. Scientists have even noticed that in the Antarctic, the ocean has regurgitated carbon mass out that it once upon a time could contain and now isn’t – another warning signal.
This fall, President Obama declared the world’s largest marine sanctuary in the Pacific, and that is critical. APEC Ocean Ministers have pledged to conserve at least 10 percent of coastal and marine areas by the end of this decade, and we’re improving the transparency of the reporting of subsidies that contribute to overfishing. I’ll tell you something: I’ve been chairman of the fisheries subcommittee for years in the United States Senate. I have major fisheries in New England. We no longer have the same cod fishing we used to have. Our fisherman are now in port most of the days of the year because of what’s happened to the stocks. And most of the fisheries of the world are overfished. There’s too much money chasing too few fish, and unless you fish in sustainable ways, unless you engage in sustainable agriculture on land, we are all going to be challenged by this onslaught coming at us.
I’ve got good news for you, though. The solution to climate change is really very simple and it’s staring us in the face, and it’s not something that’s somewhere down the road. It’s here now. The solution is energy policy. Make the right choices in your energy policy; you solve the problem of climate change. And guess what? It happens to be the biggest marketplace the world has ever seen. The market that drove America’s great wealth production of the 1990s – I don't know how many of you know know this – America got richer in the 1990s than we did in the 1920s when we had no income tax. Greater wealth was created in the 1990s for every single income-earner in America, every single quintile of American taxpayer went up in their income when we had a $1 trillion market with 1 billion users. It was the high-tech telecommunications computer revolution. Well, guess what? The energy market is a $6 trillion market with 4-5 billion users, and it’s going to grow to something like 9 billion in the next 30, 40 years. So there’s an enormous opportunity staring us in the face. We need to grab it.
The third thing we need to do is grow just, and that means avoiding bribery and corruption. Obviously, that has a terrible impact on the ability of businesses to do business. We’re all hurt by it, and we can’t level the playing field if there’s corruption. And I know that a number of countries around the world are increasingly focused on trying to eliminate corruption, and we have made that partnership very key in APEC.
And finally, we need to grow smart, and that means empowering women and promoting educational opportunities all across APEC economies. I’m very proud that the United States is contributing to the APEC Scholarships and Internships Initiative. We have commitments from Caterpillar, Eli Lilly, Microsoft, General Electric, EMD Merck Serono, as well as three universities: Colorado State University, the University of Colorado, and the University of Washington Evans School, and they’re making contributions that can help us bring more students back and forth.
Finally, let me just say that it is clear that APEC really has the ability to define the future here. There’s no business sector over here and government over there; it is really all one and the same now. We’re all connected. And it is absolutely vital that we create greater opportunities for this generation and the next. Twenty-five years of APEC, 20 years of the National Center have done an extraordinary job of really defining the possibilities for the future. That’s what’s happening here. And I’m excited by the notion that we’re going to recommit ourselves to making certain that we live up to our responsibilities but seize the opportunities at the same time, and that’s how APEC is actually going to help define the 21st century.
Thank you all very much. (Applause.)
Remarks at the National Center for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Luncheon
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Intercontinental Beijing
Beijing, China
November 8, 2014
SECRETARY KERRY: Scott, thank you. Thank you very much. I apologize for being a little bit late. And it’s an honor for me to be able to be here. I’m delighted to be here with everybody. I’m particularly happy to be here with my good friend and colleague, the Foreign Minister from the Philippines, Albert Del Rosario. Albert, always good to be with you, and thank you very much. Albert said to me he was deathly afraid he was going to be late and he was glad I was the guy who was. (Laughter.) Modern diplomacy.
Scott, I’m really grateful to you. Monica sort of described it in her introductory comments, but we’re really delighted with what you have done to make NC-APEC what it is at this moment at the 20th anniversary celebration. And I think nobody who knows Scott is going to be surprised by what he has been able to accomplish, congratulate you on your new and large role. But through programs like Direct Farm at Walmart, he’s made it his mission to balance the needs of customers with corporate social responsibility, and I think all of us are very grateful to him for the leadership that he has shown.
I also want to thank Monica. When you think about the progress that we have made in building a public-private partnership here in the Pacific, it’s fair to say that Monica has been there every single step of the way. And I’m delighted that she is able to be here with us this afternoon. I also want to acknowledge a few folks that are in the APEC Business Advisory Council. All of them contribute significantly. I had the pleasure to be starting a conversation last year in Bali. Particularly from an American point of view, I want to single out Bart Peterson of Eli Lily, Peggy Johnson of Microsoft, Ed Rapp of Caterpillar, and we’re delighted for all that they represent in terms of their corporate engagement and the ability of their companies.
When you consider the long list of challenges that we are discussing here at APEC, it’s interesting for me to note how APEC itself has been somewhat transformed not just into an economic forum, but frankly, it has also evolved so much and has become such a competent place of discussion of important issues, and it’s also security (inaudible). And I think it’s fair to say that in today’s world, a world with ISIL and Ebola, Ukraine, Syria, climate change, it’s impossible not to recognize the relatedness of a lot of the choices that we make economically with the choices that are also (inaudible) at the same time integrated into a security matrix.
Nowhere is the unprecedented set of challenges, but also opportunities more clear than here in Asia and throughout the Asia Pacific. And it is important for people to focus on the fact that even as there are the challenges that I listed, we are staring at a world with absolutely unprecedented opportunity. I think that’s part of the attraction in putting so many of the businesses here, not just to APEC, but to the region, and has brought so many more over the last years. We are literally building prosperity and stability in the long term, and that’s why, unabashedly, economic policy is at the center of President Obama’s rebalance to Asia.
This is my fourth trip right here just to Beijing, my multiple trips to the region over the course of the last year and a half that I have been Secretary. And it will be one of many trips of the President when he arrives here on Monday and spends not one day or two days, but I think about eight days going to the ASEAN meeting and to the G20 meeting, ultimately, in Brisbane. There is no doubt that how this region grows and how we engage the 2.7 billion customers who live here is going to shape the future of the global economy, and it will do much to define the 21st century.
The numbers themselves of the last years of development actually define this story. The fact is that more than half the world’s GDP is represented in this region. Fully half of America’s top 10 trading partners are APEC economies. And we send the majority of our exports here to the Asia Pacific. And outside of America over the next five years, this region is expected to grow as much as all other countries combined. Just think about that. So if we put it all together, it’s pretty obvious why we all have a huge stake in the choices that are made here.
But getting these choices right is not automatic. That means to have to develop even closer cooperation between the public and the private sectors. And what you sell, how you invest, how you operate – these are all major parts of the equation. Our ambassadors throughout the region, including our outstanding Ambassador to China, Max Baucus, are completely at the disposal of all businesses. And I have said since day one, when I became Secretary of State, that foreign policy is economic policy, and economic policy is foreign policy. We’re living in that much of a different world in many ways.
And I have directed all of our embassies, under the good stewardship of our Assistant Secretary of State Charlie Rivkin, who’s sitting over here, Assistant Secretary of State for Business Affairs, and our Assistant Secretary of State Danny Russel, who’s over here, for East Asia and Pacific, that I want all embassies and every official within our embassies to be economic officers. That’s how important it is for us today to be able to promote and help to marry businesses with opportunities.
President Obama has set the tone by saying again and again that the way to grow our economies is to grow our exports. And that’s exactly what’s happening. Since the President took office, U.S. exports have increased more than 50 percent, and the two-way trade between the United States and other APEC countries, economies has grown by nearly the same amount during that period of time. That’s five, six years now (inaudible) growth nearly 50 percent. Every single one of you here, almost all of you, have been involved here for decades, frankly. I know this. So you’ve seen with your own eyes how dramatic the transformation is. Many of you are the transformation. You understand it. And it’s been a remarkable transformation in the 25 years since APEC was founded.
Back when it was founded, real GDP was 15 trillion in the region. Now it’s doubled to 30 trillion. Back then, when it was founded, trade was around $3 trillion. Now it’s grown to nearly seven-fold more than 20 trillion and growing. Back then, the average tariffs were 17 percent. Now, they’re under 6 percent. And that is a fundamental of the kind of growth that has taken place. And today, the 1.1 trillion in U.S. foreign direct investment in other APEC economies is a tremendous vote of American confidence in the region. Investment coming the other way – from APEC economies into the United States – now tops some $660 billion and it has created tens of thousands of jobs throughout the region and in the United States. The mutual benefits are absolutely undeniable.
So we have made extraordinary progress. The question now is: What do we do with the next 25 years? How do we guarantee that what we can do together, the steps that we take together, are going to build an even more prosperous future for all of the APEC countries? Well, today, I’d argue that we have to organize ourselves fundamentally around four principles of growth: We need to grow openly and accountably. We need to grow green. We need to grow just. And we need to grow smart. Now let me tell you what I mean about each of those.
First, openly and accountably. As any business leader would agree, freer markets create more opportunity, more competition, more growth, and more innovation. And that means that we need to do everything we can to open up trade and investment in every single corner of the globe, particularly here in the Asia Pacific. And that’s why President Obama and I are laser-focused on the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.
The TPP represents a state-of-the-art, 21st century trade agreement that will connect more than 40 percent of the global GDP and one-third of global trade. But more than that, it doesn’t just connect it; it raises standards. It creates a race to the top, not a race to the bottom. And any of you who are wondering today about the security challenge of increased level with extremism, just look to those places where it is most taking hold, and you’ll find places that aren’t just racing to the bottom; they’ve been stuck at the bottom. And if you stay stuck at the bottom, your people are going to find something to latch on to that they will organize themselves around.
Governance is a critical component of being able to grow effectively and have this race to the top, where all people do better, and any one of you in business here in this part of the world understands the difference that moving to the top has made to the sense of quality of life and the opportunities that citizens have in the countries that are affected. And that’s true whether we’re talking about agriculture, manufacturing, or intellectual property, or the challenge of ensuring that state-owned enterprises compete fairly with privately owned companies. TPP will build prosperity and ensure prosperity and stability throughout the region, and it will do so based on shared principles and shared values. It is not just a technical trade agreement. It is a strategic opportunity for all of us, and we need to make sure we seize it. That’s why we need every single one of you here to make the case – with all of the leaders and all of the population that you come in contact with, particularly all the opinion leaders – make your case for TPP in every country and in every capital. This is a battle that we need to be prepared to make, and make no mistake, it is a battle that we absolutely must win, because if you don’t, the levels of unfairness and the shut doors will create inequities that will encourage corruption and begin to insidiously invade populations of countries that are affected.
Secondly, we need to grow green. That means stepping up our engagement on clean energy and oceans conservation. Cleaner energy means more sustainable sources of energy. It means reduced air pollution. Reduced air pollution means healthier populations. In America in the summertime, the greatest single cause of young kids being hospitalized is environmentally induced asthma. You want to reduce the cost of hospitalization, the cost of healthcare? Breathe cleaner air. Reduce the level of long-term illness that comes from carcinogens in the air that give people cancer.
There’s a long list of benefits – your healthier populations, your reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The latest UN panel report of just a week or so or two weeks ago is chilling, and I urge everybody here to read it. It’s not a political document. It’s a scientific document. And most of us learned at the elementary stages in school science has value. It’s not everything in life, but facts are facts. The latest report tells us that those who deny climate change are playing with fire. And all of the evidence that has been predicted for the last 20 or 30 years is not just coming back the way it was predicted; it’s coming back faster and it’s coming back with bigger consequences than were predicted.
For anybody in public life, the warning is clear. It means the precautionary principle has to be applied, and you need to take steps to deal with them. Scientists now predict that by the end of the century, the sea could rise by a full meter. Now a meter, 39 inches, may not seem like a lot to everybody here, but I got news for you: It is enough to displace hundreds of millions of people, and it is enough to throw a multi-billion dollar monkey wrench into the global economy.
That’s why we are promoting the use of electric cars throughout the APEC region, and that’s why more countries are reconsidering the wisdom of fossil fuel subsidies. And this week, I am proud to say that we are set – that we set the ambitious goal of doubling the share of renewables in the region’s energy by mid-2030. We’re also strengthening our partnership on oceans. Now oceans are affected by climate change. The amount of acidity in the ocean, which is affected fish populations, food, coral reefs, plankton, comes from greenhouse gases that dump into the ocean. And we are seeing significant increases in various parts of the planet. Scientists have even noticed that in the Antarctic, the ocean has regurgitated carbon mass out that it once upon a time could contain and now isn’t – another warning signal.
This fall, President Obama declared the world’s largest marine sanctuary in the Pacific, and that is critical. APEC Ocean Ministers have pledged to conserve at least 10 percent of coastal and marine areas by the end of this decade, and we’re improving the transparency of the reporting of subsidies that contribute to overfishing. I’ll tell you something: I’ve been chairman of the fisheries subcommittee for years in the United States Senate. I have major fisheries in New England. We no longer have the same cod fishing we used to have. Our fisherman are now in port most of the days of the year because of what’s happened to the stocks. And most of the fisheries of the world are overfished. There’s too much money chasing too few fish, and unless you fish in sustainable ways, unless you engage in sustainable agriculture on land, we are all going to be challenged by this onslaught coming at us.
I’ve got good news for you, though. The solution to climate change is really very simple and it’s staring us in the face, and it’s not something that’s somewhere down the road. It’s here now. The solution is energy policy. Make the right choices in your energy policy; you solve the problem of climate change. And guess what? It happens to be the biggest marketplace the world has ever seen. The market that drove America’s great wealth production of the 1990s – I don't know how many of you know know this – America got richer in the 1990s than we did in the 1920s when we had no income tax. Greater wealth was created in the 1990s for every single income-earner in America, every single quintile of American taxpayer went up in their income when we had a $1 trillion market with 1 billion users. It was the high-tech telecommunications computer revolution. Well, guess what? The energy market is a $6 trillion market with 4-5 billion users, and it’s going to grow to something like 9 billion in the next 30, 40 years. So there’s an enormous opportunity staring us in the face. We need to grab it.
The third thing we need to do is grow just, and that means avoiding bribery and corruption. Obviously, that has a terrible impact on the ability of businesses to do business. We’re all hurt by it, and we can’t level the playing field if there’s corruption. And I know that a number of countries around the world are increasingly focused on trying to eliminate corruption, and we have made that partnership very key in APEC.
And finally, we need to grow smart, and that means empowering women and promoting educational opportunities all across APEC economies. I’m very proud that the United States is contributing to the APEC Scholarships and Internships Initiative. We have commitments from Caterpillar, Eli Lilly, Microsoft, General Electric, EMD Merck Serono, as well as three universities: Colorado State University, the University of Colorado, and the University of Washington Evans School, and they’re making contributions that can help us bring more students back and forth.
Finally, let me just say that it is clear that APEC really has the ability to define the future here. There’s no business sector over here and government over there; it is really all one and the same now. We’re all connected. And it is absolutely vital that we create greater opportunities for this generation and the next. Twenty-five years of APEC, 20 years of the National Center have done an extraordinary job of really defining the possibilities for the future. That’s what’s happening here. And I’m excited by the notion that we’re going to recommit ourselves to making certain that we live up to our responsibilities but seize the opportunities at the same time, and that’s how APEC is actually going to help define the 21st century.
Thank you all very much. (Applause.)
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