This time Congress must allocate the money for the proposed Climate Resilience Fund, announced by President Obama on Friday, February 14 in drought-stricken and federally-aided California. The assistant to the President on science and technology, John Holdren, clarified that this was a scientific imperative as well as a political issue and would be a recurring theme. The Fund is separate from the climate agenda set forth in June, 2013. The purpose of the Fund would be more than academic research, in that it would include assistance to communities to prepare for climate change and would promote the search for new technological solutions for infrastructure and other improvements to deal with the changing climate. The Fund would also engage in data gathering regarding the impact of climate change, although that seems redundant to current efforts unless the focus in somehow more unique than at first appears.
The Fund will be part of the Administration’s budget proposal for 2015, due to be unveiled soon. This is part of the Administration’s “year of action”. The President will – and has – used Executive Orders to implement other parts of his action agenda. Whether progress toward the Fund could come from that mechanism is not yet clear. Look for further Administrative directives to executive agencies, such as NASA and the EPA on his matter if Congress fails or refuses to implement the Fund. Mr. Holdren made clear that the initiative would move forward.
Tim Howard Law 