Archived Chat: NOAA Administrator

Featuring: Dr. Jim Baker

Ann Hardison/GLOBE: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:01AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [1 ] We are pleased to have as our guest on Earth Day Online Dr. D. James Baker, who is the Administrator of the predicts changes in the Earth's environment, and helps conserve and manage wisely the Nation's coastal and marine resources. NOAA predicts the weather through its National Weather Service, and other parts of NOAA are dedicated to improving our understanding of the oceans and the global climate. NOAA is the Federal agency that has lead the responsibility for the GLOBE Program! Dr. Baker is a noted oceanographer, and he has written more than 80 articles on climate, oceanography, and space technology. He is a leader of several high level U.S.and international scientific and environmental organizations, and has been personally very active as an educator, as Dean of the College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington and a proffessor at Harvard University and the University of Rhode Island.

Dr. Baker/NOAA: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:01AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [2 ] Hello everyone! I am pleased to join you today for Earth Day Online -- and to use this new, Internet-based technology to talk with you about the environment. We at NOAA are very proud to have the lead among Federal agencies in supporting the GLOBE Program, and it is really great to work with our many partners around the world as we have created this exciting international science and education program. It is thrilling for me to know that there are over a hundred thousand of you at nearly 4000 schools in 50 countries who are now involved in GLOBE! Now, I would like to try answer your questions about NOAA and about our global environment.

Mrs.Quinlan's 2nd period Biology class at B.C.S.: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:02AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [3 ] Is there really a hole in the ozone layer?

WILLIAMS/CEG-GBEGAMEY: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:03AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [4 ] DANS NOTRE VILLE, COTONOU, NOUS CONSTATONS QUE LES ENGINS A DEUX ROUES ET A QUATRE ROUES DEGAGENT ABONDAMMENT DES FUMEES. QUELS SONT LES INCONVENIENTS QUE CELA PRESENTE A COURT TERME SUR L'HOMME ET A LONGUE TERME SUR L'ATHMOSPHERE? IN OUR CITY, COTONOU, WE NOTICE THAT MOTORCYCLES AND CARS SPEW MUCH EXHAUST. WHAT ARE THE AFFECTS OF THIS: ON MAN IN THE SHORT TERM AND ON THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE LONG TERM?

Dr.: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:04AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [5 ] B.C.S.: Yes, at some times in the Antarctic, we do actually see a hole in the ozone layer. At other times, the ozone is depleted. This we see in both the Arctic and the Antarctic.

Dr. Baker/NOAA: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:05AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [6 ] Williams/Benin: In the short term, there are serious health effects on people, and in the long term these gases and particles can have a significant effect on climate.

Mrs.Quinlan's 2nd period Biology class at B.C.S.: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:06AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [7 ] Is there anyway to repair the hole in the ozone zone layer?

CLAIRE/CEG-GBEGAMEY: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:06AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [8 ] QUELS SONT LES INCONVENIENTS DE L'UTILISATION DES INTRANTS SUR LA FAUNE ET LA FLORE DES COURS D'EAU ENVIRONNANTS? WHAT ARE THE AFFECTS ON THE FLAURA AND FAUNA OF CHEMICAL PRODUCTS ENTERING WATERWAYS NEARBY?

Dr. Baker/NOAA: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:08AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [9 ] B.C.S.: Yes, if we stop putting chemicals like CFCs into the atmosphere. We already have a global agreement to do that, and measurements show that the CFCs are already decreasing. So there is some hope taht we can repair the hole.

Mrs.Quinlan's 2nd period Biology class at B.C.S.: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:12AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [10 ] With the impending Gov. budget cuts, do you feel that the Globe Program will be impacted?

Dr. Baker/NOAA: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:12AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [11 ] GLOBE school in Benin: We just saw in the new GLOBE visualizations on line today the data reported from Benin schools, and zoom in on Benin. This is exciting!

Carenda, Randolph-Clay High School,Ga: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:16AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [12 ] Dr. Baker, How is the GLOBE data and satellite data comparsion?

Dr. Baker/NOAA: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:18AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [13 ] BCS: You asked about the budget. The GLOBE Program is stronglys supported by Vice President Gore, several govetnment agencies, and Congress. We are confident that it will continue to go well.

Dr. Baker/NOAA: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:19AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [14 ] The satellite data is global, and the data from schools is local. Where we can compare, the agreement is very good. We still have a lot to learn, but the GLOBE data is proving to be very interesting and useful.

Mrs.Quinlan's 2nd period Biology class at B.C.S.: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:20AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [15 ] How long does it take for a bolt of lightning to travel around the world?

Dr. Baker: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:23AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [16 ] B.C.S.: That's a good question. Lightning is usually short, and doesn't travel a long way. But when it happens, it's powerful: more than thousands of volts, and the temperature of the air goes up thousands of degrees!

Dr. Baker/NOAA : . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:24AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [17 ] Hi Everybody! I've just learned that Poland has become the 51st country to join GLOBE. Now we will have moredata than ever.

Mrs.Quinlan's 2nd period Biology class at B.C.S.: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:26AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [18 ] What state has the most tornadoes of all?

Jenny/Jamison High: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:27AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [19 ] What types of things do you do in your job?

Dr. Baker/NOAA: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:27AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [20 ] Ward Chapel: Spray cans can destroy ozone because the chemical that is compressed to cause the stuff inside (like paint or whatever) used to be made of CFCs, which are ozone-destroying chemicals. Now there is ban on CFCs, so spray cans use other chemicals, that don't destroy the ozone.

Nathaniel/Behanzin: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:29AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [21 ] At Lycée behanzin, wa have few materials and one computer. So we can't work more than one year with GLOBE PROGRAM. Isn't there any possibilities to help us to further studies with that important organisation ?

Dr. Baker/NOAA: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:29AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [22 ] B.C.S.: The largest number of tornadoes occur in Texas and Oklahoma.

Drew/West elem.: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:31AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [23 ] Why was GLOBE started?

Dr. Baker/NOAA: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:31AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [24 ] Jenny: In my job, I get to work on oceanography, on the atmosphere, on biology, fisheries, coastal and climate problems. It keeps me busy!

Dyane/Behanzin: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:32AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [25 ] Je m'appelle Dyane Hountoundji, élève en seconde au lycée Behanzin. Je participe au programme GLOBE depuis 7mois. Est ce que vous pouvez nous aider pour que nous ayons également accès au réseau Internet chez nous, nos moyens financiers étant très limités. Comment est ce que nous pouvons faire pour avoir des correspondants qui sont aussi des élèves GLOBE du monde entier ?

Dyane/Behanzin: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:32AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [26 ] Je m'appelle Dyane Hountoundji, élève en seconde au lycée Behanzin. Je participe au programme GLOBE depuis 7mois. Est ce que vous pouvez nous aider pour que nous ayons également accès au réseau Internet chez nous, nos moyens financiers étant très limités. Comment est ce que nous pouvons faire pour avoir des correspondants qui sont aussi des élèves GLOBE du monde entier ?

Mrs.Quinlan's 2nd period Biology class at B.C.S.: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:32AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [27 ] What is the educational requierments of a man of your intellectual abillity?

Dr. Baker/NOAA: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:33AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [28 ] Drew/West Elementary: GLOBE was started because Vice President Gore wanted to find a way to get schoolsl involved in making environmental measurements. That way, we can all understand what is happening to the environment. It's a very important program, because it involves students like you, and government agencies. I'm glad you could be part of it!

Ann Hardison/GLOBE: . . . . Tue, Apr 22, 8:35AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . [29 ] Dr. Baker - thank you very much for participating in this Web Chat. We at GLOBE appreciate all you do for the program. We will now take a five minute break and then restart with the GLOBE systems experts!