Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs

Welcome to the Bureau of Oceans, Environment, and Science (OES) website. In OES, we work on a broad and challenging range of international environmental issues-everything from combating climate change, air and water pollution, and infectious diseases, to the conservation of forests, oceans and marine life, to space exploration. On any given day, members of the Bureau may be responding to the threats of pandemic disease and bioterrorism; fighting illegal trade in endangered species, timber and ozone-depleting chemicals; reinforcing strategic alliances though scientific cooperation; establishing partnerships to lessen greenhouse gas emissions and promote energy efficiency; helping countries gain access to clean drinking water; and protecting oceans and the creatures who live in them. We seek to protect wildlife and its diversity on land and in the oceans. We encourage the spread of new technologies that promise to benefit the environment and promote economic growth at home and abroad. Our goal is to use America's diplomatic power to help foreign citizens improve their lives and transform their futures - to protect the Earth's natural resources for everyone today so that generations to come will enjoy them tomorrow. I hope that this web site is interesting and helpful to you in gaining a better understanding of the work OES is doing on behalf of every American citizen. Claudia A. McMurray Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
				White House Summit on International Development October 21, 2008 President Bush: “The United States works with partner nations to deal with the lack of clean water. Last year we dedicated nearly a billion dollars to improve sanitation and water supplies in developing nations. We're also wise enough to enlist the private sector to help, as well." Full Text
				Genetically Modified (GM) Crops and the Global Food Security Crisis, Jefferson Fellows Science Lecture Series October 17, 2008 Science and Technology Adviser  Fedoroff (Oct. 17): "[W]ill GM crops reduce biodiversity? Human agriculture itself is, other than building roads and cities, the most destructive thing we do to biodiversity, stripping the land and planting one crop. As the food needs of the human population continue to grow, the very most important thing that we can do is to increase our agricultural productivity on the land we already farm in order to preserve what wildlands we have left, particularly tropical forests which are extraordinarily rich in biodiversiversity.  So the answer is NO and in fact, GM crops can help us preserve biodiversity by reducing our use of toxic chemicals in agriculture and perhaps in time, increase the efficiency with which plants use nitrogen fertilizers and solar energy."  Full Text | Jefferson Fellows
				U.S. Delegation to IUCN World Conservation Congress October 13, 2008 Claudia A. McMurray, Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans, Environment and Science led the U.S. delegation at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress, which convened in Barcelona October 5-13, 2008. Media Note
				Memorandum of Understanding Between the APP and NASEO September 9, 2008 Ambassador Reno L. Harnish, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and William (Dub) Taylor, Chairman of NASEO's Board of Directors sign a Memorandum of Understanding at the National Association of State Energy Officials for the purpose of collaborating in activities related to clean energy technology development. Full Text |  Photos