For almost three months this year, a mini-volcano of oil and gas erupted into the Gulf of Mexico and disgorged nearly 5 million barrels of petroleum. Throughout the crisis, a poised scientist gave countless media interviews to explain to a scared and angry public how the US government was striving to contain the damage. Behind the scenes, with decisive leadership, she ran the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) — the agency that closed fisheries, tracked oil, protected habitats and assessed the damage to communities and the environment. For her role in the response to the crisis, Jane Lubchenco is Nature's Newsmaker of the Year.
Before becoming NOAA administrator in 2009, Lubchenco had a reputation as both a leading researcher and an environmental advocate. She made important advances in the basic science of coastal ecology and helped to raise awareness of the many threats to ocean ecosystems around the world. Lubchenco is now reorienting her US$4.7-billion federal agency to strengthen the science and policies that protect US marine resources.
The United States could do with more scientists like Lubchenco, with the skills and the dedication to speak out on issues that matter. The need will be particularly acute next year, when the Republican Party takes over the US House of Representatives. Although Republicans have generally supported basic science, incoming House leaders have made it clear that they are hostile to certain areas of research. Some have pledged to hold hearings on climate science, which they argue is seriously flawed and has overstated the evidence for global warming. Adrian Smith (Republican, Nebraska) introduced the YouCut Citizen Review, which calls on the US public to search the National Science Foundation website list of peer-reviewed grants for those they consider wasteful.
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