Office of Science and Technology Policy Blog

Taking the Pulse of Our Planet: New Strategy for Earth Observations

Ever wonder where the Weather Channel gets its data? Where the satellite images for Google Earth come from? These data and much more come from a complex array of satellites, ocean buoys, stream gauges, human surveys, and other platforms for collecting what the scientific community calls Earth observations. These data are used every day to protect life and property and answer key questions about our planet.

Today, the Obama Administration’s National Science and Technology Council released a National Strategy for Civil Earth Observations—a framework for increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the Nation’s Earth-observation enterprise.  Currently, 11 Federal departments and agencies engage in Earth observation activities, collecting volumes of important data about the Earth on an ongoing basis, using an array of sophisticated tools and systems. The new Strategy outlines a process for evaluating and prioritizing Earth-observation investments according to their value to society in critical areas such as agriculture, global change, disasters, water resources, and weather.

Each year, the U.S. Government invests significant resources in Earth-observations systems to collect data about Earth’s land, oceans, ecosystems, and atmosphere. Together, these systems take the pulse of our planet, providing critical Earth-system data that scientists and analysts can then turn into usable information about climate and weather, disaster events, land-use changes, ecosystem health, natural resources, and more. Ultimately, information and services derived from Earth-observation data—including some as ubiquitous as weather forecasts and GPS-navigation—are used by policy makers, resource managers, business leaders, first-responders, and citizens to make important day-to-day decisions.

Innovative Solutions to Fight Illegal Robocalls

Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the winners of its Robocall Challenge, the agency’s first public prize competition, which resulted in a tie between two promising solutions that can help block illegal robocalls.  

As many Americans know, advances in technology—amidst their numerous benefits to citizens—have had the undesirable side effect of making it cheap and easy to blast out millions of illegal pre-recorded telemarketing calls, or “robocalls.” The FTC has worked to combat this problem using all of the standard tools at its disposal– including strategic targeting, aggressive law enforcement, and coordination with experts to seek a technological solution. However, phones continue to ring with illegal robocalls. In fact, the FTC receives about 200,000 complaints each month regarding these harassing calls.

That’s why, on October 18, the FTC held a Robocall Summit in which it laid out the robocall problem and the full landscape of partial and potential solutions. At the summit, the FTC announced the Robocall Challenge, with a $50,000 prize for the individual or small group that could come up with the best technical proposal to help consumers block illegal robocalls.  Organizations with 10 or more employees competed on a separate track for the large-organization non-monetary award (bragging rights only).  The challenge criteria were straightforward: does it work? (50%); is it easy to use? (25%); and can it be implemented? (25%).

By the entry deadline this past January, the FTC received almost 800 diverse and creative submissions. On one end of the spectrum of submissions, consumers sent in practical tips about what they’re doing today to reduce robocalls.