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US-NZ Declaration: hints of science
US-NZ Declaration: hints of science
Rebuilding
military ties was the centerpiece of the Wellington Declaration that resulted
from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to
Wellington this week.
But in the text of the
declaration and the associated speeches from Clinton, Prime
Minister John Key and foreign affairs minister Murray
McCully, there were brief mentions of increased cooperation
on science-related issues.
Clinton, in her speech,
referenced the "high science of the Antarctica" noting the
that "Kiwi and American scientists are hard at work...
studying samples of sediment and ice to understand how
greenhouse gases may have effected glaciers in the past and
giving us a glimpse of how climate change could affect us in
the future".
The focus on Antarctic research was a clear reference to ANDRILL, the Antarctic geological drilling project which New Zealand researchers are heavily involved in alongside scientists from the US and numerous other countries.
Murray McCully said experts from both countries would "meet regularly": "There's no point in working in isolation on issues like climate change, or non-proliferation and disarmament," he said.
He also said the Wellington Declaration would see New Zealand and the US work on "practical projects" in the Pacific, in areas like "renewable energy and natural disaster readiness and response". No detail was given on exactly what sort of science-related collaboration may result from the Wellington Declaration in areas like climate science. However, the US and New Zealand are part of the Global Research Alliance, a worldwide effort being spearheaded by New Zealand scientists to find ways of reducing emissions from agricultural production.
Earlier this year a three-day Global Research Alliance meeting in Wellington set the agenda for the work programme for the group which features 29 nations and significant commitments of research funding.
ends
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