Federal Agencies Essential Role in Understanding of and Resilience to Climate Risks

Write Responses to the following forum posts. Responses should be substantive and not mere commentary.
POST 1: This week's topic is on the crucial issue of climate change and knowing who plays a part in trying to stop it. There are many governmental agencies that, in someway, deal with preventing or monitoring climate change such as; the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Energy (DOE), NASA, Department of Transportation, and the Department of the Interior. For now, lets focus on the EPA, DOE, and NASA.
The EPA's process starts when Congress passes an environmental protection type of law. The EPA then has the difficult task of trying to successfully implement this action. Now, this can be anything from monitoring and regulating the waste/smoke from an industrial plant or to cleaning up a contaminated area to ensure that local groundwater and soil is not affected by harmful chemicals.1 The EPA takes their job very seriously and is considered the go-to agency for most environmental issues. Many businesses have been shut down for environmental harm by the EPA. Now moving on to the DOE.
The Department of Energy is an agency whose prime concern is emissions and finding better forms of energy. One of the leading causes for concern regarding the rise in climate change, is our greenhouse gases. This vital agency is always looking for new, innovative ways for humans to consume less fossil fuel and become ultimately smarter with the way we use our natural resources. A few of their methods of doing this are developing synthetic fuel and electric automobiles. Now that we've covered the EPA and the DOE, let's finish up with NASA.
NASA's role in climate change is, in a nutshell, monitoring the whole earth from the outside. The scientists at NASA track the ocean and sea levels and are able to measure and rise or fall. The primary concern is the icecaps melting on the north pole and causing severe, deadly flooding throughout our world. NASA would be our first alert in this case but honestly, at that point it might be too late. Let's recap.
We've gone over the many agencies within the US government that deal with climate change, most importantly Congress, the EPA, DOE, and NASA. Judging solely by the sheer amount of agencies involved in this one issue, you can see just how large of a problem this has become. No one agency could ever cover all of the aspects involved in climate change so they must work as a combined team to fight this potentially earth destroying problem. There is no better time to stop this problem than now.
POST 2: Rising global temperatures and increased other dramatic weather changes around the country have brought to the forefront of American opinion that there is serious climate change happening around the world. In fact, the United Nations has set up an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to investigate and gather information on what the impact is and how to put in place mechanisms in attempt to reverse the trend. What agencies within the United States is responsible for determining the existence and cause of climate change and which agencies have the greatest impact on determining what response this country should have?
Determining the existence of climate change falls under the prevue of several different federal agencies. The Department of the Interior has the US Geological Survey agency who has the daunting task of helping Americans to understand the changing world and climate change impacts natural resources (usa.gov, n.p.). In this arena, they provide maps and information to other organizations and agencies so they in turn can analyze different causes and the effect of events such as volcanic eruptions and ice cap melting. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (under the Department of Commerce) is one such agency that uses this information to assist them with their observation systems monitoring the planet's climate. They also develop products to assist society in their ability to plan and respond to how climate is changing, how it impacts the community and what they can expect in the future (noaa.gov, n.p.).
Likewise, there are several agencies that also contribute towards building the President's plan on what this country is going to do to mitigate American contributions to climate change. Under the US Department of Agriculture, the Climate Change Program Office coordinates the Departments responses to climate change with a focus on agriculture (usda.gov, n.p.). The Environmental Protection Agency (an independent agency) forwards plans such as the Clean Power Plan, the first carbon pollution standard for power plants to the President and Congress (whitehouse.gov, n.p.). However, probably the strongest influence is under the Executive Branch, the Office of Management and Budget. This is the office that coordinates proposed legislation, testimony, reports and other documents to meet the President's policy (whitehouse.gov, n.p.).
On 1 November, 2013, the President issued Executive order 13653, Preparing the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change. In Section 4 of this order there is direction for data and information to be provided to the council on Climate Change Preparedness and Resilience. Section 6 identifies 31 various agencies within the federal government who will be members of this council. These agencies include, but are not limited to, the Departments of Defense, Interior, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, and “such agencies or offices as the President or Co-Chairs shall designate (whitehouse.gov, n.p.).
No single agency is responsible either for proving the existence of climate change or singlehandedly providing policies within the bureaucracy of the American government. Lobbyists can influence the opinions Congress, political appointments to head the various agencies could influence what is written in the reports that have been directed by the Whitehouse. Climate change is real and there is plentiful evidence that as a minimum, the planet is suffering. The President sets out policy under the advisement of many advisors from agencies that are designed to give him guidance.