Well anyway, I just got an email at work indicating one of the first public functions he's going to -- looks like he's delving deep into important intelligence issues already:
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Join the Blue Vision Summit March 7-10, 2009
Come to Washington D.C. to help Turn the Tide
Our Ocean Planet is in trouble. President Obama and the new Congress are inheriting the worst economy of our lifetimes plus two wars and a climate crisis. They need to be reminded how vital a healthy ocean and coasts are to our economy, security and climate response. For them to become ocean champions, we need to come together to educate our leaders and each other about the state of our public seas, coasts and watersheds and the human and wildlife communities that depend on them.
The Blue Vision Summit will bring a range of people engaged in ocean conservation and its sustainable use together around three themes:
* To influence President Obama and Congress to take leadership actions on the ocean
* To Address Climate Change impacts on the Ocean
* To highlight Solutions to marine threats that are working from the local to the global level
The Summit will include a night with top Ocean Explorers, Two Days of Meetings and discussions, two evening celebrations and a Capitol Hill Day that will provide an opportunity for people to meet with their elected representatives
Join with up to 500 ocean leaders including new NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco (invited, waiting Senate confirmation), White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley (invited, waiting Confirmation), Representative Sam Farr and other members of the House Ocean Caucus, Sylvia Earle, Philippe Cousteau, Leon Panetta, Ralph Nader, Actor Ted Danson (invited), Author Bill Mckibben, California Secretary of Resources Mike Chrisman, Senators Barbara Boxer and Sheldon Whitehouse (invited), Sherman’s Lagoon Cartoonist Jim Toomey, “Arctic Tale,” Director Adam Ravetch, Terry Tamminen, Ocean Rower Roz Savage and many other dedicated ocean defenders from sea to shining sea.
Summit sites include the Carnegie Institution, George Washington University, the new Smithsonian Ocean Hall and Capitol Hill.
Summit Sponsors to date include: Blue Frontier Campaign, Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, Pew Environment Group, Oceana, Natural Resources Defense Council, The Ocean Conservancy, Clean Ocean Action, The Ocean Foundation and the D.C. Chapter - Surfrider.
