Conrad Lautenbacher Quotations

We've been able to improve our warning system. Our records on tornado warnings, hurricane warnings, on flood warnings have been improving,

So I would expect two to three perhaps striking the United States,

I'd like to foretell that next year will be calmer, but I can't.

From a scientific point of view, this represents a quantum leap in our ability to understand earth cycles and earth systems.

We've gone from zero to 100 people round the table.

We take building this warning system very seriously.

Hawaii is in a very strategic location and unfortunately that strategic location brings a great deal of marine debris to the wonderful, beautiful shores that we treasure.

Historical trends say the atmosphere patterns and water temperatures are likely to force another active season upon us.

It is difficult to make any kind of an accurate prediction of how many of these will strike land, ... But I think statistically you can look at the fact that when seasons are more active, and we have a higher level of hurricanes, you have a higher chance of hurricanes striking the United States.

The advances in modeling has significantly improved, and probably is the most important increment of the advantage we have today that we didn't have 15 years ago. And I anticipate an improvement in our ability to have a great deal more accuracy in the 24- to 48-hour forecasting range.

We have to reach the same stage of advancement in all the other areas. Weather is an example where the world has been able at the political level to exchange data.

The pathogens that cause disease have conditions in which they live, just like we do. We have to combine the physical data with what we know in the medical world.

When you look across the spectrum of benefits that could be gained from Earth-observing data, they are just enormous. Right now, 30 percent of our economy is based on information that we obtain just from today's systems. Imagine how it will be if we are able to gain a comprehensive understanding of how the Earth really works -- system by system -- and how it's connected.

Even though the average temperatures over the three-month winter season is forecast to be above normal in much of the country, there will still be bouts of winter weather with cold temperatures and frozen precipitation.

These early signs indicate one of the strongest success stories of international cooperation in the face of an environmental threat.

For instance, we're as accurate today on a five-day forecast as we were 15 years ago on a three-day forecast. So that improvement is almost a doubling in the accuracy of forecasting.

This hurricane season shattered records that have stood for decades-most named storms, most hurricanes and most category 5 storms. Arguably, it was the most devastating hurricane season the country has experienced in modern times,

All coastal communities in the United States are at risk of a tsunami. We can talk about the odds of that risk, but all are at risk.