Monica Medina | |
---|---|
15th Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs | |
In office September 28, 2021 –April 28, 2023 | |
President | Joe Biden |
Preceded by | Kerri-Ann Jones |
Succeeded by | Jennifer Littlejohn (acting) |
Personal details | |
Born | 1962 (age 61–62) |
Spouse | Ron Klain |
Children | 3 |
Education | Georgetown University (AB) Columbia University (JD) |
Military service | |
Branch/service | United States Army |
Monica P. Medina (born 1962) is an American attorney and government official who previously served as the Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs at the Department of State. [1] Medina served as Principal Deputy Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere,deputy associate attorney general,and general counsel of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She was also the U.S. Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission. [2] She is currently President and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Medina received an Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps scholarship in 1979 and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgetown University. She received her Juris Doctor with honors from Columbia Law School. [3] [4]
Medina began her career in the office of the general counsel of the Army,where she served on active duty in the United States Army.
From 1989 to 1992,she served as senior counsel to the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
In 1992,she was appointed by Janet Reno to serve as deputy associate attorney general at the United States Department of Justice,with oversight of the Environment Division. Medina was later appointed to serve as general counsel of NOAA from 1997 to 1999. As general counsel of NOAA,Medina represented the United States in several international negotiations,and argued and won significant cases before the United States courts of appeals. [5]
Medina served as a senior officer in the Pew Environment Group,where she provided advice and assistance on issues of marine law and policy. Medina also worked in the U.S. Office of the International Fund for Animal Welfare and spent a number of years as a partner at the law firm of Heller Ehrman,with a practice focused on environmental law,corporate law,and biotechnology matters. Medina served on the presidential transition team of Barack Obama. [6]
In the Obama administration,Medina served as principal deputy undersecretary for oceans and atmosphere of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. [7] Medina also served as the U.S. Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission. [8] [9] Medina led efforts on Arctic conservation,restoration of the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill,conservation of endangered species,and fisheries management and enforcement. [10]
Medina later served as special assistant to United States Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta,where she played a role in eliminating discrimination against women in the military and in addressing military sexual assault. [11] Medina also drafted the rule overturning the ban on women from “combat”positions strictly because of their gender. [12] Medina later served as a member of the Defense Department Advisory Committee on Women in the Services.
Medina currently runs Our Daily Planet,an email newsletter about climate change and the environment. Previously she served as deputy director of the environment program at the Walton Family Foundation [13] and an adjunct professor in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Prior to joining the Walton Family Foundation she served as the senior director of ocean policy at the National Geographic Society. [14] [15] Medina is also a board member of the Service Women's Action Network and the Georgetown Sustainable Oceans Alliance board. [16]
Medina has written opinion columns for The New York Times , HuffPost ,The Hill,and USA Today . Medina frequently writes about environmental policy,and has authored columns supportive of the Green New Deal. [17] [18] [19] Medina has appeared on MSNBC,CNN,CGTN America,and NPR. [20] [21] [22]
In April 2021,Medina was nominated to serve as an Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs in the Biden administration. Her nomination was reported favorably by the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee on August 4,2021. Medina was officially confirmed by the entire Senate on September 28,2021,by a vote of 61–36. [23]
In 2023,Media was named president and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society [24]
For her service in the Army,Medina was awarded a Commendation Medal in 1989 and a Meritorious Service Medal in 1990. In 2013,Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta awarded Medina the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal.
Medina is married to Ron Klain,the former chief of staff to President Joe Biden. Klain is a former chief of staff to two U.S. vice presidents and the former United States Ebola response coordinator. Medina and Klain met as undergraduates at Georgetown. They have three children. [25]
Whaling is the hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber,which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16th century,it had become the principal industry in the Basque coastal regions of Spain and France. The whaling industry spread throughout the world and became very profitable in terms of trade and resources. Some regions of the world's oceans,along the animals' migration routes,had a particularly dense whale population and became targets for large concentrations of whaling ships,and the industry continued to grow well into the 20th century. The depletion of some whale species to near extinction led to the banning of whaling in many countries by 1969 and to an international cessation of whaling as an industry in the late 1980s.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is a US scientific and regulatory agency charged with forecasting weather,monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions,charting the seas,conducting deep-sea exploration,and managing fishing and protection of marine mammals and endangered species in the US exclusive economic zone. The agency is part of the United States Department of Commerce and is headquartered in Silver Spring,Maryland.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a U.S. federal government agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior which oversees the management of fish,wildlife,and natural habitats in the United States. The mission of the agency is "working with others to conserve,protect,and enhance fish,wildlife,plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people."
Aboriginal whaling or indigenous whaling is the hunting of whales by indigenous peoples recognised by either IWC or the hunting is considered as part of indigenous activity by the country. It is permitted under international regulation,but in some countries remains a contentious issue. It is usually considered part of the subsistence economy. In some places,whaling has been superseded by whale watching instead. This article deals with communities that continue to hunt;details about communities that have ended the practice may be found in History of whaling.
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES) is a functional bureau within the United States Department of State. The Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs coordinates a suite of portfolios related to oceans,environmental,polar,scientific,fisheries,wildlife,conservation,and natural resource and health affairs that affect U.S. foreign policy interests. The Assistant Secretary reports to the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth,Energy,and the Environment.
Ronald Alan Klain is an American attorney,political consultant,and former lobbyist who served as White House chief of staff under President Joe Biden from 2021 to 2023.
Marine conservation,also known as ocean conservation,is the protection and preservation of ecosystems in oceans and seas through planned management in order to prevent the over-exploitation of these marine resources. Marine conservation is informed by the study of marine plants and animal resources and ecosystem functions and is driven by response to the manifested negative effects seen in the environment such as species loss,habitat degradation and changes in ecosystem functions and focuses on limiting human-caused damage to marine ecosystems,restoring damaged marine ecosystems,and preserving vulnerable species and ecosystems of the marine life. Marine conservation is a relatively new discipline which has developed as a response to biological issues such as extinction and marine habitats change.
Patricia Lynn Scarlett is a US environmental policy executive and analyst. Until December 2021,she was the Chief External Affairs Officer at the Nature Conservancy. She is a frequent commentator on environmental issues. She was the Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Secretary of the Interior from 2005 to 2009,having previously served as the Assistant Secretary of Policy,Management and Budget from 2001 to 2005. Appointed by President George W. Bush,Scarlett was sworn in as Deputy Secretary of the Interior on November 22,2005. In 2006 she served as acting Secretary of the Interior between the administrations of Gale Norton and Dirk Kempthorne. While at DOI she chaired the federal Wildland Fire Leadership Council (2004–05). She also co-chaired the First Lady's Preserve America Initiative on historic preservation (2003–08). She also chaired DOI's Climate Change Task Force,which examined the effects of climate change on land,water,wildlife and infrastructure. Scarlett convened and chaired the Department's Cooperative Conservation Working Group,and also represented the Department on an interagency cooperative conservation task force that planned and convened the White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation in 2005. In her management capacities,Scarlett served on the President's Management Council and its executive steering committee.
The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) is an Australian environmental not-for-profit organisation. It was founded in 1965 as the Queensland Littoral Society before changing its name to the Australian Littoral Society and then finally in 1995 to its current title. It works on protecting the health and vitality of Australia's coasts and oceans.
Ocean Conservancy is a nonprofit environmental advocacy group based in Washington,D.C.,United States. The organization seeks to promote healthy and diverse ocean ecosystems,prevent marine pollution,climate change and advocates against practices that threaten oceanic and human life.
Marine conservation activism is the efforts of non-governmental organizations and individuals to bring about social and political change in the area of marine conservation. Marine conservation is properly conceived as a set of management strategies for the protection and preservation of ecosystems in oceans and seas. Activists raise public awareness and support for conservation,while pushing governments and corporations to practice sound ocean management,create conservation policy,and enforce existing laws and policy through effective regulation. There are many different kinds of organizations and agencies that work toward these common goals. They all are a part of the growing movement that is ocean conservation. These organizations fight for many causes including stopping pollution,overfishing,whaling and by-catching,and supporting marine protected areas.
The under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere,or USC(OA),is a high-ranking official in the United States Department of Commerce and the principal advisor to the United States secretary of commerce on the environmental and scientific activities of the department. The under secretary is dual hatted as the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration within the Commerce Department.
The Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs is the head of the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs in the United States Department of State. The Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs reports to the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth,Energy,and the Environment. President Donald Trump appointed Andrew Lawler to the post as Acting Assistant Secretary and nominated him to the Senate-confirmed post on September 8,2020. His nomination was returned to the President by the United States Senate on January 3,2021. President Joe Biden nominated Monica Medina as Assistant Secretary on April 27,2021. Medina was confirmed by the Senate on September 28,2021,by a vote of 61–36.
The Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) was established in 2002 to quantify the environmental impact of the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) conservation program. The project focuses on how watersheds are affected. CEAP monitored 14 benchmark watershed sites. The CEAP's vision is to enhance "natural resources and healthier ecosystems through improved conservation effectiveness and better management of agricultural landscapes. The goal is "to improve efficacy of conservations practices and programs by quantifying conservation effects and providing the science and education base needed to enrich conservation planning,implementation,management decisions,and policy."
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future,either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss,poaching,invasive species,and climate change. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List lists the global conservation status of many species,and various other agencies assess the status of species within particular areas. Many nations have laws that protect conservation-reliant species which,for example,forbid hunting,restrict land development,or create protected areas. Some endangered species are the target of extensive conservation efforts such as captive breeding and habitat restoration.
Whale conservation refers to the conservation of whales.
The Marine Policy of the Barack Obama administration comprises several significant environmental policy decisions for the oceans made during his two terms in office from 2009 to 2017. By executive action,US President Barack Obama increased fourfold the amount of protected marine space in waters under United States control,setting a major precedent for global ocean conservation. Using the U.S. president's authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906,he expanded to 200 nautical miles the seaward limits of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument around the U.S. island possessions in the Central Pacific. In the Atlantic,Obama created the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument,the first marine monument in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the Atlantic.
Nancy Marie Foster was the director of the National Ocean Service. She is known for her work in protecting marine environments,linking conservation groups and fisherman,and expanding research in marine environments.
Anthony John Calio was an American physicist,businessman,senior executive of NASA and the fourth Administrator of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).