Letter to the President of the Senate and to the Speaker of the House Transmitting a Summary of the National Atmospheric Sciences Program, Fiscal Year 1967

Dear Mr. President: (Dear Mr. Speaker:)

I have the honor to transmit to the Congress a summary of the Federal Government's "National Atmospheric Sciences Program" for Fiscal Year 1967, prepared by the Federal Council for Science and Technology.

The summary covers the coordinated activities of 10 Federal agencies engaged in 25 important lines of scientific research and service. These efforts are directed at:

--better understanding the atmosphere in which we live;

--finding new ways to predict the weather;

--providing greater insights into the challenge of controlled weather modification.

The potential economic benefits of this research are enormous and important not only to Americans, but to men everywhere.

To move successfully from the hopes of research to the reality of results means that we must first increase our knowledge of the atmosphere. Much of the progress in this field will come from the Government's atmospheric science program which supports research and experimentation in creative partnerships across the nation with the scientific community and industry.

Taken alone, however, our own studies and research will not be enough, for the environment is global and indivisible. We know, for example, that a storm along the Florida coast may well begin off the shores of another continent.

We can reach our goals sooner if we work closely with other nations in mutually beneficial endeavors. Together, we can share our knowledge and take new strides to cope with the ancient enemies of storm and drought and flood. That is why I have recently pledged that the United States will participate in the World Weather Watch, the most extensive international effort yet devised to enhance our knowledge of the world's atmosphere.

The world has already begun to reap the benefits of advanced space technology. Two weather satellites, the ESSA 1 and 2, are now in orbit. Through these scientific marvels, intense storms on both sides of the Indian Ocean were detected in time to help minimize danger and damage. This is only the beginning of the vast promise modern science holds, in peaceful pursuits, to unlock the mysteries of our atmosphere and to make our lives and the lives of our children easier and happier.

I urge the committees of Congress interested in the atmospheric sciences program to consider the attached summary report.

Sincerely,

LYNDON B. JOHNSON