REPORT TITLE:
International Pacific Research


DESCRIPTION:
Appropriates funds to the UOH for the establishment of 5.00 FTE
faculty positions within the international pacific research
center of the school of ocean and earth science and technology.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                            1354        
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE INTERNATIONAL PACIFIC RESEARCH
   CENTER.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the establishment of
 
 2 the international pacific research center in 1997 within the
 
 3 school of ocean and earth science and technology of the
 
 4 University of Hawaii was a collaborative effort between Japan and
 
 5 the United States.  The center is one of three in the world; the
 
 6 other centers being in Tokyo, Japan; and Fairbanks, Alaska.
 
 7 Hawaii was selected as a participant because of its central
 
 8 Pacific location and also because of the school of ocean and
 
 9 earth science and technology's reputation for excellence in ocean
 
10 sciences.
 
11      A major fraction of the world's population lives in the
 
12 Asia-Pacific region, affected by, and contributing to global
 
13 environmental change.  This region is also subject to substantial
 
14 short-term natural climate variability, which contributes
 
15 considerable stress to the inhabitants of this region.  There are
 
16 reasons to believe that some of these stresses can be anticipated
 
17 by models that are developed through a focused research effort.
 
18      The mission of the international pacific research center is
 
19 to provide an international, state-of-the-art research
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 environment within which the participants hope to improve their
 
 2 understanding of the nature and predictability of climate
 
 3 variations, together with regional aspects of global
 
 4 environmental change in the Asia-Pacific sector.  The initial
 
 5 focus of the international pacific research center will be on the
 
 6 ocean-atmosphere-land interactions of the Asian-Australian
 
 7 monsoon system on time scales from a few days to decades.  The
 
 8 western Pacific is also a major source for the interannual
 
 9 variations of the global climate system associated with the El
 
10 Nino/southern oscillation phenomenon, which affects the ocean and
 
11 atmosphere throughout the entire planet.  The importance to
 
12 society of understanding this system and its predictability
 
13 warrants a concentration of scientific effort and resources at
 
14 the international pacific research center in order to accelerate
 
15 progress.  The international pacific research center fosters
 
16 international collaboration towards this purpose.
 
17      SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
18 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $430,000, or so much
 
19 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000, and the
 
20 sum of $430,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary for
 
21 fiscal year 2000-2001, to establish five, full-time equivalent
 
22 (5.00 FTE), faculty positions within the international pacific
 
23 research center of the school of ocean and earth science and
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 technology of the University of Hawaii.
 
 2      SECTION 3.  The sums appropriated shall be expended by the
 
 3 University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.
 
 4      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 1999.
 
 5 
 
 6                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________