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EPA Administrator Michael O. Leavitt (left) and NOAA Administrator Conrad Lautenbacher at the National Press Club briefing, August 17, 2004
In July 2003, the United States hosted the Earth Observation Summit. The summit brought together 33 nations plus the European Commission to adopt a declaration that signified a political commitment toward the development of a comprehensive, coordinated and sustained Earth Observation System to collect and disseminate improved data, information, and models to stakeholders and decision makers. These nations agreed to partner with the U.S. to realize a common goal of establishing an international, comprehensive, coordinated and sustained Earth Observation System. Nine months later, in Tokyo Japan, a second Summit was held and more than 50 nations formally adopted a ten-year implementation plan for a Global Earth Observation System. This Global Earth Observation System of Systems or GEOSS will help all nations involved produce and manage their information in a way that benefits the environment as well as humanity.
GEOSS is envisioned as a large national and international cooperative effort to bring together existing and new hardware and software, making it all compatible in order to supply data and information at no cost. The U.S. and developed nations have a unique role in developing and maintaining the system, collecting data, enhancing data distribution, and providing models to help all of the world's nations. EPA has a strong commitment to the GEOSS initiative.
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