In what has stretched any meteorological comparisons past reason into Roland Emmerich territory, Rising Above the Gathering Storm continues to dust itself off and remind people it’s still around.
On Thursday a follow-up report to the 2005 edition will be released. Many of the same people who contributed to the initial report worked on the follow-up, titled Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Rapidly Approaching Category 5. The briefing will include Norm Augustine, Senators Alexander and Bingaman, Representative Bart Gordon, and the Presidents of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering.
I won’t get to see the report until 2 p.m. Thursday (unless somebody opts to break the embargo). The title, with its hurricane reference, has me leaning toward some of the same kind of exaggeration the original report was criticized for. While it’s accurate to say that American competitiveness is still very much a concern, there have been efforts to enact at least some of the recommendations of the initial Gathering Storm report. Yes, the reauthorization of the America COMPETES Act has not yet happened, but the timing is such that it can’t realistically be the motivation behind this new report.
The briefing will take place at 2 p.m. at Room SC-6 in the Capitol Building. If you’re inclined to go, leave way early to make sure you can clear security.
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