DoD's stewardship efforts to defend and sustain threatened, endangered, and at-risk species and their habitats, while at the same time providing high-quality natural environments for military training, is the focus of the Spring 2011 edition of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Endangered Species Bulletin. The bulletin highlights initiatives and organizations, including SERDP and ESTCP, that are assisting DoD in its conservation endeavor.

On National Public Radio's Science Friday program, Rear Admiral David Titley, Oceanographer and Navigator of the Navy and Director of the U.S. Navy's Task Force on Climate Change, discusses how "melting glaciers, changing sea ice, and rising sea levels might affect Navy operations in the Arctic and around the world – and how the Navy is preparing." In the interview, Rear Admiral Titley cites ongoing SERDP studies to assess critical regional and local impacts of sea-level rise on some of DoD's key coastal installations.

As presented at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-16) held November 29 - December 10, 2010, in Cancun, Mexico, this on-demand video provides an overview of how climate change will impact the Department of Defense and how DoD may contribute to the development of climate change solutions. The four-person panel included SERDP and ESTCP Director Dr. Jeffrey Marqusee, who spoke on ongoing research to help prepare U.S. installations to adapt to climate change.

The Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment, Dorothy Robyn, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Assistant Administrator, Paul Anastas, signed an agreement that formalizes the partnership between the Department of Defense (DoD) and EPA to develop and implement technologies that will help create sustainable American military bases all over the world.

ESTCP released a solicitation on February 2, 2012, requesting proposals for demonstration of installation energy technologies. FY 2013 funds will be awarded through a competitive process to Federal and private organizations. The due date for all pre-proposals is Thursday, March 29, 2012. More information about the solicitation is available on the SERDP and ESTCP web site at www.serdp-estcp.org/Funding-Opportunities/ESTCP-Solicitations/Installation-Energy-Solicitation.

The Department of Defense (DoD) could generate 7,000 megawatts (MW) of solar energy—equivalent to the output of seven nuclear power plants—on four military bases located in the California desert, according to a study released today by DoD’s Office of Installations and Environment. The year-long study, conducted by the consultancy ICF International, looked at seven military bases in California and two in Nevada. The Executive Summary and full document are found here.

ESTCP released a solicitation on January 12, 2012, requesting proposals for demonstration of environmental technologies. FY13 funds will be awarded through a competitive process to Federal and private organizations. The due date for all pre-proposals is Thursday, March 15, 2012. More information about the solicitation is available on the SERDP and ESTCP web site at http://www.serdp-estcp.org/Funding-Opportunities/ESTCP-Solicitations/Environmental-Technologies-Solicitation.

After decades of investments by the Department of Defense and aerospace companies, environmentally friendly alternatives to cadmium (Cd) plating used for corrosion protection of weapons systems components are now moving toward production. In August 2011, SERDP and ESTCP sponsored an ASETSDefense workshop to apprise attendees of the emerging Cd plating alternatives, arrive at a collective understanding of the related issues, define requirements for various applications, and help coordinate future RDT&E efforts to bring the best options to production. Based on the results of this workshop, ESTCP is now soliciting proposals for funding in FY 2013 for the demonstration and validation of alternatives to Cd plating in manufacturing and maintenance of weapons systems.