While my work with the NOOA was a complex and generally fun job, it was one that fully demanded full intensity. It left me pretty tired after four years. So, when I left the country’s preeminent climate and ocean agency in 2017, I planned to slow down—maybe travel some, enjoy the flexibility that comes with retirement, and have time to get a dog. I eventually got my pup and, for several years, did a pretty good job at saying no to claims for my time that didn’t inspire me. But everything changed when I received a call that opened with the words: “I’m calling on behalf of the White House.”

In this episode, I discuss my appointment to the PCAST—the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. I explain why wildfires have gotten worse and describe the mega-fire I witnessed while flying over Australia during my first space shuttle mission in 1984. I share the responsibilities of PCAST, why it was established, and its current work on helping wildland firefighters. I also highlight how change takes time and underscore what it takes to tackle life’s most worthy endeavors.

“In my world, if the President asks you to serve the country, you just don’t say no.” - Kathy Sullivan

This week on Kathy Sullivan Explores:

●     My appointment to the Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology

●     How I knew President Biden wanted me to serve PCAST

●     PCAST’s history, functions, and why the agency is special to me

●     How diversity helps PCAST tackle a wide array of topics

●     President Biden’s tasks for PCAST

●     Why wildfires have become a year-round problem globally

●     PCAST’s work on wildfires and how to tackle complex issues

●     How the President acts on the findings and recommendations of the PCAST report

●     How the 2015 PCAST report on hearing aids led to the Medicare Hearing Coverage Act of 2021

Our Favorite Quotes:

●     “None of the improvements we aim to foster will happen overnight. Change always takes time; and the more complicated the problem, the longer the road.” - Kathy Sullivan

●     “The satisfaction is in knowing that you’ve made a difference in peoples’ lives, both today and tomorrow. For explorers like us, the journey, discoveries, and what they could mean for humankind are what it’s all about.” - Kathy Sullivan

Spaceship Not Required

I’m Kathy Sullivan, the only person to have walked in space and gone to the deepest point in the ocean.

I’m an explorer, and that doesn’t always have to involve going to some remote or exotic place. It simply requires a commitment to put curiosity into action.

In this podcast, you can explore, reflecting on lessons learned from life so far and from my brilliant and ever-inquisitive guests. We explore together in this very moment from right where you are--spaceship not required.

Welcome to Kathy Sullivan Explores.

Visit my website at kathysullivanexplores.com to sign up for seven astronaut tips to improving your life on earth and be the first to discover future episodes and learn about more exciting adventures ahead!

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