A world free of nuclear weapons

Posted 2 March, 2010 by Librarian

Since the first atomic bombs exploded in 1945, some have tried to rid the world of nuclear weapons. President Obama has embraced this goal with new vigor. A World Free of Nuclear Weapons, the latest issue of eJournal USA, examines the challenges to achieving nuclear disarmament as well as conveys the hopes of some thinkers and explains the doubts of others.

Learn more:

• Dept. of State Bureau of International Security & Nonproliferation
• Dept. of State Bureau of Verification, Compliance & Implementation
• Remarks by the President at the Acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize

Supporting each other in a fragile world

Posted 27 February, 2010 by Ambassador Bleich

From Ambassador Bleich:

We were reminded again this morning of how fragile and interdependent we all are in this world. A shift in the earth’s plates deep in the Pacific Ocean has devastated portions of Chile and sent waves of high water from Alaska to Hawaii to American Samoa to the shores of Australia.

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Getting my hands dirty

Posted 27 February, 2010 by Ambassador Bleich

From Ambassador Bleich:

Today I added another unusual chapter to the strange, and strangely interesting, experience of being an ambassador. Not only did we have a good family day, but I will never look at my suits the same way again.

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100 years of American eating

Posted 26 February, 2010 by Librarian

The Food Availability Data System, created by USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS), has just been updated. For many of the several hundred food commodities covered, this new release marks 100 years of data - from 1909 to 2008.

"Food availability" is essentially the per capita amount of food in the U.S. food marketing system available for consumption. ERS economists include production and imports of the various foods, and exclude exports as well as farm and industrial uses, to arrive at an approximation of what Americans consume on average. Food availability includes all food-from grocery stores, restaurants, school cafeterias, and other eating places.

Deep space tracking

Posted 26 February, 2010 by Ambassador Bleich

From Ambassador Bleich:

When President John F. Kennedy hosted a group of 49 Nobel laureates at the White House in 1962, he remarked to them, “I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered together at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.” Since Thomas Jefferson never dined here at the Residence, I can say without likely contradiction that today we had the most extraordinary collection of human knowledge ever gathered here for breakfast. I began the day by hosting the leading scientists of NASA, CSIRO, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratories, as we celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Space Cooperation between the United States and Australia and we formally extended that Agreement into the future.

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Starting production

Ambassador Jeff Bleich joins Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III and South Australia Premier Mike Rann at the official launch of Techport, one of the most modern shipbuilding plants in the world, in Adelaide on February 15, 2010. (DoD photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison)

Legal collaboration

US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and Ambassador Bleich were among the presenters at the recent International Legal Exchange (ILEX) Briefing Trip to Australia and New Zealand sponsored by the American Bar Association in collaboration with the Law Council of Australia, Law Society of New South Wales and New South Wales Bar Association. Ambassador Bleich’s remarks »

Remembering the fallen

U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III and wife, Mary Murphy, tour the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia, Feb. 16, 2010. (DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison)

Celebrating cultural diversity

Sporting likenesses of President Obama and the First Lady, Embassy staff manned a tent at the Multicultural Festival, answering questions about the U.S. as people posed for photos with the First Couple.

Fielding media queries

Following the announcement of President Obama's trip to Australia, Ambassador Bleich spoke with a number of media outlets about the President's plans.

Coming to Australia

The White House announced today that President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will visit Australia in March. The specific dates for the trip were not announced. The President will also visit Guam and Indonesia. Press briefing »

The power of the sun

A tour of a new solar panel project and a visit to Pine Gap were on the agenda for Ambassador Bleich’s trip to Alice Springs on January 21 and 22. Ambassador Bleich’s journal entry »

Supporting Internet Freedom

In a major foreign policy speech, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton outlined the U.S. commitment to internet freedom, which she said is essential to upholding human rights and encouraging economic prosperity. Transcript and video »

Preventing family violence

Ambassador Bleich was among those on hand to break ground for the Family Violence Prevention Fund’s new international center at the Presidio National Park in San Francisco. He was joined by Australian actress Nicole Kidman, the Goodwill Ambassador for UN Development Fund for Women, and Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.

Basketball diplomacy

Ambassador Bleich had a chance to learn more about education and athletic opportunities for Australians in the United States during a recent meeting at St Mary's College, a liberal arts university in Moraga, California. A number of Australians play for the school's basketball teams.

H1N1 Flu Virus Outbreaks Mobilize International Public Health Effort

Outbreaks of a new strain of influenza virus that began in north-central Mexico 22 March 2009 and have spread to the United States, and other countries, so far have prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare the event a public health emergency of international concern.

Travelers information on H1N1 Influenza:

• For the latest information on U.S. State Department Travel alerts
• For information on traveling to Australia (Australian Government Website)

ESTA Requirements Now in Effect

All nationals and citizens of Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries, including Australia, are required to obtain a travel authorization prior to initiating travel to the United States. This requirement commenced January 12, 2009. Authorization may be obtained online through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), a free Internet application administered by the Department of Homeland Security.

There is no charge to complete the ESTA application. VWP travelers should be aware that unauthorized third-parties have established websites, which charge visitors for information and for submitting ESTA applications. These websites are not endorsed by, associated with, nor affiliated in any way with the U.S. government.

VWP visitors should apply now for the travel authorization.

For more information, start by reading our page on the Visa Waiver Program.

U.S. – Australia Student Work and Travel Pilot Program

The Student Work and Travel Pilot Program allows Australian citizens to combine work and travel in the United States for up to 12 months. For more information, visit our page on the Student Work and Travel Pilot Program.

Please see our nonimmigrant visa page for general information on the U.S. visa application process, including how to apply for a U.S. visa in Australia.