OUR CHANGING PLANET
The U.S. Climate Change Science Program
for Fiscal Year 2007

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The U.S. Climate Change Science Program for FY 2007

Many aspects of the environment and society are significantly affected by climate. The Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) was established in 2002 to empower the Nation and the global community with the science-based knowledge to manage risks and opportunities of change in the climate and related environmental systems. CCSP incorporates and integrates the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) with the Administration’s U.S. Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI).

The USGCRP was established by the Global Change Research Act of 1990 to enhance understanding of natural and human-induced changes in the Earth’s global environmental system; to monitor, understand, and predict global change; and to provide a sound scientific basis for national and international decisionmaking.

The Earth has always experienced climate variations at time scales ranging from seasons to millions of years. With the likelihood of a recent and growing human influence on climate, it is vital for society to be equipped with the best possible knowledge of climate variability and change so that we may exercise responsible stewardship for the environment, lessen the potential for negative climate impacts, and take advantage of positive opportunities where they exist. The importance of these issues and the unique role that science can play in informing society’s responses give rise to CCSP’s guiding vision.

Research conducted through CCSP is building on scientific advances of the last few decades and is deepening our understanding of the interplay of natural and human-caused forces. CCSP is developing information to facilitate comparative analysis of different approaches to adaptation to and mitigation of climate change. CCSP also promotes capacity development among scientists and information users—both in the developed and the developing world—to address the interactions between climate change, society, and the environment.