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Also available: PDF Version of entire document (6.7 Mb)
For details see the
Human Contributions and Responses to Environmental
Change chapter of the Strategic Plan for the Climate Change
Science Program (2003)
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CCSP Research Element:
Human Contributions and Responses
Human activities are an
important influence on the global environment. Human responses, through
adaptation and mitigation, will strongly influence the social impacts (both
positive and negative) of global environmental changes.
CCSP-supported research on human contributions and responses to global change
focuses on the interactions of changes in the global environment and human
activities. The current focus of this research is on the extent of human
influences on the climate system, land use, and on other global environmental
changes; analyses of societal sensitivity and adaptability to global
environmental change; decisionmaking under conditions of significant complexity
and uncertainty; methods for integrating information on climate change and
potential response options; and the potential effects of climate variability and
change on human health and welfare.
Benefits from these research efforts include:
Scenarios strengthened by an improved understanding of the
interdependence among economics, population growth, energy consumption,
advancements in technologies, and emissions
Adaptation strategies to effectively manage the impacts of seasonal and
year-to-year climate variability such as El Ni�o events
Elevation maps depicting areas vulnerable to sea level rise and planning
maps depicting how state and local governments plan to respond to sea level
rise
Strategies for communicating climate-related information to resource
managers (e.g., farmers, forest landowners, drought policy planners, water
utilities) and urban planners at local to national levels
Assessments of the potential consequences of global change for human
health in the United States.
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The Human Influence. Mahantango Creek watershed near Klingerstown,
Pennsylvania. Human activities play an important part in many natural systems
and are forces for change in the environment at local, regional, and even global
scales. |
For details see the
Human Contributions and Responses to Environmental
Change chapter of the Strategic Plan for the Climate Change
Science Program (2003)
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