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Carlos M. Gutierrez
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FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Thursday, July 24, 2003
BUSH
ADMINISTRATION LAUNCHES HISTORIC FEDERAL CLIMATE CHANGE INITIATIVES
Advances
Understanding of Climate Variability, Potential Responses and Options
The Bush Administration today announced unprecedented federal initiatives
designed to organize the federal government’s climate change
science research system along with funding for global climate observation.
The
new, historic initiative brings together the resources and expertise
of 13 federal agencies. The Climate Change Science Program (CCSP),
a joint federal program of the President’s Committee on Climate
Change Science and Technology Integration, has issued its strategic
plan to address some of the most complex questions and problems
dealing with long-term global climate variability and change. It
reflects an unprecedented outreach to interested parties, including
some 1,200 scientists and stakeholders and representatives of over
35 countries. The document describes a strategy for developing knowledge
of variability and change in climate and related environmental and
human systems, and for encouraging the application of this knowledge
Secretary
of Commerce Don Evans also announced a $103 million two-year federal
initiative to accelerate the deployment of new global observation
technologies, focused on oceans and atmospheric aerosols and carbon.
This initiative will provide critical data needed to improve mankind’s
understanding of global climate change and the ability of all nations
to apply their knowledge. “The Bush Administration has brought
a total government spending on climate-change related programs to
$4.5 billion. This critical investment announced today will accelerate
select high priority research projects and climate observations
that will help us fill critical knowledge gaps.”
“President
Bush has asked his advisors to consider approaches to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions, including those that tap the power of markets, help
realize the promise of technology and ensure the widest-possible
global participation. The Climate Change Strategic Plan brings together
for the first time the resources and expertise of 13 federal agencies.
It sets forth a vision, mission and goals based on the principles
articulated by President Bush when he established the Climate Change
Research Initiative (CCRI),” said Don Evans, secretary of
Commerce and chairman of the administration’s Committee on
Climate Change Science and Technology Integration.
Those principles include:
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Adopt a measured approach based on the best science
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Remain
flexible, able to adapt to new discoveries and technology
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Leverage the power of markets and technological innovation
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Ensure global participation
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Ensure
continued economic growth
The
strategic plan will advance the state of knowledge of climate variability,
the potential response of the climate system (and related human
and environmental systems) to human-induced changes in the atmosphere
and land surface, and the implications of these potential changes
and management options for natural environments. The plan will also
support scientific discovery and excellence, and encourage partnerships
that facilitate the use of knowledge to protect the Earth’s
environment and ensure a safer, healthier planet for future generations.
According
to Spencer Abraham, secretary of Energy and co-chairman of the Committee
on Climate Change Science and Technology Integration, “This
plan identifies four core approaches that will serve as the backbone
to achieving its mission. Those areas are identified as science,
observations, decision support and communications. By focusing in
these specific areas we can focus on moving in new scientific directions,
employing new research activities, filling critical data gaps through
observations, developing operational tools for decision-makers and
managers and communicating results across communities and across
borders.”
Working
within the core constructs, the plan outlines five overarching scientific
goals aimed at addressing key questions and uncertainties.
They include:
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Extend
knowledge of the Earth’s past and present climate and environment,
including its natural variability, and improve understanding of
the causes of observed changes
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Improve understanding of the forces bringing about changes in the
Earth’s climate and related systems
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Reduce uncertainty in projections of how the Earth’s climate
and environmental systems may change in the future
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Understand the sensitivity and adaptability of different natural
and managed systems to climate and associated global changes
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Explore the uses and identify the limits of evolving knowledge to
manage risks and opportunities related to climate variability and
change
“The
CCSP strategic plan is a framework to address some of the most complex
questions and problems that our nation and the world now face,”
said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary
of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “The
issue of climate variability and change, the level and potential
affects of human contributions to these issues and how we adapt
and manage our response is a capstone issue for our generation and
those to follow.”
James
R. Mahoney, assistant secretary of Commerce for oceans and atmosphere,
deputy NOAA administrator and director of the CCSP stated, “This
plan leverages existing knowledge to learn new things, builds bridges
across communities and scientific disciplines to gain greater insight,
reaches out to decision-makers to put knowledge into action. We
are committed to maintaining an open and transparent process to
ensure that our partners are heard and we hear them. It stakes out
new scientific ground in the area of climate-change modeling and
observations and promises to adapt to new technology and discoveries.”
Reacting to the unveiling of the CCSP, Bruce Albert, president of
the National Academy of Sciences said the following, “I highly
commend Jim Mahoney for his insistence on soliciting the widest
possible scientific input into the US government’s important
Strategic Plan for Climate Change Science. As our government sets
national priorities for global change research, it is critical that
it have access to leading scientists. I am of course especially
pleased that he has asked the National Academies to conduct an open,
high quality review of both the draft and revised versions of the
Strategic Plan. Our committee chaired by Thomas Graedel of Yale
University has already reviewed the draft strategic plan, working
to provide constructive advice for its revision.This committee will
continue to provide useful guidance to the Climate Change Science
Program from a group of the nation’s best scientists, and
it will meet again this August to begin its review of the revised
Strategic Plan.
On
the Internet:
CCSP and the strategic plan - http://www.climatescience.gov
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