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- Q. What is the relationship between the regional scoping workshops
and the regional analyses?
- A. The regional scoping workshops are the first step in each
region. They are meant to identify key questions, issues, and concerns
which can then be further analyzed and pursued. This may involve applying
quantitative methods and models, and it may involve further outreach
activities, such as additional workshops with stakeholder groups. The
three major components of the post-workshop phase include (a) quantitative
analysis of a few key issues, (b) continuous cultivation and engagement
of regional stakeholder networks, and (c) publication of a report in
a common format.
- Q. What products will come out of the regions?
- A. Each regional scoping workshop begins with a scoping paper
meant to generate discussion among participants. Following each workshop,
organizers prepare a workshop report to reflect discussions; often this
is a revision of the scoping paper. For the next (post-workshop) phase,
each region will prepare a report with some commonality of issues. Regions
are also encouraged to develop other products that might be useful,
although these would be published as regional documents, and not as
part of the national volumes.
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- Q. Will the National Assessment synthesize existing literature
or conduct new research?
- A. Primarily the former. Analysis will be based on extant scientific
literature and from new studies done specifically in support of the
national assessment process. The national assessment process will be
guided by a short list of questions such as the following:
- What are the current environmental stresses and issues for the United
States that will form a backdrop for potential additional impacts of
climate change?
- How might climate variability and change exacerbate or ameliorate
existing problems?
- What are the priority research and information needs that can better
prepare policy makers to reach wise decisions related to climate variability
and change?
- What research is most important to complete over the short term? Over
the long term?
- What coping options exist that can build resilience to current environmental
stresses, and also possibly lessen the impacts of climate change?
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- Q. What timeframe will the National Assessment address?
- A. The National Assessment will emphasize the potential consequences
over the next 25-30 years, and also over the next 100 years. Analyses
of potential consequences over the next 100 years will need to consider
the potential for significant secular changes in climate, potentially
accompanied by changes in climate variability and the frequency of extreme
events, as well as the projected large changes in atmospheric carbon
dioxide concentrations. Over this time frame, coping technologies and
practices can also be expected to change, so some provision must be
made in the analyses for these considerations. Analyses of potential
consequences over the next 25-30 years will need to consider that atmospheric
carbon dioxide concentrations will certainly continue to rise, and there
may be modest, but observable, trends in climate. Potential consequences
over both short and long time frames will need to consider the possibility
of non-linear and threshold responses.
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- Q. What is the timeframe for the completion of the National Assessment?
- A. The Synthesis Team will finalize a report by January 2000
to present to the Congress and to provide input into the Third Assessment
Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. However, the
work of the regions and sectors will be ongoing, punctuated by the periodic
publication of reports.
- Q. What are key deadlines for regions and sectors?
- A. In terms of the Synthesis Report, regions and sectors have
opportunities to formally submit interim findings to the Synthesis Team
at three specific times: August 1998, February 1999 and April 1999.
However, they are encouraged to provide input and submit information
continuously through the process. In terms of individual regional assessments,
those volumes that will be published in a common format will need to
be final in November-December 1999 for printing; therefore, the fall
of 1999 is being planned for reviews and revisions.
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National
Assessment 
