I am pleased to contribute a short note to this issue of Acclimations. As I take on my new assignment as chair of the Subcommittee on Global Change Research (SGCR), I want to congratulate all of those who have been involved with the National Assessment process. It has been an enormous effort, spanning the entire United States and bringing to bear the full range of global change science that the community has developed over the life of the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). You can all be proud of your efforts.

Readers of this newsletter already understand why the Assessment has been undertaken: to advise citizens on the potential consequences of climate variability and change and how to adapt to the evolving conditions. Release of the Assessment later this year, along with the planned release of the IPCC's Third Assessment Report in 2001, will culminate in a renewed dialogue with the American people on the nature and importance of global climate change. These publications will also give managers of scientific agencies a new perspective on current global climate change research efforts.

This issue of Acclimations contains updates on the sectoral assessments, many of which are now coming to fruition. Comprising agriculture, water resources, forests, human health, and coastal and marine resources, these foci were chosen because of the likely magnitude of the potential consequences, and because the issues transcend regional boundaries. These studies are just a beginning; clearly, knowledge of additional sectors will ultimately prove to be important in understanding the full scope of climate change in the U.S. 

With emerging evidence of climate change, it is obvious that we will need to learn to live with at least some of these changes. Timely new ideas are starting to be identified on how we will need to adapt. We already know that we will not be able to cope without cost or loss.  Moreover, there will likely be some changes that cannot be reversed.

At the first meeting of the SGCR this year, I emphasized that our world faces no greater threat than human-induced global climate change, and that the USGCRP has provided a superb base for our country to build on to face this threat. 

Because this subject is so important, and because it affects so many sectors of society, we can expect intense scrutiny as the national Synthesis Report goes through the upcoming public comment period. But, with all of the very strong supporting work by regional and sectoral teams, I am confident that we will successfully come through this process with a report that will greatly benefit the Nation.

The Assessment is a continuing dialogue between scientists seeking understanding of what will happen and everyone who will face these changes. As such, this project will continue to evolve beyond the first Assessment. While there is not currently unanimous support for an international legally binding agreement to address climate change, citizens will need to start accounting for climate change when planning for the future. Understanding this problem now will surely help us meet the challenges of tomorrow.

I look forward to working with the Subcommittee, the USGCRP, and the many contributors inside and outside of government to ensure that the program remains strong and that public awareness of the issues is high.

Dr. D. James Baker is Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere at the U.S. Department of Commerce. He also serves as the Co-Chairman of theCommittee on Environment and Natural Resources of the National Science and Technology Council and as an ex-officio member of the President's Council on Sustainable Development.