US Climate Change
Science Program:
Planning Workshop for
Scientists and Stakeholders
Announcement & Invitation
3-5 December 2002, Washington, DC

Registration and Logistical Information

Questions about Workshop Objectives and Presentations?  Send your email to Office of James R. Mahoney, Ph.D.
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, and Director, U.S. Climate Change Science Program.

Now available:
Agenda
(posted 25 Nov 2002)

Sponsored by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program, Incorporating USGCRP and CCRI
at the
Marriott Wardman Park Hotel
2660 Woodley Road, NW
Washington, D.C.

The Workshop

The United States Climate Change Science Program will hold a comprehensive Workshop on the U.S. Climate Change Science Program, from December 3 to 5, 2002 in Washington, DC to receive comments on a discussion draft version of its Strategic Plan for climate change and global change studies. The U.S. Climate Change Science Program incorporating the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) and the Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI) is jointly sponsored by 13 U.S. government agencies. The Workshop will review the USGCRP/CCRI plans with emphasis on the development of short-term (2 -- 5 years) products to support climate change policy and resource management decision-making.

Background

The U.S. Global Change Research Act of 1990 initiated the USGCRP that continues today as a major sponsor of global change research.  In June 2001 President George W. Bush directed the USGCRP agencies to develop a focused Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI) with the goal of accelerating the USGCRP research activities in the next 2 to 5 years, to assist in the development of public policy and natural resource management tools related to climate change issues. When finalized, the draft Strategic Plan reviewed during and after the Workshop will provide the principal guidance for the U.S. global change and climate change research programs during the next several years, subject to revisions as appropriate to respond to newly developed information and decision support tools.

Purpose of Workshop

The Workshop responds to the President's direction that the U.S. global change and climate change science programs must be objective, sensitive to uncertainties, and well documented for public debate. The U.S. global change and climate change research programs must consistently meet the highest standards of credibility, transparency, and responsiveness to the scientific community, as well as to all interested user groups, and our international partners. To assure the continued scientific credibility of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program, the Workshop will provide a comprehensive review of the discussion draft of the Strategic Plan. The Workshop discussions, supplemented by written comments submitted during a 30-day post-Workshop period, will be reflected in the final Strategic Plan.

Who Should Attend

• Members of the scientific community interested in reviewing and commenting on the plans and expected deliverables of the USGCRP/CCRI research program
• Members of the climate stakeholder and resource management communities interested in commenting on the planned application of the USGCRP/CCRI scientific, economic, and energy system information to policy and resource management decisions
• Members of the international climate change community interested in reviewing and discussing the updated U.S. research and decision support plans

Workshop Topics

The workshop will include a plenary session each day, as well as the following breakouts:

• Atmospheric Composition

• Carbon Cycle

• Climate - Land Use/Land Cover Interactions

• Climate - Ecosystem Interactions

• Climate Modeling

• Climate Quality Data Management Systems

• Climate Variability and Change

• Resource Management Decision Support

• Emerging Climate Science Issues

• Grand Challenges in Observations, Modeling, and Information Systems

• Human Contributions and Responses to Climate Change

• International Collaboration

• Observations and Monitoring Systems

• Reporting and Outreach Plans

• Resolution of Disparities in Tropospheric Temperature Records

• Scenario Development to Support National Scope Decisions

• Stabilizing Greenhouse Gases in the Earth's Atmosphere: Opportunities for Technology and Innovations

• Water Cycle

See also:

• Agenda.
• Structure of the Workshop

Invited Keynote Speakers

Several senior U.S. -- based and international science and user group leaders have been invited to be keynote speakers for the plenary sessions. A partial list of invited keynote speakers includes:

• Dr. Bruce Alberts, President, NAS
• Hon. Robert Card, Undersecretary of Energy
• Dr. Rita R. Colwell, Director, NSF
• VADM Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Administrator, NOAA
• Dr. John H. Marburger, Director, OSTP, EOP
• Prof. G.O.P. Obasi, Secretary General, WMO
• Hon. Sean O'Keefe, Administrator, NASA
• Dr. R. K. Pachauri, Chairman, IPCC
• Hon. Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director, UNEP

Workshop/Reviewer Process

The Workshop will include daily plenary sessions and several breakout sessions. Each breakout session will begin with a summary presentation of an element of the discussion draft of the Strategic Plan, and will include invited reviewer comments, as well as general attendee comments. Summary records will be prepared for every session.  

Publication of the Discussion Draft of the Strategic Plan

The discussion draft of the Strategic Plan is available (posted 11 November 2002)  for scientific and public review. Comments, questions and suggestions are welcomed from both scientific and stakeholder communities during and after the Workshop.  The review period extends through 18 January 2003.

Oversight by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences

An advisory committee appointed by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) will undertake an independent review of the draft Strategic Plan, and will give consideration to the scientific and stakeholder community comments during and after the Workshop. 

Product

The U.S. Climate Change Science Program will be responsible for preparation of the final version of the Strategic Plan, based on its evaluation of information presented at the Workshop and/or posted on its web site, as well as full review of the recommendations developed by the NAS. The final Strategic Plan will be published on 25 June 2003.

Sponsoring Agencies

Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, the Interior, State, and Transportation; Environmental Protection Agency; National Aeronautics and Space Administration; National Science Foundation; Smithsonian Institution; and U.S. Agency for International Development.

Schedule

• Tuesday, December 3: 9:30 am - 5:30 pm
• Wednesday, December 4:  8:30 am - 5:30 pm
• Thursday, December 5:  8:30 am - 4:00 pm

For details, see Agenda and Structure of the Workshop