Concerns about climate change have prompted calls for action at every level of government and across many sectors of our economy and society. In response to a request from Congress, the National Academies are launching America's Climate Choices, a suite of coordinated activities that will examine the serious and sweeping issues associated with global climate change, including the science and technology challenges involved, and provide advice on actions and strategies the nation can take to respond.
What's New
Panel on Limiting the Magnitude of Climate Change Announced
The provisional membership of the America's Climate Choices Panel on Limiting the Magnitude of Future Climate Change has been approved and posted for public comment. The panel will assess strategies for reducing the net future human influence on climate, including both technology and policy options (also referred to as "mitigation of climate change"). The panel will focus on actions to reduce domestic greenhouse gas emissions and other human drivers of climate change, such as changes in land use, but will also consider the international dimensions of climate stabilization. Dr. Robert W. Fri, Resources for the Future, will serve as Chair of the panel, and Dr. Marilyn A. Brown, Georgia Institute of Technology, will serve as Vice-Chair.
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Panel on Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change Announced
The provisional membership of the America's Climate Choices Panel on Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change has been approved and posted for public comment. The panel will assess actions and strategies to reduce vulnerability, increase adaptive capacity, improve resiliency, and promote successful adaptation to climate change in different regions, sectors, systems, and populations. The costs, benefits, limitations, tradeoffs, and uncertainties associated with different options and strategies will be assessed. Ms. Katharine L. Jacobs, Arizona Water Institute, will serve as Chair of the panel, and Dr. Thomas J. Wilbanks, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will serve as Vice-Chair.
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Panel on Advancing the Science of Climate Change Announced
The provisional membership of the America's Climate Choices Panel on Advancing the Science of Climate Change has been approved and posted for public comment. The panel will first provide a concise overview of past, present, and future climate change, including its causes and its impacts, then recommend steps to advance our current understanding. The panel will address the observations, research programs, next-generation models, and the physical and human assets needed to better understand the climate system, related human and ecological systems, and the effectiveness of actions taken to limit the magnitude of future climate change (including "geo-engineering" approaches) and adapt to its impacts. Dr. Pamela Matson, Stanford University, will serve as Chair of the panel and Dr. Thomas Dietz, Michigan State University, will serve as Vice-Chair.
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Panel on Informing Effective Decisions and Actions Announced
The provisional membership of the America's Climate Choices Panel on Informing Effective Decisions and Actions Related to Climate Change has been approved and posted for public comment. The panel will describe the different types of climate change-related decisions and actions being made at various levels and in different sectors and regions; develop a framework for analyzing and informing these actions and decisions; and evaluate the activities, products, and tools that could help ensure these actions and decisions are informed by the best available technical knowledge. Dr. Peter H. Raven, Missouri Botanical Garden, will serve as Chair of the panel, and Dr. Diana M. Liverman, University of Oxford and University of Arizona, will serve as Vice-Chair.
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