dr. peter schultz, ccsp office
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U.S. Climate Change Science Program / Global Change Research Program Opportunities and Options for the Future and Illustrations of USGS’ Role. Dr. Peter Schultz, CCSP Office. 1. The Need for a Strong Climate Science Program. Societal risks & opportunities posed by climate are enormous - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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U.S. Climate Change Science Program / Global Change Research Program
Opportunities and Options for the Futureand Illustrations of USGS’ Role
Dr. Peter Schultz, CCSP Office
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• Societal risks & opportunities posed by climate are enormous
• Decisions must be informed by best possible science; value of informing decisions much greater than initial investments in the science
• Climate change: magnitude, timing, vulnerability, impacts, and response options still relatively uncertain, particularly at state & local scale
• Need national program to coordinate and manage science investments, disseminate their results, and facilitate their use
• CCSP/USGCRP adds significant integrative value to thirteen participating agencies to achieve results that no single agency could attain.
• Mandated by the Global Change Research Act of 1990
The Need for a StrongClimate Science Program
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Early years of USGCRP focused on improving understanding of processes, trends, causes, and preliminary projections
Broadening context: - Energy security - Economic security - National security - Human health - Environmental sustainability
Context
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• Administration change– EOP; departmental planning– New regulation; ESA interpretation; etc.
• Congressional action– Global Change Research Act reauthorization bill– Climate Service bill– Cap and trade bills (including adaptation provisions)
• Local to international action & demand• Public awareness• The environment itself• Carbon trading / offsets / accounting• Corporate opportunities• Evolving scientific capability
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See full color fact sheets at www.climatescience.gov
• All 21 have been released.• 4.1, 4.3, 4.4, 4.6, 4.7, 5.1, and 5.3 have significant sections on adaptation• Unified Synthesis Product: under development---includes regional and sectoral vulnerabilities, impacts, and adaptation approaches
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RENO, NV (USDA)Society of Amer. Foresters
Date: Nov 2008Lead: Bill Hohenstein
HAWAII; NOAA’s PACIS CenterDate: August 2008Lead: Eileen Shea
CHICAGO, IL (DOT)PARTNER Av. Climate Res. Grp. Adv.
Bd.Date: Oct. 22-23, 2008Lead: Linda Lawson
CAROLINAS (NOAA)Lead: Margaret Davidson
BOULDER, CODate: TBD
Lead: NSF/NOAA (tentative)SAN FRANCISCO, CA
AGU MeetingDecember 2008
Lead: Kaye
SAN DIEGO, CA (HHS); APHA Annual Mtg.Date: October 29, 2008
Leads: Allen Dearry
WASHINGTON, DC (DOT)
NRC TRB MeetingDate: Jan. 11-15, 2009Lead: Linda Lawson
ALASKA (USGS/EPA)Date: Nov 2008
Lead: Armstrong/Scheraga
PHOENIX, AZAMS Meeting
Date: Jan 11-15, 2009Lead: TBD
AMES, IA (CCSPO)Corn Grower’s Assoc.
Date: Sep. 10Lead: Schultz
Conference on Ecosystem Services (ACES)Dec. 8-11, 2008
Naples, FL
SYRACUSE, NY (CCSPO)
Date: Oct. 15Lead: Emily Cloyd
BOULDER, CO (CCSPO)Western Water Managers
Date: March 2008Lead: Cloyd
WASHINGTON, DCNGO Roundtable
Date: Oct 2007Lead: CCSPO
Some of these listening sessions are convened by CCSP (de novo), but most are convened in conjunction with pre-existing meetings.
Other relevant non-CCSP sessions include: U. Mich., May ’07; CIRUN, Oct ’07; NOAA/Asheville, Nov ’07; NCSE, Jan ’08; UCAR, Oct ‘08
WASHINGTON, DC Ozone ResearchDate: July 2007
Lead: RavishankaraWASHINGTON, DC
Climate Professionals RoundtableDate: Oct 6, 2008
Lead: CCSPO
…consult with actual and potential users of the results of the Program to ensure that such results are useful in developing national and international policy responses to global change. GCRA, 1990.
Gulf CoastApril 2009Biloxi, MS
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A revolution in the approach to the science is being recommended:
NRC, 2009: Restructuring Federal Climate Research to Meet the Challenges of Climate Change.
NRC, 2009: Informing Decisions in a Changing Climate.
Increasing focus on science to support mitigation and adaptation, while bolstering approaches to lynchpin basic science questions
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scientific questions are enormous, e.g.:
What has happened and what will happen?• Rate of future sea level rise (and impacts)?• Intensity of Atlantic hurricanes? • Regional climate in the next season, decade, and century?• “Tipping points” for society and ecosystems?
What do these changes mean?• Effects of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems / fisheries?• Overlay on existing stressors affecting national security, health, etc.?• Regional/sectoral costs of unabated climate change?
What can be done about it?• Costs & benefits of response strategies?• Consequences of carbon sequestration?• Effectiveness?• Better infuse science into decision-making? (e.g., coping with uncertainty)• Evolution of science to meet changing needs? (end-to-end engagement)
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Three quick examples of USGS’ contributions to meeting national needs.
First, water availability…
With:
• NOAA
• USDA
• USACE
• NASA
• etc.
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Second, ecological change…
(e.g., National Phenological Network, National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center, Landsat, etc.)
With:
• NASA
• NSF
• DOE
• NOAA
• EPA
• USDA
• SI
• etc.
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(e.g., carbon sequestration potential---CCTP)
With:
• DOE
• EPA
• USDA
• NSF
• DOT
• etc.