CLIMATE SCIENCE WORKSHOP SET FOR DECEMBER IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

November 19, 2002 — More than 1,000 people are registered for the U.S. Climate Change Science program’s Planning Workshop for Scientists and Stakeholders, which is scheduled to be held December 3 – 5 in Washington, D.C. Those registered come from a wide range of interests in academia, government, economic and environmental organizations, including those from more than two dozen countries and almost every state in the United States. (Click NOAA image for larger view.)

The Climate Change Science Program Workshop directly responds to President Bush’s call that the best scientific information be developed to assist the United States in developing a well reasoned approach to global climate change issues. It responds to the challenge that U.S. global climate change research programs meet the highest standards of credibility, transparency and responsiveness to the scientific community, interested user groups and international partners.

Implications of climate change affect every aspect of the world including commerce, technology, agriculture, weather, transportation and more. The scientific data used as a basis for policy must be accurate, comprehensive and verified by several disciplines across government, academia and private industry. Policy decisions made in a less-than-fully informed environment could do more damage than good. The full use of scientific information must be exercised to determine the optimal actions on global, national and regional scales.

The workshop incorporates a process that is open, inclusive and robust. It will address specific questions outlined in a report by the National Academy of Sciences in 2001 regarding scientific uncertainty concerning climate change. It will map out the strategy by which these uncertainties can be cleared up or better understood. Resolving uncertainty in climate models will have a major impact on determining policy on mitigation steps affecting emission management, curbing greenhouse-gas production and forecasting the scope of impact on ecosystems.

Invited keynote speakers at the workshop include several senior U. S. and international science and user group leaders. The workshop is sponsored by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Interior, State, and Transportation, The Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation, Smithsonian Institution and U.S. Agency for International Development.

Relevant Web Sites
Climate Change Science Program

NOAA's Climate Page

Media Contact:
Kent Laborde, NOAA, (202) 482-6090