At a time when responding to climate change is one of the nation's most important and complex endeavors, the National Academies provides helpful analysis and advice to policymakers and stakeholders through its expert, consensus reports and other activities. The reports are produced by committees of the nation's top scientists, engineers, and other experts who are convened to address key scientific and technical aspects of climate change and other topics.
What's New
Science Academies Urge Faster Response to Climate Change
June, 2009--In a joint statement, the science academies of the G8 countries, plus Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and South Africa, called on their leaders to "seize all opportunities" to address global climate change that "is happening even faster than previously estimated." The signers, which include U.S. National Academy of Sciences President Ralph J. Cicerone, urged nations at the upcoming Copenhagen climate talks to adopt goals aimed at reducing global emissions by 50 percent by 2050. The academies also urged the G8+5 governments, meeting in Italy next month, to "lead the transition to an energy efficient and low carbon economy, and foster innovation and research and development for both mitigation and adaptation technologies."
View Statement
World's Science Academies Say Ocean Acidification Another Reason to Cut Emissions
June, 2009--The InterAcademy Panel, a network of the world's science academies, issued a statement warning that ocean acidification caused by carbon dioxide emissions will have a profound impact on marine ecosystems. The statement calls on negotiators at upcoming U.N. climate change talks to recognize the threat of ocean acidification and to mitigate it by reducing carbon dioxide emissions by at least 50 percent of 1990 levels by 2050, with further reductions thereafter.
View Statement
New Booklet Explores Ecological Impacts of Climate Change
April, 2009--Life on Earth is profoundly affected by the planet's climate. Animals, plants,
and other living beings around the globe are moving, adapting, and, in
some cases, dying as a direct or indirect result of environmental shifts associated
with our changing climate—disrupting intricate interactions among
Earth's species, with profound implications for the natural systems on which
humans depend. To illuminate how climate change has affected species and
ecosystems across the United States, this booklet, based on the conclusions
of an independent, expert committee of the nation's leading scientists,
describes some of the ecological impacts of climate change that have already
been observed right in our own backyard.
Explore Booklet and Related Resources
America's Climate Choices Summit Held March 30-31
March, 2009--A two-day summit on climate change brought together top scientists, members of Congress, Obama administration officials, business leaders, state government officials, and representatives of nongovernmental organizations. The summit--which launches
America's Climate Choices, an NAS project that will generate a series of congressionally requested reports--was held to lay the groundwork for how the nation can limit the magnitude of climate change, adapt to its impacts, and provide paths to action. "Given that climate change is intertwined with other strategic priorities, such as energy and national security, we have invited speakers with a broad array of expertise and perspectives to start an open dialogue as the country charts a course to respond to climate change," said Ralph J. Cicerone, president of the National Academy of Sciences.
View Sessions from the Webcast Archive
New Report Recommends Changes in Federal Climate Change Research
February, 2009--Climate change is one of the most important global environmental problems facing the world today. Policy decisions are already being made to limit or adapt to climate change and its impacts, but many of these decisions are being made without the science support that could help shape better outcomes. In the United States, the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) is responsible for coordinating efforts to generate the scientific knowledge to understand, predict, and respond to climate change. At the request of the CCSP, the National Research Council established a committee to evaluate the progress of the program and to identify future priorities. This, the committee's second and final report, proposes six priorities for restructuring the United States' climate change research program to develop a more robust knowledge base and support informed responses.
[more]
New Report Offers Plan to Improve Weather and Climate Monitoring
November 2008--The Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate issued
Weather and Climate from the Ground Up: A National Network of Networks. The report calls for a more integrated and effective nationwide meteorological and chemical weather network that measures atmosphere conditions at various heights and scales. In addition to weather observations, such a system could assist in a number of other applications, including tracking the dispersion of biological and nuclear contaminants from industrial accidents; monitoring smoke from wildfires; providing high-resolution weather information for aviation and waterways, water management, and food production; and supporting regional climate monitoring.
[more]
Schwarzenegger Requests National Academies Study on Sea Level Rise
November 2008--California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued an executive order on November 14th directing state agencies to "enhance the state's management of climate impacts from sea level rise, increased temperatures, shifting precipitation and extreme weather events." According to a state-issued press release, the order responds to "the serious threat of sea level rise to California's water supply and coastal resources and the impact it would have on our state's economy, population and natural resources." Among four key actions of the executive order is a request for the National Academy of Science establish an expert panel to report on sea level rise impacts in California to inform state planning and development efforts.
[more]
New Study Will Guide America's Climate Choices
November 2008--The National Academies is launching a new, congressionally requested study to be called "America's Climate Choices." This suite of activities will provide policy-relevant advice, based on scientific evidence, to guide the nation's response to climate change. Experts representing various levels of government, the private sector, and research institutions will serve on the study's four panels and its main committee. Five consensus reports will be released in 2009 and 2010. America's Climate Choices will examine and evaluate the actions and strategies available to limit the magnitude of future climate change, adapt to climate change impacts, advance climate change science, and inform effective decisions and actions. Watch for news and information about the study at
http://americasclimatechoices.org.
Recap of "America's Energy Future" Summit Now Available
November 2008--A recap of discussions at the National Academies' America's Energy Future Summit held in March 2008 is now available at
http://nationalacademies.org/energy.. The America's Energy Future initiative will evaluate the contributions and future potential of various energy technologies in a series of expert consensus studies, the first of which is expected to be released in late 2008.
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