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Project Title:
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America's Climate Choices
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PIN:
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BASC-U-08-04-A
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Major Unit:
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Division on Earth and Life Studies
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Sub Unit:
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Board on Atmospheric Sciences & Climate
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RSO:
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Kraucunas, Ian
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Subject/Focus Area:
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Environment and Environmental Studies; Policy for Science and Technology
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Project Scope
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In response to Public Law 110-161, the National Academies will conduct a series of coordinated activities to study the serious and sweeping issues associated with global climate change, including the science and technology challenges involved, and provide advice on the most effective steps and most promising strategies that can be taken to respond. This work will be led by a Committee on America's Climate Choices responsible for coordinating the work of four panels, convening a Summit on Global Climate Change, convening additional workshops or informal working groups to gather information and address cross-cutting issues, and writing a final report. Collectively, the activities will produce a broad, action-oriented, and authoritative set of analyses to inform and guide responses to climate change across the nation.
To provide detailed analysis of important technical issues, focused panels will be convened to address each of the following four questions:
1. What can be done to limit the magnitude of future climate change?
2. What can be done to adapt to the impacts of climate change?
3. What can be done to better understand climate change and its interactions with human and ecological systems?
4. What can be done to inform effective decisions and actions related to climate change?
Using the panel reports and other information, the Committee on America's Climate Choices(which will be composed of the panel chairs and vice-chairs as well as others selected to provide broad and diverse perspectives) will write a final, integrated report that answers the following four overarching questions:
5. What short-term actions can be taken to respond effectively to climate change?
6. What promising long-term strategies, investments, and opportunities could be pursued to respond to climate change?
7. What are the major scientific and technological advances (e.g., new tools, research priorities, etc.) needed to better understand and respond effectively to climate change?
8. What are the major impediments (e.g., practical, institutional, economic, ethical, intergenerational, etc.) to responding effectively to climate change, and what can be done to overcome these impediments?
Over the course of the study, these eight questions will be expanded to include detailed sub-questions on specific science, technology, and policy issues. The costs, benefits, limitations, tradeoffs, and uncertainties associated with different options and strategies will be described qualitatively and, to the extent practicable, quantitatively. The final report and panel reports should provide targeted, action-oriented, policy-relevant (but not policy-prescriptive) advice on what can be done to respond most effectively to climate change at different levels (e.g., local, state, regional, national, and in collaboration with the international community) and in different sectors (e.g., nongovernmental organizations, the business community, the research and academic communities, individuals and households, etc.).
This project is sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The approximate start date is October 1, 2008.
A final report will be issued at the end of the project.
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Project Duration:
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32 months
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Provide FEEDBACK on this project.
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Contact the Public Access Records Office to make an inquiry, request a list of the public access file materials, or obtain a copy of the materials found in the file.
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Tel:
202.334.2000