In class we were asked to comment on a report and I chose to look at the Executive Summary of the US Global Change Research Program’s (USGCRP)
National Climate Assessment. The entire document is quite long, and I wanted to
read every section once I saw the options included. The summary was an overview
of the rest of the report. It began by explaining climate change, what it is,
what it is doing to our planet, and how humans are affected. It also explains
in the introductory section, how can we adapt as a society and hopefully
mitigate the affects of climate change. It clearly states that human activity
has lead to climate change, resulting in extreme weather, threats to human
health, infrastructural damage, unreliable water sources, adverse affects on
crop yields, ecosystems, and oceans. This list makes up many of the chapters in
the report, in addition to a chapter for each region of the USA stating
observations of climate change in that area. The final part of the summary goes
over “Crosscutting themes and issues,” which explains the integrated,
systems-based, approach that is needed for the complex issue of climate change.
Additionally I looked over chapter 6-Agriculture and chapter 11- Urban Systems,
Infrastructure, and Vulnerability chapter. The chapters mainly touched on
things I already knew; however, it would be quite scary for someone to read who
had limited knowledge on the current state of the climate.
I
was really excited by this report because it was extremely upfront,
scientifically based, non-biased, and clearly spelled out key messages for the
reader. They are not trying to project into the future, they are putting it in
context of what we are already seeing today and what we can expect will follow.
It is a great tool for government agencies as well as climate change lobby
groups. The document is not even published yet, so it seems very up-to-date and
relevant for the general knowledge of every citizen. Although the document is
open for public comments, I would not make any major changes. It covers all of
the basics, without over simplifying but still taking into account the
interconnectedness of the problem.
I
was really happy to see a government supported project that clearly states
climate change is real and it is human induced. The National Development
Climate Change Advisory Committee’s mission is, “Thirteen Agencies, One Vision:
Empower the Nation with Global Change.” These agencies include Department of
Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of the
Interior, Department of State, Department of Transportation, Department of
Health and Human Services, NASA, NSF, Smithsonian Institute, USAID, Department
of Agriculture, and the EPA. This is AMAZING. Our bureaucratic government is
uniting all of the biggest agencies and their brains together to create a
report on the status of climate change.
It
gives me hope that the scientists who are writing this report will provide a
formal document that could motivate policy makers to look past their oil-fueled
pay checks and make a real change.
To find more information, read the report, and send comments to the Advisory Committee go to:
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