| The US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) released the draft National Climate Assessment (NCA) in January for public review. The NCA is a climate status report based on the best available science, assembled out of a collaborative effort from hundreds of academic, government, non-profit, and private sector experts. The USGCRP will accept public comments on the draft until April 12 before publishing the final report. |
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The panel will discuss the NCA findings and answer audience questions:
- David Hales, President of Second Nature, part of the National Climate Assessment and Development Advisory Committee (NCADAC), established to oversee the development of the report, will moderate.
- Kathy Jacobs, NCA Director and Assistant Director for Climate Assessments and Adaptation at the Office of Science & Technology Policy, will explain the significance of the NCA and the report process.
- Terese Richmond, NCADAC Vice Chair and environmental and resource management lawyer will outline the report's findings.
- Jim Buizer, NCADAC member and Director of the Climate Adaptation and International Development Institute for the Environment, University of Arizona, will give an introduction to the proposed Sustained Assessment.
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| "With regard to adaptation, the pace and magnitude of observed and projected changes emphasize the need for being prepared for a wide variety and intensity of climate impacts. Because of the influence of human activities, the past climate is no longer a sufficient indicator of future conditions. . .The knowledge that climate change is real and accelerating points to the need to develop and refine approaches that enable decision-making and increase flexibility, robustness, and resilience in the face of ongoing and future impacts." |
| The report strives to connect the effects of climate change across sectors and regions in a systems approach. Latter chapters call for overall strengthening of national greenhouse gas mitigation, provide support to encourage collaborative decision making processes, and encourage locally appropriate adaptation approaches. |
