Improve climate change communication and education in the US – a report
According to a report by the National Research Council the federal government needs to establish information and reporting systems — such as climate services and a greenhouse-gas accounting system –that provide a range of information on climate change and variability, observed changes and causes, potential impacts, and strategies for limiting emissions or adapting to impacts. The report emphasizes the importance of coordination across the federal government and with state, local and private sector decision makers.
The report says, the new national system for providing climate services should inform decision makers and assist them in managing climate-related risks. Information should be timely, authoritative, and based on rigorous natural and social science research and tailored to government- and private-sector users at the national, regional, and local levels. For example, agricultural producers trying to decide which crops to grow need timely seasonal forecasts, data on likely outbreaks of diseases or pests, and advice about long-term strategies for adapting to climate impacts; and forest and park managers need information to control fires and plan for longer-term ecosystem management.
The report identifies several key functions that should be included in climate services, such as enhanced observations and vulnerability analyses on a regional scale, sustained interaction with stakeholders and research to understand their needs, an international information component that provides data on global climate observations and impacts, and a central accessible web portal that encourages sharing of information. The report points out that the existing federal capabilities overlook these functions.
The report recommended that the comprehensive greenhouse gas management system for monitoring, reporting, and verifying emissions should include a unified accounting protocol and a registry to track emissions at a detailed level. Monitoring is essential for developing effective emissions policies and verifying claims that emissions have been reduced, the report says. Such a system could build on the existing expertise of agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
The report emphasizes that federal policies should not unnecessarily supersede measures already being taken regionally or locally. For example, more than half of Americans live in states, counties, and cities that have enacted a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and many private companies are taking significant steps to reduce their carbon footprints. So any federal policy being made must not supersede these measures being taken at the local level. This means the new national system for providing climate services should also be designed to evaluate and assess state and local government and private-sector responses to climate change.
The study panel recommends that decision makers in the public and private sectors need to implement an iterative risk management strategy that adapts to new information, conditions, or technologies that could affect climate change policies. The decision makers also need to account for many uncertainties about the severity of impacts and options for responding to them. According to the report, the government could also review and revise programs such as federal crop and flood insurance in the light of the risks of climate change.
In order to improve climate change communication and education among the general public the report recommends some strategies such as urging federal agencies to support training for researchers on how to communicate complex climate change information and uncertainties to different audiences. In addition, a national task force of educators, government leaders, policymakers, and business executives should be established to educate people about climate change its causes, consequences, and potential solutions.
The report says, the federal government should review and promote credible product standards and labels for consumers that provide information about energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions. The government should also consider establishing an advisory service on these issues targeted at the public and small businesses. This would help consumers selecting more energy-efficient products with lower emissions and to reduce their energy use.
This report is part of a congressionally requested suite of studies known as America’s Climate Choices.
Source: http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=12784
July 23, 2010