Science Comes to Washington
Editor's Note: Frederick Anderson is blogging from the National Academy of Science's Summit on America's Climate Choices.
The head of GM is out, but science and technology are in, and the National Academy of Sciences convened today with Congress's blessing a Summit on America's Climate Choices. The purpose of the two-day meeting is to kick off the development of a scientifically-credible "framework for a national response to climate change."
Look at this effort the way Congressman Alan Mollohan (D-WV) invited participants to do a minute ago: this Academy study will lay down a science marker for Congress and policy makers going forward.
Earlier today, I had an opportunity to spend some time with Albert Carnesale, Chancellor Emeritus of UCLA and Chair of the Academy study, before he opened the summit. We talked about black carbon, abrupt climate change, how to capitalize homeowner energy efficiency, the green aspects of the stimulus, and the prospects for an expanded and reinvigorated role for science and scientists in aid of government action. These and many many more issues will be addressed over the coming months by the study's four panels: mitigation, adaptation, improving climate science, and a tricky one -- a panel on "informing decisions and actions" related to climate.
There is a lot of excitement in the scientific community about the Summit. Indeed the auditorium contains the Who's Who of climate science and climate policy. Between the Academy study and these administrative changes, I believe much can be achieved.
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