Dear NACP investigators' community: I strongly encourage you to comment on the draft US Global Change Research Program Strategic Plan for 2012-2021. The public comment period ends on Tuesday, 29 November, 2011. This document is intended to guided federal research in global change for the next decade, thus it is critically important to the NACP and all carbon cycle research in the U.S.
This document is quite unusual compared to past strategic plans. The current draft is almost entirely focused on process, and almost entirely devoid of scientific content. The reference list, for example, is exceptionally short, and the document provides little to no specific scientific guidance for a research agenda in any field of climate change research. I find this disturbing. The goals of the current plan, for example, are generic to any scientific endeavor: * Goal 1: Advance Science: Advance scientific knowledge of the integrated natural and human components of the Earth system * Goal 2: Inform Decisions: Provide the scientific basis to inform, and enable timely decisions on adaptation and mitigation * Goal 3: Sustained Assessments: Build sustained assessment capacity that improves the nation's ability to understand, anticipate, and respond to global change impacts and vulnerabilities * Goal 4: Communicate and Educate: Advance communications and education to broaden public understanding of global change, and empower the workforce of the future The implementation plan is exceptionally generic. The 2008 update to the strategic plan, in comparison, had 5 scientific goals with associated research elements (listed below). It also mentioned 'cross cutting approaches' that were similar to the 4 areas that are now listed as the primary goals of the new draft plan. Within each of the 5 scientific goals, an attempt was made to describe the state of the science and to present a substantive research agenda for the coming years. I am concerned that the current draft plan is so weak in scientific detail that it will not motivate a strong US global change research program. Your comments can make a considerable difference. Whatever your opinion, please take a look at this draft (and perhaps compare to the past strategic plans), and take the time to send in your thoughts. Carbon cycle science in the US currently benefits from an active and engaged Carbon Cycle Interagency Working Group (CCIWG) and Science Steering Group (CCSSG), a new US Carbon Cycle Science Plan, and a relatively strong and organized NACP research community. All of these are due in part to past USGCRP strategic plans that have called out carbon cycle science as an area of scientific need. While the current draft does not rule out carbon cycle science as an important area of research, it also, in my opinion, does not strongly promote any specific research agenda. You can find the draft report and submit comments at: http://strategicplancomments.globalchange.gov/ I have included some links and info concerning the past strategic plan below. Thanks for your time, and Happy Thanksgiving! Ken Davis Professor of Meteorology The Pennsylvania State University and Co-chair, NACP Science Steering Group More information on the strategic planning process: http://www.globalchange.gov/component/content/article/67-themes/153-strategic-planning Link to past USGCRP strategic plans: http://www.globalchange.gov/what-we-do/strategic-plan-2003 2008 USGCRP strategic plan goals (then called the Climate Change Science Program - CCSP), "approaches," and program elements are listed below for your information: GOALS: • CCSP Goal 1: Improve knowledge of the Earth’s past and present climate and environment, including its natural variability, and improve understanding of the causes of observed variability and change. • CCSP Goal 2: Improve quantification of the forces bringing about changes in the Earth’s climate and related systems. • CCSP Goal 3: Reduce uncertainty in projections of how the Earth’s climate and related systems may change in the future. • CCSP Goal 4: Understand the sensitivity and adaptability of different natural and managed ecosystems and human systems to climate and related global changes. • CCSP Goal 5: Explore the uses and identify the limits of evolving knowledge to manage risks and opportunities related to climate variability and change. In working toward these strategic goals, CCSP employs four core approaches, including: • Scientific Research: Plan, sponsor, and conduct research on changes in climate and related systems. • Observations: Enhance observations and data management systems to generate a comprehensive set of variables needed for climate-related research. • Decision Support: Develop improved science based resources to aid decisionmaking. • Communications: Communicate results to domestic and international scientific and stakeholder communities, stressing openness and transparency. CCSP’s research elements include: • Atmospheric Composition • Climate Variability and Change / Modeling • Global Water Cycle • Ecosystems • Land-Use and Land-Cover Change • Global Carbon Cycle • Human Contributions and Responses. CCSP’s cross-cutting elements include: • Observations and Data Management • Modeling • Decision Support • International Research and Cooperation • Communication. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To post to this group, send email to geoengineering@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to geoengineering+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=en.
ATT00001.txt
Description: ATT00001.txt
