Washington, D.C. — The dire revelations in the latest report from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) underscore the critical importance of investing in top-notch climate research—both nationally and globally, according to a new column from the Center for American Progress and the Climate Center at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.
As political leaders work to address the crisis, they will need better data, more computing power, and more highly trained experts to help them react quickly to the extreme weather affecting their communities and end the global dependence on fossil fuels, the column says. The value of future IPCC reports will depend on the quantity and quality of the research and results used to underpin its findings.
“The United States is a global leader in climate science—and it must do more,” said Kelly Kryc, a senior fellow for Energy and Environment at CAP. “As countries such as China invest more in science and technology, the United States risks losing its leadership position. The United States must lead by example for the rest of the world by investing in the latest technology and expertise to understand how the Earth is changing.”
The column recommends that research priorities include:
- Investments in long-term environmental monitoring
- Investments in next-generation Earth system modeling
- Recruiting and retaining federal climate scientists
Read the column: “U.N. Climate Change Report Affirms Value of American Climate Science—and the Need To Double Down” by Kelly Kryc and David Reidmiller
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected] or 202-478-6327.