Key Observations

1
Key Observations

• The voice of the science community as represented
  by years of reports and reviews is evident in the
  strategic plan
• The importance of connecting science to
  decision-makers is prominent
• We are also missing a key opportunity

2
Example Scenario development has a logical
3-prong approach

• Historical perspective
• What if scenarios to probe for vulnerabilities
• Model projections to explore plausible futures
• Note in the past stakeholders have voted with
  their feet using the models because they are
  at least physically consistent and they are much
  closer to the level of sophistication of modern
  water, agriculture, ecosystem research efforts.

3
Issue 1 Multiple Stresses and Regional
Imperatives

• We will never truly connect to the majority of
  decision-makers unless our analyses approach the
  scale of decisions about water, food, health,
  etc.
• Uncertainties are magnified for decision-makers
  if we separate climate from other environmental
  forcing factors (e.g. land-use waste products)

4
Issue 2 We need to do much more to energize the
science community in service to society

• The connections between weather and climate and
  health, forestry, water, energy, agriculture,
  etc. is a rich arena for scientific exploration
• Exploration of these connections will serve
  society in on time scales from days to centuries
• The current focus is on risk and vulnerability on
  one time scale why not tout (and enable) the
  potential benefits of our growing predictive
  capabilities?

5
Issue 3 Decision-Making goes well beyond
energy policy

• We should applaud the connection to a climate
  science program to an energy technology program
  this is truly exciting
• But, if it will take revolutionary developments
  to alter the world energy sources and budgets,
  then adaptation will be as important as
  mitigation this takes us directly to sectors
  and regions

6
Summary

• We have a strong program that reflects many of
  the key questions and needs of the scientific
  community.
• We are missing opportunities to energize the
  connections between climate science and sectors
  and regions that would truly allow us to serve
  society.
• Our science has the potential to simultaneously
  reduce risk to life and property, promote
  economic vitality, and enable environmental
  stewardship on many time scales. Why are we
  avoiding these opportunities?