The House Committee on Science and Technology on Thursday passed a bill that would establish a Climate Service Program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
H.R. 2407, the National Climate Service Act of 2009 was introduced by Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN), and it outlines an interagency process to establish a National Climate Service.
“State and local governments, private industry and resource managers across the country recognize that weather and climate impacts influence many aspects of our lives. We have built infrastructure, projected water availability, developed cropping systems and managed coastal resources assuming a range of weather and climate is undergoing change,” stated Gordon. “Without more specific information about the magnitude and direction of these changes we will be ill prepared to exploit new opportunities and to adapt to new challenges. That is why we need a climate service.”
NOAA has a comprehensive observation network that gathers ground and satellite-based information from land and sea on weather, climate, atmospheric chemistry, and as well as other environmental data. NOAA manages and archives and makes these data available to a wide variety of groups and maintains the nation’s historical climate record.
NOAA also has an extensive network of regional and local offices delivering weather and climate information, and established partnerships with state climate offices, private sector weather providers, universities and other organizations with experience in developing and delivering information on weather and climate.
“The development of a National Climate Service cannot be solely a federal exercise. Climate change will effect every community across this nation and it will have effects on our economy. We must have an on-going dialogue to ensure that we deliver products that are needed. The federal government must strengthen its partnerships with state and local governments, the academic community and the private sector to make efficient use of all the expertise and resources that stakeholders bring to the effort of making our nation more resilient to climate variability and change,” Gordon said.
Last week NOAA launched a new cooperative institute involving government and university researchers who will use satellite observations to detect, monitor and forecast climate change and its impact on the environment.
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