US considers a national climate service

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http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090219/full/news.2009.108.html

Published online 19 February 2009 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2009.108

News

US considers a national climate service

Programme would merge climate-change data from multiple agencies.

Roberta Kwok

The US government may soon synthesize its climate data into a central user-friendly service rather than having it scattered across multiple agencies. The idea has been floating around the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for about 30 years, but it may be given a boost if Jane Lubchenco is confirmed, as expected, as agency head.

The National Climate Service would consolidate climate records and forecasts from research groups and government agencies, offering a single authoritative source. Lubchenco, a marine ecologist at Oregon State University in Corvallis, pledged at her Senate nomination hearing on 12 February to work towards the creation of this service. She says it could meet demand from local and state officials for information on the effects of climate change, such as drought and sea level rise, on communities.

Although NOAA already maintains a National Weather Service, the proposed service would offer climate-change predictions on the time scale of months or years. "I can do nothing but cheer," says Eric Barron, director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, of Lubchenco's announcement. "It's something we really need."

Other countries also have taken a service-oriented approach to climate science. The UK Climate Impacts Programme in Oxford works with government officials, utilities, and businesses to identify their vulnerabilities to climate change. Germany is starting a Climate Service Center in Hamburg that will act as a focal point for decision-makers seeking climate information.

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