More Agencies Should Participate In Global Change Research

The U.S. government should expand its Global Change Research Program to include participation by more federal agencies, says a report from the National Academies. Currently, 13 departments or agencies participate in the research program, which was established by a 1990 law to help the U.S. and the world understand, predict, and respond to human-induced and natural global change, especially climate variability. Entities involved are the Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Health & Human Services, Interior, State, and Transportation Departments; EPA; NASA; NSF; the Smithsonian Institution; and the Agency for International Development. “A key challenge is the sparse and uneven availability of social science expertise and data among the constituent agencies,” the report says. “There are critical issues that require improved use of global change science information, such as the provision of health information, the challenge of urban environments, and the need for mitigation of [greenhouse gas] emissions.” The report suggests that the program expand to include the Departments of Homeland Security, Housing & Urban Development, and Labor.