GLOBAL CLIMATE DEBATE

Commerce Sec. Announces National Climate Service

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke has proposed the creation of an NOAA Climate Service, an office of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration that would unify all the agency's climate science and data.

Locke said the office would integrate the agency's climate science and services and make them more accessible.

"By providing critical planning information that our businesses and our communities need, NOAA Climate Service will help tackle head-on the challenges of mitigating and adapting to climate change," said Locke. "In the process, we'll discover new technologies, build new businesses and create new jobs."

The office would coordinate data collected by NOAA researchers throughout the world, including predictions about both short- and long-term global changes and information on how U.S. resources can best be used to adapt to climate change and produce renewable energy.

"Working closely with federal, regional, academic and other state and local government and private sector partners, the new NOAA Climate Service will build on our success transforming science into usable climate services," said NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco.

The move drew support from at least one key leader in the energy sector.

"Making climate science more easily accessible to all Americans will help us gain the consensus we need to move forward," said Jim Rogers, CEO of Duke Energy. "It will help bring people together so we can also bring about an economic recovery by more rapidly modernizing our nation's energy infrastructure."

Carol Browner, President Obama's energy and climate advisor, said NOAA's research is already crucial to U.S. business and government leaders, and the new service would make it even more valuable.

"Businesses, communities and governments will rely even more on its expertise and the critical information it provides to make informed decisions based on the best science available, " she said. "We will be better able to confront climate change, and the many challenges it presents for our environment, security, and economy."

Thomas R. Karl, director of NOAA's National Climatic Data Center, will serve as transitional director of NOAA Climate Service. The office will eventually employ six regional directors.

NOAA also unveiled a new Web site to serve as a single portal for the agency's NOAA's climate information, data, products and services. It includes sections intended for decision makers and policy leaders, scientists, educators, business users and the public.

Highlights of the portal include an interactive "climate dashboard" that shows a range of constantly updating climate data such as temperature, carbon dioxide concentration and sea level over adjustable time scales. Users can also view videos and articles of scientists discussing recent climate research and findings; and an array of data products and educational resources.

Access the new NOAA Climate Portal here.

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