CONNECTING SCIENCE TO DECISIONMAKING ON CLIMATE CHANGE

David Blockstein, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, NCSE

Executive Secretary

Council of Environmental Deans and Directors

Council of Energy Research and Education Leaders

www.NCSEonline.org

I. Introduction to NCSE

Mission: to improve the scientific basis of environmental

decisionmaking.

Focus: programs that bring together diverse

institutions, communities and individuals to collaborate

Education and Careers

Goal: increase the number and quality of trained individuals to address complex environmental challenges.

Partners – Universities and colleges– High schools– Employers– Government agencies (EPA STAR)

University Affiliates Benefits

www.ncseonline.org/Affiliates

• National Conference: 5 Complimentary registrations

• Council of Environmental Deans and Directors (CEDD)

• Campus-wide Electronic Subscriptions: Greenwire, Environment and Energy Daily, Land Letter

• Internship Opportunities

• Handbook of Federal Funding for Environmental R & D

• University Federal Dialogue on Energy and Environmental Research and Education

• Advocacy for Federal Funding on Energy and Environmental Research and Education

• Collaboration with more than 170 colleges and universities across the U.S.

Council of Environmental Deansand Directors (CEDD)

• Top Environmental Leaders at Affiliate Universities

• Curriculum, including Climate Solutions Curriculum

• Careers, including Environmental Alumni Career Study and Campus to Careers Program

• Program Administration

• Interdisciplinary Hiring, Tenure and Promotion

Council of Energy Research and Education Leaders (CEREL)

• Mission: to advance university energy research

and education through collaboration

• Top Academic Energy Leaders

• Research Funding Advocacy

• Curriculum and Careers

• Program Administration

• Communications and Outreach

CEDD Climate Solutions Curriculum

Goal: Establish appropriate education materials and support systems regarding

climate change causes, consequences and solutions

1. Creation and dissemination of an interdisciplinary undergraduate General

Education Course on Climate Change - NASA grant ~$180,000

2. Climate Adaptation and Mitigation E-Learning Community– NSF grant $1.66

million for 3 years

3. Creation of a Masters Degree in Climate Science and Solutions – in progress

CAMEL

• Climate, Adaptation, and Mitigation e-Learning Community

• Nationwide (and beyond) community– Educators, researchers, students

• Undergraduate materials—all levels and fields

• Climate change causes, consequences and solutions

4. National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment

Conference Themes:

1st - Improving the Scientific Basis for Decisionmaking

2nd - Sustainable Communities: Science and Solutions

3rd - Education for a Sustainable and Secure Future

4th - Water for a Sustainable and Secure Future

5th - Forecasting Environmental Changes

6th - Energy for a Sustainable and Secure Future

7th - Integrating Environment and Human Health

8th - Climate Change: Science and Solutions

9th - Biodiversity in a Rapidly Changing World

10th – The New Green Economy

• 3 days, 1200+ participants

• 35 breakout sessions,

• 10 symposia,

• 24 workshops

• Presidential Candidate Forum

• A Blueprint for a Low Carbon Society

National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment - Climate Change: Science and Solutions

• Meeting the Climate Change Challenge by John Holdren, Science Advisor to President Obama

The Climate Solutions Consensus: What We Know and What We Need to Do will be published by Island Press, in November 2009.

Main messages • “Global warming” is a misnomer; we should be calling it

“global climatic disruption”.

• The disruption & its impacts are now growing more rapidly than was expected just a few years ago.

• The world is already experiencing “dangerous anthro-pogenic interference in the climate system”. The question now is whether we can avoid catastrophic interference.

• Our options are mitigation, adaptation, & suffering. If we do less mitigation & adaptation, we’ll do more suffering.

• In mitigation and adaptation, there is a lot of “low-hanging fruit”.

• The United States must switch from laggard to leader – and sooner rather than later – if the world is to act in time.

• Everyone has a part to play. We all make a difference!

January 20-22, 2010

Washington, DC

www.ncseonline.org/conference/greeneconomy

David Blockstein, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist

1101 17th Street NW, Suite 250

Washington, DC 20036

www.NCSEonline.org

202-207-0004

David@NCSEonline.org

Thank you!