Foot Dragging at the White House

July 20, 2003 – Vol.8 No.17

FOOT DRAGGING AT THE WHITE HOUSE.

The Bush Administration has released its 10-year plan to study global warming/climate change -- the Climate Change Science Program.

The 364-page plan sets five goals. At the top of list is to study the natural variability of climate change - natural causes, like sun spots, that might be warming the planet. Others include...

-- Improving the understanding of forces bringing about climate change. (Forces are often described as man-made such as the burning of fossil fuels, but can also mean natural forces such as volcanic eruptions)

-- Reducing the uncertainty in changes to the environment and climate in the future. (Read more computer modeling.)

-- Create a better understanding of the sensitivity and adaptability of natural and managed systems. (How humans, wildlife and plants will adapt or not).

-- Find more ways to calculate the risks and opportunities of climate change (Climate change will be damaging to some, but beneficial to others, but by how much?)

Two criticisms. Most studies and recent data point to warming caused by human climate forcings - our cars, power plants and industry - with only minor warming from natural variability. So, topping the list with more study on natural causes seems a mistake. The move deliberately infuriates environmental groups. Secondly, the program, if adopted and funded, will only lead to more study in areas already visited in the past - a needless rehash of old issues, but with more and updated data. The program would extend and drag on a process of investigation for yet another decade when the rest of the world is waiting for the U.S. to take real action to mitigate the problem today. For the full report and other documents visit the Climate Change Science Program at http://www.climatescience.gov/.