The National Climate Assessment Physical Climate Indicators Workshop Report is now available in its final published format here.
The National Climate Assessment (NCA) convened a workshop on
“Physical Climate Indicators†from 29 to 30 March, 2011 as part of a series on “Monitoring
Climate Change and its Impactsâ€. The overarching goal of this workshop was to
identify a few broad categories of potential physical climate indicators using
a set of priorities developed by the NCA, and to provide a clear justification
for how they would inform the Nation about climate change. Additional goals
included providing input on the overall NCA framework for selecting the
indicators and suggesting methodologies to construct indicators. Although one
of the workshop goals was to address the status of current observational networks
to support indicators, this was not a main focus of any single discussion. The
nearly 60 participants, primarily from federal agencies, received a white paper
in advance of the workshop that detailed the NCA vision for a coordinated suite
of climate-related physical, ecological, and societal indicators. The intent of
these “national indicators of change†is to develop a way to evaluate and
communicate over time both the rate of change in impacts and the capacity to respond
to climate drivers. These indicators will be tracked as a part of ongoing,
long-term assessment activities, with adjustments as necessary to adapt to changing
conditions and understanding. An initial framework was provided to workshop
participants to ensure that everyone understood the proposed audience, scope,
and purpose of the indicators. A common lexicon was defined since indicator terminology
varies widely. In addition, several potential approaches to grouping the
indicators were presented.
The NCA Report Series
summarizes regional, sectoral, and process-related workshops and discussions
being held as part of the third NCA process. This workshop focused on monitoring
changes in the physical climate system, as part of a series that includes
workshops on the impacts of climate change on ecosystems and socioeconomic systems.
The workshop was held in Washington, D.C. on March 29-30, 2011. Volume 5b of
the NCA Report Series summarizes the discussions and outcomes of this workshop.
A list of planned and completed reports in the NCA Report Series can be found online
at http://assessment.globalchange.gov.
Federal Register Notice: "Request for Information: Technical Inputs and Assessment Capacity Related to Regional, Sectoral, and Cross-Cutting Assessments for the 2013 U.S. National Climate Assessment (NCA) Report and the Ongoing NCA Process" pdf | html
This notice is an amendment to the request for information (RFI) published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, July 13, 2011 (76 FR 41217). This RFI sought comments and expressions of interest (EOI) from the public in providing technical inputs and/or offering assessment capacity on topics related to National Climate Assessment (NCA) regional, sectoral, and cross-cutting topics proposed for the 2013 NCA report and the ongoing NCA process. More information on the NCA process, including the strategic plan, proposed report outline, and information about the National Climate Assessment Development and Advisory Committee (NCADAC), can be found at http:// assessment.globalchange.gov. This amendment provides a deadline of October 1, 2011 for EOIs describing anticipated inputs for the 2012 NCA report.
The deadline for EOIs describing anticipated inputs for the 2013 NCA report is October 1, 2011. As described in the RFI, the deadline for subsequent inputs for the 2013 NCA report remains March 1, 2012.
Any questions about the content of this request should be sent to Emily Therese Cloyd, NCA Public Participation and Engagement Coordinator, U.S. Global Change Research Program Office, 1717 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Suite 250, Washington, DC 20006, Telephone (202) 223-6262, Fax (202) 223-3065, e-mail ecloyd@usgcrp.gov. For more information about the NCA process, including the strategic plan, proposed report outline, and information about the NCADAC, please visit http://assessment.globalchange.gov.
The document "Frequently Asked Questions about the Request for Information and Expression of Interest process for the National Climate Assessment" is now available [pdf].
Summaries from NCA Listening Sessions at various professional society meetings and the July 2011 Forestry Sector Stakeholder Workshop are now available here.
Federal Register Notice: "National Climate Assessment Development and Advisory Committee; Notice of Open Public Meeting" pdf |html
The NCADAC will meet August 16-18, 2011, at the following times: August 16, 2011, from 9a.m. to 6 p.m.; August 17, 2011, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; August 18, 2011, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Please visit the NOAA NCADAC website for more detailed meeting logistics information and directions.
Note: The meeting may have limited seating capacity; seats are available on a first come-first served basis. Any member of the public wishing further information concerning the meeting should contact: Dr. Cynthia Decker, the NCADAC Designated Federal Official (DFO), SSMC3, Room 11230, 1315 East-West Hwy., Silver Spring, MD, 20910. Phone: (301) 734-1156, Fax: (301) 713-1459. E-mail: Cynthia.decker@noaa.gov.
Federal Register Notice: "Technical Inputs and Assessment Capacity On Topics Related to 2013 U.S. National Climate Assessment" pdf | html
NOAA has issued a request for information, inviting the public to provide comments and expressions of interest in offering technical inputs or assessment capacity on topics related to the National Climate Assessment. While federal leadership will continue to play a significant role in the 2013 NCA, the National Climate Assessment Development Advisory Committee (NCADAC) recognizes and calls upon the increasing science capability and expertise across the United States to support its work. The diverse viewpoints of private industry, state and local governments, non-governmental organizations, professional societies, and impacted communities will ultimately contribute to a better informed and more useful NCA report. Expressions of interest are due by October 1, 2011, and final inputs are due by March 1, 2012. Please see the Federal Register Notice for a detailed timeline and more information [pdf | html]. Additional supplementary material includes "Potential Technical Inputs and Assessment Capacities and Suggested Best Practices" [pdf].
9/1 UPDATE: A Frequently Asked Questions document for the Requests for Information and Expressions of Interest is now available [pdf].
