Highlights

Since 1989, the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) has submitted annual reports to Congress called Our Changing Planet. The reports describe the status of USGCRP research activities, provide progress updates, and document recent accomplishments.

In particular, Our Changing Planet highlights progress and accomplishments in interagency activities. These highlights represent the broad spectrum of USGCRP activities that extend from Earth system observations, modeling, and fundamental research through synthesis and assessment, decision support, education, and public engagement.

Analysis of the costs and benefits of switching to paddy rice production suggests that farmers could increase profits while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Drainage of organic soils for agriculture has resulted in widespread soil subsidence (sinkage relative to surrounding areas) and increased greenhouse gas emissions. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in California, once an expansive wetland, was drained and converted to agricultural production in the mid-1800s, and has since experienced subsidence rates that are among the highest in...

Building on 2013’s working group report on the physical science basis for climate change, the IPCC released two additional installments of its Fifth Assessment Report in spring 2014—this time focused on climate impacts, risks, and responses.

The first of these two 2014 installments dealt with impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability, finding that the effects of climate change are already occurring worldwide; that the world, in many cases, is ill-prepared for the associated risks; and that there are opportunities to respond with effective action, though

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Goal 1 – Advance Science: Advance scientific knowledge of the integrated natural and human components of the Earth system.

Goal 2 – Inform Decisions: Provide the scientific basis to inform and enable timely decisions on adaptation and mitigation.

Goal 3 – Conduct Sustained Assessments: Build sustained assessment capacity that improves the Nation’s ability to understand, anticipate, and respond to global change impacts and vulnerabilities.

Goal 4 – Communicate and Educate:

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USGS, USACE, and NOAA’s National Weather Service collaborated to create this Flood Inundation Mapper. (Source: USGS)

Overview
NOAA, USGS, and USACE are working together to help the country prepare for and manage the impacts of changing weather and climate patterns, particularly with regard to extreme events like hurricanes, floods, and drought.

Before, during, and after coastal storm events, USGS assesses the likelihood of beach erosion, overwash, or inundation,
and provides

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Highlights

Informing agricultural emissions management

Impacts, Risks, and Responses in the 2014 IPCC Reports

USGCRP's Four Strategic Plan Goals

Forecasting Extreme Events to Increase Preparedness and Resilience