In 2012, spring came earlier for the contiguous United States than in any year since 1900, according to recent research by a team of scientists with the USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN). This research used the USA-NPN suite of “spring indices”—or algorithms based on the accumulated warmth needed to initiate growth in temperature-sensitive plants, which are validated by nationwide historical observations of lilac and honeysuckle growth. USA-NPN is sponsored by multiple Federal entities affiliated with USGCRP—including NSF, NASA, NOAA, DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and DOI’s...

USGCRP agencies are at the center of a new initiative to advance climate education, literacy, and training in the United States. Led by OSTP, the interagency Climate Education and Literacy Initiative aims to connect students and citizens with the best-available scientific information about climate change. Agencies will apply their individual expertise to this unified Federal effort—for example: The National Park Service will develop a national interpretive plan to assist employees, volunteers, and other partners in effectively conveying climate change concepts to Park visitors. NOAA and...

The Arctic is facing rapid climate and environmental change relative to many other parts of the world. In addition to long-lived greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, short-lived climate forcers—in the form of pollutants such as black carbon and trace gases— contribute to warming in this region. A new synthesis , recently published in BAMS , highlights the key results emerging from POLARCAT—an international effort initiated during the most recent International Polar Year to track these pollutants and better understand their role in Arctic climate. POLARCAT measurements were collected by...

The international Global Carbon Project released its annual Global Carbon Budget in September 2014, shining a spotlight on rising carbon dioxide emissions and their significance for international efforts to reduce climate change. The 2014 Budget comprises analyses of emissions data for 2013, projections through the end of 2014, and implications for future climate and energy choices. The emissions data are available to explore interactively through the Global Carbon Atlas , worldwide and by country. According to the Budget, global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel use and cement...

Tropical cyclones (hurricanes and typhoons) generate serious costs to human life, property, and the economy. Understanding how the behavior of tropical cyclones may change in a warmer climate is important for long-range coastal planning and infrastructure investments to minimize impacts. To help address this prediction challenge, NASA, NOAA, NSF, and DOE have cosponsored a Hurricane Working Group (HWG) , organized through the interagency U.S. Climate Variability and Predictability (US CLIVAR) Program and composed of leading hurricane scientists and climate modelers from the United States and...

The Nation’s energy infrastructure is vulnerable to a range of climate impacts, particularly in areas prone to severe storms or water shortages. These impacts may be exacerbated or mitigated by other systemic factors, such as increasing energy demands, infrastructure interdependencies, and changes in technology, demographics, land use and land cover, and regional industries and economies. Although existing models can capture some of these factors, there is a growing need for modeling frameworks and tools that can explore their collective behaviors. Recently, scientists funded by DOE’s...

Food security is a critical challenge in rapidly urbanizing, low-income regions of the world. Climate change is likely to increase disruptions to food availability and prices, further exacerbating food insecurity for the urban poor. Urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) can serve as an important food source for cities in the developing world, contributing to dietary diversity and economic activity. However, UPA systems are stressed by factors such as rapid urban growth, weak governance over land and water allocation, and pollution. Moreover, the potential of such systems to meet food security...

The Global Carbon Atlas, released in late 2013, is an interactive web-based platform designed to communicate information about the global carbon cycle to educators, policy makers, non-governmental organizations, the general public, and the scientific community. The Atlas allows users to explore, visualize, and interpret global and regional carbon data related to human activities and natural processes, with the goal of sharing knowledge and supporting decisions to limit and cope with human-induced climate change. The Global Carbon Atlas was made possible by the measurements, models, and...

Advancing science in the Arctic is crucial to understanding global climate dynamics, supporting policy decisions, and managing nationally and internationally important resources. In coordination with the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) and USGEO, USGCRP member agencies observe and monitor the Arctic environment to understand the impacts of global change on this ecologically, culturally, and economically significant region. Polar orbiting satellites provide data that are combined with information from surface-based measurement networks, airborne and field campaigns, and...

Trout and salmon are economically and ecologically important stream-dwelling species. Researchers from USGS, NOAA, and the University of Montana are working together to assess the effects of current and future climate change on these species’ freshwater habitats throughout the Pacific Northwest, with the goal of providing tools to help managers predict and respond to potential climate impacts on habitats, populations, and the economy. Research to date indicate that increasing stream water temperatures may lead to fragmentation of suitable habitat for migratory trout and salmon, causing a loss...