About the United States Global Change Research Program (USGCRP)

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Global change is a term intended to encompass the full range of global issues and interactions concerning natural and human-induced changes in the Earth's environment. The Global Change Research Act of 1990 defines global change as "changes in the global environment (including alterations in climate, land productivity, oceans or other water resources, atmospheric chemistry, and ecological systems) that may alter the capacity of the Earth to sustain life." Global change issues include understanding and predicting the causes and impacts of, and potential responses to: long-term climate change and greenhouse warming; changes in atmospheric ozone and ultraviolet (UV) radiation; and natural climate fluctuations over seasonal to interannual time periods. Other related global issues include desertification, deforestation, land use management, and preservation of ecosystems and biodiversity.

Long-term commitment to a research program in global change provides the foundation for understanding and evaluating the changing world, and encourages wise decisions for the future of the nation and the international community. The United States Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) was established by the Global Change Research Act of 1990 to provide scientific insight into the causes, effects, and impacts of changes in the Earth system, especially those related to human activities, and to develop tools for assessing options for responding to global change. The USGCRP is organized under the auspices of the Subcommittee on Global Change Research (SGCR) of the National Science and Technology Council's (NSTC) Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources Research (CENR).

The major foci of the USGCRP are to:

Observe and record what is happening to the Earth's environment;
Understand why changes are occurring;
Improve predictions of what will happen;
Understand the consequences of change; and
Develop capabilities for assessing change.

In support of these emphases, the USGCRP has focused most intensely on:

Supporting land-, ocean-, and space-based systems for observing global change;
Developing worldwide data management and archiving systems and enhancing data accessibility;
Supporting research on Earth system processes to improve the understanding of the most important physical, biological, and chemical processes that influence the global system; and
Supporting the development of integrative Earth system models for predicting the magnitude, timing, and extent of global change.

In response to new insights on the complexities of global change, the Program is expanding its efforts to include:

Analyzing the impacts and consequences of global change on the environment and on society; and
Developing tools for assessing national and international policies and options for responding to global change.

The USGCRP is a major contributor to international scientific research on global change through support of international programs such as the World Climate Research Programme and the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP). To strengthen the worldwide research effort, the U.S. also participates in numerous bilateral and multilateral research activities, including the establishment of regional research institutes, with the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research beginning operations in 1994. The USGCRP joins organizations in providing scientific information for international science assessments, including those of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the International Ozone Assessment of the World Meteorological Organization.

Through the development of regional institutes such as the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, the SysTem for Analysis, Research and Training (START), and the U.S. Country Studies initiative, the USGCRP is working with developing countries on vulnerability assessments and defining options for responding to global change. The U.S. Government is refocusing foreign aid assistance to encourage the promotion of sustainable technologies, such as those related to renewable energy.

In 1993 the USGCRP began to develop capabilities for conducting integrated assessments of global change and its consequences, with increased emphasis on understanding the social dimensions and economic implications of global change. During 1994 the USGCRP is preparing a ten-year research plan. In this plan, more emphasis is placed on characterizing the nature and scope of global changes. More emphasis is also given to understanding what the magnitude and significance of changes will be, and what decision tools are needed to evaluate the choices available for adaptation to, and mitigation of, potential changes.

The eighteen agencies, departments, and Executive Offices of the United States Government that plan and implement the USGCRP are committed to a research program that provides information for national and international policy formulation. To strengthen the science/policy link, the USGCRP is intensifying its efforts to improve communication with decision makers and to identify those information needs that have the most significant implications for near-term policy development. The USGCRP is increasing support for research in the areas of: social, economic, health, and policy sciences. In addition to focused USGCRP research activities, contributing research is directed toward developing more efficient and cost-effective technologies for energy, transportation, manufacturing, environmental controls, and information transfer.

USGCRP activities are described in more detail in the report: "Our Changing Planet: The FY 1995 U.S. Global Change Research Program," which is available on request from the Global Change Research Information Office. A limited number of the FY1994 report are also available from the GCRIO.

Address

Global Change Research Information Office
2250 Pierce Road
University Center MI 48710

Tel: 1-517-797-2730
Fax: 1-517-797-2730

e-mail: help@gcrio.org