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Expanding Climate Services at NOAA: Developing the National Climate Service 5 May 2009
On 5 May 2009, the House Committee on Science and Technology’s Subcommittee on Energy and Environment held a hearing entitled “Expanding Climate Services at NOAA: Developing the National Climate Service.” The purpose of the hearing was to explore options for expanding the delivery of climate services by NOAA. The hearing also explored the role of other federal agencies in building a national infrastructure to deliver climate information. This infrastructure would support the development of national, regional and local strategies to adapt to climate variability and change. It is needed because multiple actors in society rely on weather and climate information to make decisions.
During his opening statement, Chairman Brian Baird (D-WA) called for structuring a service “that will not only support us nationally, but at the regional and local scale where adaptation and response plans can best be implemented.”
Among the witnesses were NOAA’s Administrator, Dr. Jane Lubchenco and representatives of various regional climate research institutes. Dr. Lubchenco testified that current climate organizations collectively are insufficient and the nation needs an objective source to guide decision making.
Ranking Member Bob Inglis (R-SC) expressed concern that adding a National Climate Service would grow the Federal government even larger. Dr. Lubchenco responded that we can make the current government setup more efficient, but it would still lack necessary climate services; new efforts will be required.
She and other witnesses insisted that a National Climate Service, whether established within NOAA, NOAA’s National Weather Service, or as a new and independent entity, should be user-driven; simply placing data on a website for all to see will not be enough. Instead, users require climate products. A massive outreach campaign will be needed to inform them about those products.
Please visit the Subcommittee’s Hearing Charter, the Chairman’s Opening Statement, and the Witness Statements.