Position Statement Adopted Editorial
on Climate Change and Greenhouse Gases
Following a year-long process of review, discussion and writing, the AGU Council adopted the position statement, “Climate Change and Greenhouse Gases,” that is published in this issue of Eos. The subject of climate change long ago left the realm of pure science and entered the political arena. Although it is only one part of a complicated and emotional decision-making process, science is central to informed debate on climate change. Our elected leaders should be guided by the current best scientific understanding of the climate system. They should be informed about the system’s inherent complexity, its natural variability in the recent and more distant past, and scientists’ best assessment of human impacts on the system. As the premier scientific organization that incorporates all of the disciplines engaged in research to understand the climate system, AGU has a responsibility to speak clearly about the present scientific understanding of the system and its susceptibility to change.
AGU does not take this responsibility lightly. As a matter of strict policy AGU adopts positions of public advocacy only after a long and careful process, described recently in the December 29, 1998, issue of Eos (page 637). Recognizing the politically charged nature of the climate change issue, AGU went a step further and published an initial draft of a statement on the AGU Web site and in Eos early in 1998 and invited comments from the membership. The panel members who were engaged in crafting the original statement, as well as the members who worked on the final version presented to the Council, carefully reviewed and acted upon all of these comments according to their intrinsic merits. The statement that was unanimously approved by the AGU Council reflects the serious consideration of many scientific points of view, and it focuses appropriately on the current understanding of climate change and greenhouse gases.
As with all AGU position statements, the Committee on Public Affairs (COPA) will endeavor to communicate the contents of this statement to policy makers at every level. While COPA recognizes that not all members may wish to advocate the AGU position, those who wish to do so are encouraged to use AGU’s statement in their discussions with local, state, and/or federal representatives.
Author
Louis J. Lanzerotti, Chair,
AGU Committee on Public Affairs