Climate Change Forum

Scientific studies suggest the Earth’s climate has warmed as a result of greenhouse gases increasing in the atmosphere. In turn, these gases parallel the acceleration of fossil fuel-based processes engineered by humans. So are human beings responsible for the warming of the Earthis atmosphere?  Are global warming temperatures merely “weather events” or indicative of true climate change?  We'll let you decide by linking you to Web sites of respected organizations and the facts they present about climate change. We also invite you to share your personal observations of changes in the Ozarks’ flora and fauna that may be early signs of a changing climate. Send your observations to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Botanical Society of America

www.botany.org/ and www.yearofscience2009.org/blog/2009/10/scientific-organizations.html - 18 scientific societies reaffirm consensus on climate change in letter to U.S. senators.

Climate Debate Daily

www.climatedebatedaily.com – The site links to scientific articles, new stories, economic studies, polemics, historical articles, PR releases, editorials, feature commentaries and blog entries related to climate change and human activity. The main column on the left includes arguments and evidence generally in support of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) position on the reality of significant anthropogenic global warming. The right-hand column includes material skeptical of the IPCC position and the notion that anthropogenic global warming represents a genuine threat to humanity.

As a matter of editorial policy, Climate Debate Daily maintains a studied neutrality, allowing each side to present its most powerful persuasive case.

Columbia University - Dr. James E. Hansen

www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/ - Publications and updated graphs and discussion of key information to help understand how climate change is developing and how effective or ineffective global actions are in affecting climate forcings and future climate change.

Ecological Society of America

www.esa.org/education_diversity/pdfDocs/globalclimatechange.pdf - A discussion of global climate change, covering:

· How is our atmosphere different

· What is global climate change

· How much warming and when

· What will global climate change do 

· What is science doing

· Where can I get more information

Managing Ecosystems Under a Changing Climate - In a recent position statement, the Ecological Society of America outlines strategies that focus on restoring and maintaining natural ecosystem functions to mitigate and adapt to climate change. In a corresponding press release, ESA President Mary Power said, “If we are going to reduce the possibility of irreversible damage to the environment under climate change, we need to take swift but measured action to protect and manage our ecosystems.” View the statement here.

Recommendations for USGS Climate and Wildlife Science Center - ESA, in collaboration with The Wildlife Society and the Meridian Institute, recently completed a Final Report on Outreach and Recommendations for operation of the U.S. Geological Survey National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center. The report is available here.

Millenium Ecosystem Assessment

www.millenniumassessment.org/en/index.aspx -The United Nations’ Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, initiated in 2001, assesses the consequences of ecosystem change for human well-being and the scientific basis for action needed to enhance the conservation and sustainable use of those systems and their contribution to human well-being.

The MA has involved the work of more than 1,360 experts worldwide. Their findings, contained in five technical volumes and six synthesis reports, provide a state-of-the-art scientific appraisal of the condition and trends in the world’s ecosystems and the services they provide (such as clean water, food, forest products, flood control, and natural resources) and the options to restore, conserve or enhance the sustainable use of ecosystems.

National Academy of Sciences

www.nasonline.org/site/PageServer and www.nasonline.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ABOUT_President_Speeches_STS_Forum_Oct_2009 – “Avoiding Unmanageable Climate Change and Managing Unavoidable Changes” by Ralph Cicerone, president, at Science and Technology in Society Forum, Japan, Oct. 4, 2009

Natioinal Geographic

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1206_041206_global_warming.html - Covering:

· Is it happening

· Are humans causing it

· What’s going to happen

· What is Climategate

National Wildlife Federation

www.nwf.org/global-warming - This section of NFW’s site includes the impact on wildlife and habitat.

Pew Charitable Trusts

www.pewclimate.org/global-warming-basics/facts_and_figures - Covering:

· Physical basis of climate warming

· Observed temperatures and greenhouse gas trends

· Impacts

· U.S. emissions

· International emissions

ScienceDaily

www.sciencedaily.com – ScienceDaily is exclusively a Web site, not an organization, but it’s become one of the more popular science sites since it went live in 1995. You’ll find links to atmosphere, climate, weather, global warming, renewable energy , sustainability, energy and many others at the site.

For example, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100203111626.htm takes you to a news article about how invasive plants benefit from climate change.

Union of Concerned Scientists

www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/ - Information on Copenhagen climate conference, provisions in Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, costs of climate change inaction and study of path to a clean energy economy. On the left are links to regional climate change information, including one for the Midwestern states.

United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

www.ipcc.ch/ - 4^th assessment report, released in 2007, of the IPCC, has four sections:

· Synthesis

· Physical science

· Impacts, adaptions and vulnerabilities

· Mitigation of climate change

U.S. Climate Action Network

www.climatenetwork.org – Founded in 1989, USCAN is the largest U.S. network of organizations focused on climate change. It has a state-by-state section that includes information on clean energy jobs and other topics.

U.S. Department of Energy 

www.pi.energy.gov/climate_change.htm - Office of Climate Change Policy and Technology within the DOE executes its mission to accelerate development and deployment of advanced technologies and best practices to mitigate climate change.

www.energy.gov/news2009/print2009/7612.htm - Statement from Dr. Steven Chu, Secretary of U.S. Department of Energy before U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, July 7, 2009.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

www.epa.gov/climatechange - Comprehensive information on issues of climate change relative to communities, individuals, businesses, states and localities and governments.

www.epa.gov/climatechange/endangerment/downloads/EndangermentFinding_ClimateChangeFacts.pdf - Key scientific facts that support EPA’s determination that greenhouse gases in the atmosphere endanger public health and welfare of current and future generations.