Harlan Watson, US Department of State, recommended that COP-9 focus on issues which unite rather than divide countries, drawing attention to the importance of science and research.
William Brennan, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), provided an overview of US climate activities, including climate research and investment in innovative technologies.
Ahsha Tribble, NOAA, highlighted that the US Climate Change Science Program aims to, inter alia: improve knowledge of past and present climatic and environmental changes and their causes; improve quantification of the factors causing climate change; reduce uncertainty in climate change projections; and deepen understanding of ecosystem and human sensitivity and adaptability to climate change.
Sidney Thurston, NOAA, explained that NOAA’s Ocean Observation System for Climate aims to monitor abrupt changes in thermohaline circulation and document long-term trends in sea-level rise, ocean carbon sources and sinks, and heat uptake and release.
Jackie Krieger, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), provided an overview of the EPA’s Global Change Research Program, which aims to assess the consequences of global change, provide scientific information to support decision making, and consider adaptation strategies.
Noting that coral reefs are the first major ecosystem type to experience rapid degradation on a global scale due to human impacts, Alan Strong, NOAA, described NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch program, and emphasized the need to monitor environmental indices to improve understanding of ecosystems, impacts, recovery and adaptation.
William Hohenstein, US Department of Agriculture, discussed the USDA Climate Change Science Program, emphasizing research on atmospheric composition, water and carbon cycles, land use and land cover change, ecosystems, and human contributions and responses.