Humans are changing the composition and radiative balance of Earth's atmosphere by burning fossil fuels, changing land use patterns, and exacerbating carbon-cycle feedbacks. These changes touch every ecosystem on earth and thus carry important implications for ocean chemistry, climate and weather, and the global distribution of water. They will influence agricultural productivity, human health, disease ecology, the survival of ecosystems/species and the stability of the global economy.
Understanding these changes is difficult due to issues of scaling in both time and space. Costs of various responses are far removed from benefits, and the challenge of assessing both is compounded by scientific uncertainty, the dramatic nonlinear behavior of the climate system and economic structure, and the cultural barriers to disseminating information and integrating ideas across many scholarly and social disciplines. Ethical issues inherent in the distribution of costs and benefits over countries, economic groups and generations add an additional dimension to the climate change debate.
We are exploring the scientific and the social aspects of this grave problem through a deliberative process. Have a look at the beginning of that process on our Defining the problem page.
The final product of our deliberations can be viewed on the Final Summary & Recommendations page.
