Communications
USGCRP Fiscal Year 2006
Accomplishments

USGCRP
Program Elements

Atmospheric Composition

Ecosystems

Global Carbon Cycle

Decision-Support Resources Development and Related Research on Human Contributions and Responses

Climate Variability and Change

Global
Water Cycle

The following are selected highlights of recent research supported by CCSP participating agencies (as reported in the fiscal year 2007 edition of the annual report, Our Changing Planet).

• Published and distributed Our Changing Planet: The U.S. Climate Change Science Program for Fiscal Year 2006.
• Published seven basic information sheets: Overview of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program, Overview of the CCSP Research Elements, Overview of the CCSP Strategic Plan, Overview of the CCSP Budget, CCSP Synthesis and Assessment Products, Methane as a Greenhouse Gas and an overview of the CCSP Annual Report to Congress Our Changing Planet.
• Added new material to CCSP’s publicly accessible web sites, including the FY 2006 edition of Our Changing Planet and materials relating to CCSP’s synthesis and assessment products. These include draft and final prospectuses that provide background information on each planned report and a detailed roadmap that will be followed in producing it. CCSP also posted the public review and final drafts for the first synthesis and assessment product (Temperature Trends in the Lower Atmosphere: Steps for Understanding and Reconciling Differences). These postings help ensure early and ongoing review of synthesis and assessment products by stakeholders.

• Facilitated stakeholder participation in the U.S. Government review of draft documents of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
• Sponsored the CCSP workshop, Climate Science in Support of Decision Making, for scientists and stakeholders in November 2005.
• Managed and improved CCSP web sites. Traffic to CCSP’s three main sites increased to over 7,000 visits per day by December 2005, a 53% increase over December 2004. CCSPO also improved web services to facilitate interagency collaboration.

• Managed the Global Change Research Information Office (GCRIO). Mandated by the Global Change Research Act of 1990, the purpose of the office is to “disseminate to foreign governments, businesses, and institutions, as well as the citizens of foreign countries, scientific research information available in the United States which would be useful in preventing, mitigating, or adapting to the effects of global change.” GCRIO includes a major web site, with two important features:
  • The GCRIO online catalog for requesting reports and CDs. Relative to FY 2004, the average number of orders received per month increased 94% in FY 2005, and the average number of products shipped per month increased 408% over FY 2004.
  • Ask Dr. Global Change, which provides answers to global change questions submitted by web site visitors.
• Managed the CCTP public web site, where the number of visits doubled between December 2004 and December 2005. CCSPO also provides additional support services to CCTP, including development and management of password-protected web sites and publications support.