National Research Council (NRC)
The National Research Council (NRC) serves as the operational arm of the United States National Academies of Sciences, which also include the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine. Established in 1916 and formalized by President Woodrow Wilson in 1918, the NRC is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to providing policy advice on matters related to science, technology, and medicine. It carries out its mission through seven divisions, known as Program Units, which engage experts to address various issues, including climate change.
Since 1992, the NRC has played an active role in climate change research and policy advice, particularly through its work with the U.S. Climate Change Science Program. The council has produced numerous reports highlighting the human impact on the planet's warming and the associated challenges that climate change poses to ecosystems and human infrastructure. Notable publications, such as the 2008 edition of "Understanding and Responding to Climate Change," and the consensus report "Advancing the Science of Climate Change," emphasize the urgent need for action to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate-related impacts. The NRC continues to be a key contributor to ongoing discussions and research around climate change, reinforcing the importance of collaborative efforts to address this global challenge.
National Research Council (NRC)
Mission
The National Research Council (NRC) is the operating arm of the United States National Academies of Science. It was established in 1916 and made permanent by President Woodrow Wilson in 1918. The National Academies of Science include the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and the National of Medicine (NAM). These are private and nonprofit organizations chartered to provide policy advice to the federal government on science, technology, and medicine. They provide this policy guidance through the seven divisions of the NRC, known as Program Units. For global warming questions, most of these activities are carried out through the Division of Earth and Life Studies.
The NRC initiates studies at the request of the White House, a department of the federal government, or Congress by calling together a committee of experts from the academies and from the nation. The committee studies the issue and publishes a public report on its findings, including policy recommendations. The NRC publishes more than two hundred reports and other documents each year through the National Academies Press.
Significance for Climate Change
The NRC has been studying climate change since 1992. In 2002, it was charged with providing strategic advice to the US Climate Change Science Program (CCSP), which coordinated the climate change activities of thirteen federal agencies from 2002 to 2009. In addition to the annual advisory reports for CCSP, twenty-one other climate assessment reports regarding global warming were issued. The highlights of these reports were compiled and published as Understanding and Responding to Climate Change, 2008 Edition.
This report indicated that available scientific data clearly showed that the Earth was warming, and most of this temperature increase was likely due to human causes. Temperatures reconstructed by several different methods indicated that the planet’s surface temperatures since the middle of the twentieth century had been higher than in any comparable period since about 1500 and had increased at the same rate as the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The report stated, “Climate change will affect ecosystems and human systems—such as agriculture, transportation, and health infrastructure—in ways we are only beginning to understand.” It concluded, “The increasing need for energy is the single greatest challenge to slowing climate change.” As a result, the main action recommended was to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and other GHGs that were released into the atmosphere: The world must work together to make use of alternative energy sources and prepare its populations for the effects of higher temperatures during the next decades.
In 2010, the National Academies released a consensus study report on climate change titled, Advancing the Science of Climate Change. This report was part of a larger suite of studies known as "America's Climate Choices." The text argued that climate change was occurring, was largely caused by human activities, and posed a threat to humanity and the environment. While continuing research is always welcomed, the National Academies stood firm on their belief in the overwhelming indicators of catastrophic climate change. The report also provided a government action plan for constructing a response to global climate change across multiple sectors. Throughout the second decade, and into the third, of the twenty-first century, the NRC has continued to publish guidebooks, reports, policy papers, and workshop proceedings on climate change.
Bibliography
Climate Change: Evidence, Impacts, and Choices. Washington, DC: Natl. Academy of Sciences, 2012. PDF file.
"Climate Intervention Is Not a Replacement for Reducing Carbon Emissions; Proposed Intervention Techniques Not Ready for Wide-Scale Deployment." National Academies. Natl. Academy of Sciences, 10 Feb. 2015. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
The National Academies Press, https://nap.nationalacademies.org/. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.
"NAS Organization." National Academy of Sciences, www.nasonline.org/about-nas/organization/. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.
"National Academy of Sciences Elects Members and International Members." National Academy of Sciences, 2024, www.nasonline.org/news/2024-nas-election/. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.
"New Report Calls for Attention to Abrupt Impacts from Climate Change, Emphasizes Need for Early Warning System." National Academies. Natl. Academy of Sciences, 3 Dec. 2013. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
Roston, Eric. "Geoengineering. The Bad Idea We Need to Stop Climate Change." Bloomberg Business. Bloomberg, 10 Feb. 2015. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
"Strong Evidence on Climate Underscores Need for Actions to Reduce Emissions and Begin Adapting to Impacts." National Academies. Natl. Academy of Sciences, 19 May 2010. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.