Lisa Dilling, CSTPR & CIRES Research Associate, will give an IBS Brown Bag Talk on Monday, December 3, 2007 on “Usable” carbon science: Supporting carbon governance and decision making across scales. The talk will be at 12:00 pm at the Institute of Behavioral Science, Building 3, Main Floor, 1424 Broadway Avenue.

Abstract: Because of concern over climate change, society at many levels is considering options to mitigate or sequester CO2 emissions.  In addition to actions focused on the energy system aspects of the problem, the scope of options now includes deliberate management of the land surface and ocean depths in order to reduce CO2 and CH4 emissions or to remove CO2 from the atmosphere.  While much of the impetus for action on climate change has come from international processes negotiated between nations, the implementation of policies will occur at a wide variety of governmental and sectoral levels—from local city pledges to statewide legislation in the United States to incentives for agricultural practices to national commitments.  Federal carbon science under the U.S. Climate Change Science Program is funded to “best support improved public debate and decision-making in the near term.” Scientific knowledge on the carbon cycle may be able to provide information to inform decision making, but it is not clear that the carbon cycle scientific enterprise is organized well to respond to needs at various scales.  This presentation will draw upon examples from the literature on the use of seasonal climate forecasts, and explore how this might be applied to creating “usable” science for carbon governance and societal decision making across scales.