Workshop Background

Motivation
The Carbon Cycle Science element of the Climate Change Science Program (CCSP), especially the North American Carbon Program (NACP) has as a primary goal providing near-term information of use to decision makers . However, as demonstrated by several other areas of emphasis in Earth science, generating information that is useful to anyone outside of the scientific community does not automatically result from conducting scientific research. Specific findings include: information provided is not needed; information is needed by not provided; information lacks regional specificity; inaccessible presentation; poor communication; lack of trust in information or deliverers; institutional constraints prevent use of new information; and so on . The concept of managing carbon is a relatively new concept in the spectrum of managing natural resources or environmental issues—while carbon management has been discussed for merely a few decades, water, land and marine resources have been managed by society for centuries. The carbon cycle science community therefore does not have wealth of experience internally from which to draw upon in trying to develop a scientific agenda that will successfully meet the needs of decision makers. Preliminary evidence suggests that carbon cycle science is not currently meeting some important needs (“missed opportunities”) . The goal of this workshop is to foster an interested community of researchers and develop a research agenda with the ultimate aim of improving the usefulness of carbon cycle science for the broader community of decision makers.

Purpose
To provide input to the State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR) and broader NACP/Carbon Cycle Program on the question:

“How can we improve the application of scientific information to decision support for carbon management and climate decision-making?” (Currently section V of the SOCCR/SAR 2.2 outline)

Objectives

• To survey existing knowledge about successful decision support using carbon cycle science
• To enable cross-disciplinary transfer of knowledge about how to design and implement research agendas, projects and programs so that they can effectively serve users needs
• To develop a research and practice agenda for programs and scientists in carbon cycle science who are interested in serving the needs of users outside of the scientific community. Specifically, we will provide input to Section V of SOCCR on how we can improve the application of carbon cycle science in decision support, and create a broader research agenda on generating useful information in the NACP as NACP goes forward in its implementation.
  

Workshop Preliminary Information
Dates: June 13-14, 2005
Location: University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
Number of Participants: Approximately 20-25
Participants are being invited primarily from the carbon cycle science community, the community of researchers studying science-user interactions in the seasonal to interannual forecast arena, and the science policy research and practitioner communities.

Executive Committee: Lisa Dilling, Maria Carmen Lemos, Dennis Ojima, Steve Pacala, Chris Potter, Steve Rayner

A workshop of the Science Policy Assessment and Research on Climate (SPARC) project; support also provided by NOAA/OGP as part of a pilot Reconciling Demand for Carbon Cycle Science project; contributor to the SOCCR (State of the Carbon Cycle Report) project

Acronym List
CCSP Climate Change Science Program
CCRI Climate Change Research Initiative
NACP North American Carbon Program
SAR Synthesis and Assessment Report
SPARC Science Policy Assessment and Research on Climate

Endnotes

1. Climate Change Science Program Website: http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/stratplan2003/vision/overview.htm. Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI) website explicitly focused on near-term support, of which NACP was a key component: http://www.climatescience.gov/about/ccri.htm.
2. Many references available, some from the seasonal to interannual climate forecasting experience include: Pagano et al. 2002, Eakin and Conley 2002, Pulwarty and Redmond 1997, Letson et al. 2001, Pielke Jr. and Conant 2003, Lemos et al. 2002
3. Reconciling Supply and Demand – Carbon Cycle Workshop Report: http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/carboncycle/workshop/
4. The State of the Carbon Cycle Report is funded by 4 U.S. Federal Agencies, and is scheduled to be a Synthesis and Assessment product of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program. The Synthesis and Assessment products are a major component of the CCSP decision support strategy.
5. See Prospectus at: http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/sap/sap2-2/sap2-2prospectus-draft.htm.
6. http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/sparc/.