The House Science and Technology Subcommittee on Energy and Environment is expected to mark up draft legislation today that would create an office similar to the National Weather Service to predict changes in climate. The new “National Climate Service” would be established within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). A National Climate Service (NCS) would provide a single point of contact of information for the user-community. An NCS would provide climate forecasts and support for planning and management decisions by federal agencies; state, local, and tribal governments; and the private sector.
NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco has indicated that an NCS is a high priority for the administration. Similar legislation is included in a draft climate and energy bill that the House Energy and Commerce Committee plans to mark up before Memorial Day.
Some members in the scientific community worry that an NCS would duplicate existing programs and others worry that the service should not be housed within NOAA because other agencies and departments hold more of the required expertise. Continue reading “Bill Would Create National Climate Service”