Global climate change is one of America's most significant long-term policy challenges. Human activity-especially the use of fossil fuels, industrial processes, livestock production, waste disposal, and land use change-is affecting global average temperatures, snow and ice cover, sea-level, ocean acidity, growing seasons and precipitation patterns, ecosystems, and human health. Climate-related decisions are being carried out by almost every agency of the federal government, as well as many state and local government leaders and agencies, businesses and individual citizens. Decision makers must contend with the availability and quality of information, the efficacy of proposed solutions, the unanticipated consequences resulting from decisions, the challenge of implementing chosen actions, and must consider how to sustain the action over time and respond to new information. Informing an Effective Response to Climate Change, a volume in the America's Climate Choices series, describes and assesses different activities, products, strategies, and tools for informing decision makers about climate change and helping them plan and execute effective, integrated responses. It discusses who is making decisions (on the local, state, and national levels), who should be providing information to make decisions, and how that information should be provided. It covers all levels of decision making, including international, state, and individual decision making. While most existing research has focused on the physical aspect of climate change, Informing an Effective Response to Climate Change employs theory and case study to describe the efforts undertaken so far, and to guide the development of future decision-making resources. Informing an Effective Response to Climate Change offers much-needed guidance to those creating public policy and assists in implementing that policy. The information presented in this book will be invaluable to the research community, especially social scientists studying climate change; practitioners of decision-making assistance, including advocacy organizations, non-profits, and government agencies; and college-level teachers and students. Table of ContentsFront MatterSummary1 Introduction2 Many Different Decision Makers Are Making Choices to Respond toClimate Change3 Decision Frameworks for Effective Responses to Climate Change4 Resources for Effective Climate Decisions5 Climate Services:Informing America About Climate Variability andChange, Impacts, and Response Options6 Informing Greenhouse Gas Management7 International Information Needs8 Education and CommunicationReferencesAppendix A: Panel on Informing Effective Decisions and ActionsRelated to Climate Change Statement of TaskAppendix B: The American Experience with Complex Decisions: PastExamplesAppendix C: Comparison of CO2 Emissions for States Versus National,United States, in 1999 and 2000Appendix D: State Greenhouse Gas Emissions Targets and BaselinesAppendix E: America's Climate Choices: Membership ListsAppendix F: Panel on Informing Effective Decisions and ActionsRelated to Climate Change Biographical Sketches