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Funding Climate Research

The National Climate Program Act increases federal funding for climate research, under the National Climate Program Office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The law includes a Congressional finding that:  “(1) Weather and climate change affect food production, energy use, land use, water resources and other factors vital to national security and human welfare.  (2) An ability to anticipate natural and man-induced changes in climate would contribute to the soundness of policy decisions in the public and private sectors.  (3) Significant improvements in the ability to forecast climate on an intermediate and long-term basis are possible.  (4) Information regarding climate is not being fully disseminated or used, and Federal efforts have given insufficient attention to assessing and applying this information.”  It directs the President to develop a five-year plan for, among other actions, “basic and applied research to improve the understanding of climate processes, natural and man induced, and the social, economic, and political implications of climate change;”  “global data collection, and monitoring and analysis activities to provide reliable, useful and readily available information on a continuing basis;” and “measures for increasing international cooperation in climate research, monitoring, analysis and data dissemination.”*

 

*National Climate Program Act of 1978,  Pub.  L.  95-367, https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/STATUTE-92/pdf/STATUTE-92-Pg601.pdf