The site allows visitors to learn more about hydrologic models, remote sensing, climate analysis and other research tools. It also provides links to the experts involved in the EPA study and to related publications and Web sites. Freeman hopes to add interactive features that will allow visitors to access raw data, such as long-term temperature or rainfall figures, then use that information for their own research projects. She cautions that most of the material on this site is technical in nature. If sixth-grade students are writing reports on climate change, this is probably not the site for them.
Freeman sometimes hears from earnest Web surfers who misunderstand the purpose of the site.
I get e-mails from people who say, I've got a cough, and I think it's related to climate change. But these are not really the people we're trying to reach. We are aiming it at the decisions-makers, who could be analysts or government officials, and to the greater community of scientists. Eventually, Freeman hopes to become a researcher and policy-maker herself, tackling tough environmental issues. These issues require a lot of research and a lot of thought about what the trade-offs and options are.