MEMBERSHIP & GIVING JOURNALS & PUBLICATIONS MEETINGS & EVENTS EDUCATION & CAREERS POLICY PROGRAM GET INVOLVED DONATE LOG IN Home About AMS AMS and Climate Change AMS and Climate Change Climate Change is among the most pressing issues facing the world today. Humans are causing climate to change and it poses numerous serious risks. The more carbon we emit, the higher the carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere will be and the larger the changes in climate we'll face. Based on our current path, a child who is born today would, at age 30, breath air with roughly twice as much carbon dioxide as her great, great grandparents. And yet, we do not know how much carbon we can emit safely and we cannot know in advance when human-caused climate changes will lead to catastrophic societal consequences. We do know that we are seeing some of these consequences today, including increases in global temperatures, melting ice caps, and rising global sea levels. These are conclusions based on multiple independent lines of evidence that have been gathered over decades of intensive scientific research. They are affirmed, and reaffirmed by numerous leading scientific institutions around the world, including AMS. For example, the official AMS statement on Climate Change, reads in part, “Warming of the climate system now is unequivocal, according to many different kinds of evidence.” It goes on to say, “It is clear from extensive scientific evidence that the dominant cause of the rapid change in climate of the past half century is human-induced increases in the amount of atmospheric greenhouse gases …” Similar conclusions have been reached by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the National Academies of more than 30 other countries, other scientific societies, including AGU and AAAS. We know of no scientific institution with relevant subject matter expertise that disagrees with these basic conclusions. Further Reading: Policy Memo: Climate Change—The Basics AMS Statement on Climate Change State of the Climate This annual report, compiled by NOAA and published by AMS, provides peer-reviewed research on global climate. Explaining Extreme Events This annual report, compiled by NOAA and published by AMS, looks at major global extreme weather events and possible connections to climate change. 2014 Climate Change Risk Management Study This AMS Policy Program Study identifies potential policy responses to climate change and explores their strengths and weaknesses. ClimatePolicy.org Website You can quickly learn the basics about climate change and climate policy or take a deeper dive in the subject. You can also read commentary on the climatepoliyc.org blog and contribute to the discussion. BAMS Article; May 2016 “Climate Matters: A Comprehensive Educational Resource Program for Broadcast Meteorologists.” A new national program features broadcast meteorologists who are educating their viewers about the science behind climate change. BAMS Article; August 2016 “Most Americans Want to Learn More about Climate Change.” Research shows that the public is increasingly eager for climate change information. This BAMS article shows how AMS members can play an important leadership role in educational outreach on climate change. AMS Policy Program Memo on Climate Change As a public issue, climate change boils down to four overarching findings: 1) climate is changing, 2) people are causing climate to change, 3) human caused climate change poses serious risks to society, and 4) we have numerous options for managing climate change risks. Input from the AMS Community on Ways to Address Climate Change Framework for Government Interactions Affiliations with Other Organizations About AMS Home History AMS Contacts AMS on the Air Commissions, Boards, and Committees AMS Local Chapters AMS Position Letters News AMS Statements Awards & Honors AMS Organization and Administration FAQs on Environmental Stewardship AMS Insights Annual Reports AMS Election Information Corporate Patron Follow us Soundings Our monthly newsletter for AMS members and friends. SUBSCRIBE Read the Latest Issue Learn more about AMS Mission of AMS Annual Meeting Awards & Honors Statements Annual Reports Organization and Administration AMS Executive Director Search AMS Lands' End Apparel Affiliate Sites Journals Online AMS Community AMS Weather Band Front Page Blog AMS Bookstore AMS Store Archived Meeting Presentations Living on the Real World Blog Contact AMS EMAIL & PHONE CONTACTS amsinfo@ametsoc.org Phone: 617-227-2425 Fax: 617-742-8718 Headquarters: 45 Beacon Street Boston, MA 02108-3693 DC Office: 1200 New York Ave NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20005-3928 © Copyright 2021 American Meteorological Society | Privacy Policy and Disclaimer