Final Report on Climate Change Delivered to Congress

Marilyn Brown, Professor in the School of Public Policy, is a member of the panel of climate change experts who delivered their final report to Congress on May 9th affirming "strong evidence on climate change" and urging "strong federal policies that establish coherent national goals and incentives, and that promote strong U.S. engagement in international-level response efforts."

The report was the last in a series requested by Congress in 2008 for the purpose of providing "action-oriented advice" on how the U.S. should be treating the issue of climate change. The panel of scientists, politicians, and business leaders was created by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, the country's foremost institution tasked with providing scientific advice to lawmakers.

The report, entitled "America's Climate Choices," argues that the consequences of inaction in the face of climate change could be severe. No specific legislative recommendations were made, but the report warns about the dangers of global warming and agrees with the scientific evidence that points to the burning of fossil fuels as the problem. It concludes that "the significant risks that climate change poses to human society and the environment provide a strong motivation to move ahead with substantial response efforts."

The report committee was chaired by Al Carnesale, University of California Los Angeles and included Vice Chair, Bill Chameides, Duke University; Marilyn Brown; Donald Boesch, University of Maryland; Thomas Dietz, Michigan State University; Jim Geringer, Environmental Systems Research Institute; Philip R. Sharp, Resources for the Future; Robert Socolow, Princeton University.

Brown participated in a dialog held in Washington, D.C. May 12th that introduced the report to the public. A recording of the event may be seen here.

Press release for America's Climate Choices