Five questions for John Holdren on the US climate assessment

Published in the last week the Federal Government of its national climate assessment, the most comprehensive report to date about the climate, already feeling the impact in the United States climate change "have moved firmly into the present" say the report documented how to grow drier regions dry heat wave is still intense and the large swaths to die of the forest insect infestations. Yale environment 360 asked John p. Holdren, Director of the White House Office of science and technology policy, five questions about the report and about President Obama's plans to curb measures for CO2 emissions and adapt to rising seas and other changes to intensify.
1. do you think that last week-national climate assessment has the potential to shift the debate about climate change in the United States?
I think people come to understand by what they see around them, and from what they see on their TV and on the Internet, what happens to the climate change in this country. The third United States
National climate assessment will only strengthen and increase understanding. I think that public awareness of the effects of climate change has recently taken to and is what increase continue, partly to the dissemination of scientific knowledge and information through efforts such as the climate analysis.
2. the assessment leads to 840 pages and off the United States your point of view in detail about the many changes already reported what were some of the most amazing results?
There are a number of findings in this report, signaling an alarm Horn to sound action is needed against the threats posed by climate change. For example, the amount of rain coming down in heavy rains and flooding in the United States rises; There is an increase, which already takes place in heat waves across the middle of the United States; and there are serious observed effects of the sea level in low-lying cities such as Miami, where during the high tide, certain parts of the city flood and sea water seeps down through gullies occur. These are phenomena that occur in the already direct negative impact on human well-being in different parts of the country.
(3) with the local and regional impacts of climate change, are becoming increasingly evident and with government officials and scientists put a new focus on the mediation of this impact, do you think that the public will be more pressure on politicians measures to slow climate change?
I think we'll see more public support for government action leading the various components of the climate action plan of the President. This means more support for measures to enhance preparedness and stability in communities, more support for domestic emission reductions and more support for the U.S. leadership in the international arena. It is true that strong majorities of Americans to understand the climate changed, that people mainly responsible for the damage is already done, and that we need to take further action.
4. How do you assess the State of preparedness for adaptation to climate change in the United States, especially in vulnerable regions such as the East Coast and dry regions in the Southwest?
In regions, States and municipalities across the country, people already take many positive steps in their planning and decisions change climate information to integrate, which is increasingly available. There are also individual sectors - fishing for the instance-, who experience the effects of climate-related problems such as such as the acidification of the oceans, and begin to take action to address them. This type of localized actions are exactly the kind of measures that the Administration is working to support by scientific information, such as that of the third national climate assessment and the relevant data, such as the President data climate initiative, always open and available to make. The State of preparedness for climate change grow still stronger.
5. beyond this climate assessment what are the most important steps that the Obama administration now reduces the emission of greenhouse gases and prepare for sea level rise and will take other effects on the climate?
We have in the Administration already considerable progress towards the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States through the measures in the President's climate action plan - including the development of fuel consumption standards for trucks; Proposal for a series of energy-conservation standards as well as standards for greenhouse gas emissions from new fossil-fired power plants. Release of a national strategy for the emissions of methane - a powerful greenhouse gas - and much more. Continues, we each step necessary to the full implementation of all the measures described, the President plan, including those to reduce carbon pollution in America will be increasing willingness for and impacts that cannot be avoided and leading international efforts to tackle climate change resistance to climate change as a global challenge.


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