Earth Equity News

NOAA to Offer New Online Service on Climate Information. By Juliet Eilperin, WashPost, February 9, 2010. "The Obama administration proposed a new climate service on Monday that would provide Americans with predictions on how global warming will affect everything from drought to sea levels. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Service, modeled loosely on the 140-year-old National Weather Service, would provide forecasts to farmers, regional water managers and businesses affected by changing climate conditions. The move is essentially a reorganization of NOAA, and would bring the agency's climate research arm together with its more consumer-oriented services. It would not come with a boost in funding. A Web portal launched February 8 at www.climate.gov provides a single entry point to NOAA's climate information, data, products and services...

"NOAA, along with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, ranks as one of the federal government's key agencies for monitoring the climate and conducting climate research. 'We currently respond to millions of annual requests for climate information, and we expect those requests to grow exponentially,' said NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco in an interview, adding that in light of recent scientific advances, the models will continue to improve, and we will be able to provide more and more information.' Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said in an interview that the service would be able to provide advice on such diverse topics as where ski operators might want to refocus their activities in light of changing snowfall patterns and which farm crops will need increased irrigation."