Engineering and Environmental Challenges Technical Symposium on Earth Systems Engineering (2002) / Chapter Skim
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Improving Climate Assessment
Improving Climate Assessment
Pages 17-22
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From page 17... ...
Global climate change affects every sector of our economy and society, from the quality and availability of food and water to human health, coastal and ocean processes, forests, ecosystems, and energy demand and supply. In the last decade, a methodology has been designed to provide decision makers in the public and private arenas with an independent, multiscale assessment of the state of scientific knowledge.
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From page 18... ...
In responding to climate change, the engineering and technological community can both mitigate the effects and adapt our capabilities. Mitigation strategies can reduce the impacts, thereby reducing vulnerabilities; vulnerabilities can be reduced further by improving our adaptative capacities.
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From page 19... ...
As vulnerability analysis evolves, other factors, such as social inequities, poor health, inadequate environmental services, and lack of access to state services, infrastructure, and other essential resources, that contribute to the effects of climate change are being identified and integrated. This conceptual framework has been improved by the development of powerful quantitative methods and mathematical models that have enabled the scientific and engineering community to analyze how causes and impacts overlap, cluster, aggregate, and interact.
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From page 20... ...
Significant uncertainties remain in the science underlying regional climate changes and their impacts. Further research would improve understanding and our ability to project societal and ecosystem impacts, and provide the public with additional useful information about options for adaptation.
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From page 21... ...
With the advent of Earth systems engineering and improved vulnerability models, the engineering and technology communities can contribute to solutions. With continued improvements in Earth systems engineering, we should be able to adapt to and mitigate climate changes in the coming decades.
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