Many people equate climate with weather, and weather trends are important in understanding our planet’s climate. But the study of climate actually goes much further, exploring how conditions such as oceans, rivers, forests, grasslands, and deserts affect wildlife and humans.
Scientists use many different techniques to better understand Earth’s climate system. They make direct measurements with weather instruments, sample ice cores for clues about the environment in prehistoric times, and analyze atmospheric and terrestrial data using computer models. They investigate how climate conditions have changed in the past, what is causing them to change, and how changes might impact the future.
Climate research has made great strides in observation, theory, and modeling in recent decades. As a result, scientists are able to make projections of future climate change with increasing confidence. However, the complexities of the feedback processes that influence climate still make it difficult to project what the climate will be like over specific locations or time periods.
Despite the high stakes of this work, there is often a negative stigma associated with studying climate change. As a result, prominent scientists in the field are frequently subject to skepticism, hateful speech, and even death threats.
This is a disservice to the vast majority of climate scientists who are working hard to better our world. This is why the Alliance is committed to serving as a regular and accessible conduit for knowledge brokerage, promoting richer exchanges between researchers and policymakers, resulting in clearer, more actionable insights.
About the Author
