Global change research within U.S. Department of energy

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has conducted research on the greenhouse effect for 12 years. The goal of this pioneering program is to: Improve the understanding of the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases and the physical, chemical, and biological processes that could potentially change global climate. This goal supports the developing U.S. National Energy Strategy (DOE, 1990a) and the U.S. Global Change Research Program (CES, 1990). The current scientific understanding of the greenhouse effect is that the theory is well founded, but major uncertainties remain in predicting global and regional climate change. The program has grown rapidly with the increased interest in the greenhouse effect. The Department is one of several agencies involved in the U.S. Global Change Research Program. There are four science elements in the Department's Carbon Dioxide Research Program. These are the global carbon cycle research, detection and modeling for climate change, vegetation research, and resource analysis. The research program is supported by an information and analysis centre to obtain, evaluate, and foster exchange of data and information among scientists and other users.