A Notice by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on 10/15/2020
Document Details
Printed version: PDF
Publication Date: 10/15/2020
Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Document Type: Notice
Document Citation: 85 FR 65433
Page: 65433-65435 (3 pages)
Agency/Docket Number: NOTICE: (20-082)
Document Number: 2020-22729
AGENCY:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
ACTION:
Request for public nominations for authors and scientific/technical inputs and notice of planned public engagement opportunities.
SUMMARY:
NASA, on behalf of the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), is soliciting nominations for authors and scientific/technical inputs for the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5). Refer to the NCA5 Draft Prospectus (presented in a previous Federal Register Notice and accessible via www.globalchange.gov/notices) for further information on the scope, topics, and overarching themes for the report. This document also serves as a notice of planned public engagement opportunities. NCA5 will adhere to the Global Change Research Act (GCRA), Information Quality Act, and Evidence Act requirements for quality, transparency, and accessibility as appropriate for a Highly Influential Scientific Assessment.
DATES:
Nominations should be submitted via the web address specified below and must be received by the close of this notice (30 days after publication). For best consideration, scientific/technical inputs should be submitted by the close of this notice but will be accepted on an ongoing basis throughout the planned 12-month initial report development process.
ADDRESSES:
Nominations for authors must be submitted electronically using a web form accessible via https://www.globalchange.gov/notices. A short Curriculum Vitae (CV) of no more than four (4) pages must be included. Scientific/technical inputs should also be submitted electronically using a web form accessible via https://www.globalchange.gov/notices.
Instructions: Response to this notice is voluntary. Responses to this notice may be used by the Government for program planning on a non-attribution basis. NASA therefore requests that no business proprietary information or copyrighted information be submitted in response to this notice. Please note that the U.S. Government will not pay for response preparation or for the use of any information contained in the response. Start Printed Page 65434
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Chris Avery, U.S. Global Change Research Program, (202) 419-3474, cavery@usgcrp.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The Global Change Research Act (GCRA) of 1990 mandates that the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) deliver a National Climate Assessment (NCA) to Congress and the President not less frequently than every four years that “(1) integrates, evaluates, and interprets the findings of the Program; (2) analyzes the effects of global change on the natural environment, agriculture, energy production and use, land and water resources, transportation, human health and welfare, human social systems, and biological diversity; and (3) analyzes current trends in global change, both human-induced and natural, and projects major trends for the subsequent 25 to 100 years.”
To date, four NCAs have been released. The first NCA was published in 2000, and the second was published in 2009. The third NCA was published in 2014, and the most recent assessment, NCA4, was released in two volumes and completed in November 2018.
NCA5 development will be transparent and inclusive, offering opportunities for public participation throughout the process. The production and review processes are designed to result in a report that is authoritative, timely, relevant, and policy neutral; valued by authors and users; accessible to the widest possible audience; and fully compliant with the GCRA. In July 2020, comments were solicited through a 30-day request for information on the draft Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) Prospectus (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/07/10/2020/14904/request-for-comment-on-the-draft-prospectus-of-the-fifth-national-climate-assessment). Comments received on the draft Prospectus informed the list of potential topics included in Section I of the current request.
Author nominees may be invited to serve as Chapter Lead Authors, Authors, or Technical Contributors to NCA5. Both federal and non-federal experts may serve as Chapter Lead Authors. Chapter Lead Authors will, with input and guidance from the Federal Steering Committee (FSC), establish author teams comprising federal and non-federal experts. A Federal Coordinating Lead Author selected by the FSC will serve as a liaison between the author team and federal agencies. For more information on author roles, see www.globalchange.gov/nca5.
In addition, this request presents an opportunity to submit relevant scientific/technical inputs to inform the assessment. This request also outlines planned opportunities for the public to engage in the NCA5 development process.
Additional details and instructions for submitting nominations for authors and scientific/technical inputs are available at www.globalchange.gov/notices. For the responsibilities and expectations of the different types of authors and contributors, please see www.globalchange.gov/nca5. For more information about the NCA and for access to previous NCA reports and activities, please see www.globalchange.gov/nca5.
All participation in and contributions to the NCA will be without compensation and will be potentially included in the publicly released NCA. By voluntarily participating in the NCA, you acknowledge the following understandings:
1. Participation in the NCA means facilitating the development of the NCA, contributing new work to the NCA, or contributing preexisting work for the NCA. Any such work will be incorporated into the NCA at the Federal Government’s discretion, including the possibility of modification, without any compensation and without redaction under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) or otherwise.
2. All contributions to the NCA of text and original figures (those newly created for NCA and not previously published) will be released under the Creative Commons 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication (CC0 1.0). Such contributions will not be protected by copyright or other intellectual property rights. Data, algorithms/models, and software code used to create or support the creation of text and original figures will also be publicly released in connection with the NCA. In some cases, such data, algorithms/models, and software code may be subject to copyright restrictions prohibiting both their use for commercial purposes and the creation of derivative works, such as CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, but any such restrictions may not prohibit their use for the purpose of reproducing results.
3. Participants assume any and all risks associated with participation in the NCA. By participating, participants inherently waive all claims against the Federal Government and its related entities, except for claims based on willful misconduct, for any injury, death, damage, or loss of property, revenue, or profits (whether direct, indirect, or consequential) arising from participation in the NCA.
4. By participating, participants agree to indemnify the Federal Government in the event that it suffers liability or damages as a result of its use of the contribution.
I. Call for Nominations for Authors
Nominations are sought for authors with pertinent subject matter expertise and background in the natural or social sciences. Nominees should be accomplished scholarly writers with a demonstrated history of scientific and technical expertise and academic proficiency in at least one of the regions/climate-related topics delineated below. Nominations are encouraged from all non-governmental sectors (academia, not-for-profit, and private). Submissions must document that nominees have demonstrated technical backgrounds such that they could contribute to the development of a robust scientific and technical assessment as subject matter experts in one or more of the listed topics. In addition, individuals interested in being considered for chapter leadership positions should have experience with leading collaborative teams under deadlines. Authors volunteering to assist in writing NCA5 are providing an important service to the United States. The Global Change Research Act of 1990 calls for the preparation of this quadrennial report and directs that it be delivered to the President and the Congress. Author roles allow these volunteers to contribute to the premier national assessment of the state of the science regarding global change. In addition to providing an opportunity to inform policy, participation in NCA5 will allow authors to expand their professional networks and visibility, and to explore opportunities to create derivative products. The Federal Government will not provide financial compensation for these roles. The Federal Government is expected to provide travel costs to authors to attend meetings requested for NCA5. USGCRP is working to streamline processes in order to make the author role as easy and satisfying as possible. Formal acknowledgment will be provided to each author’s institution.
Responses to this request for nominations for authors must be submitted by 30 days from the opening of this notice. The nominations forms can be accessed via www.globalchange.gov/notices. Interested persons may nominate themselves or third parties for these roles, and individuals may submit multiple nominations. Each nomination Start Printed Page 65435must include (1) the nominee’s full name, title, institutional affiliation, and contact information; (2) the nominee’s area(s) of expertise; (3) the proposed NCA5 topic(s) (see below) for which the nominee is qualified; (4) a short description of the nominee’s qualifications relative to contributing to the report; and (5) a current CV [maximum length four (4) pages]. Nominations with missing information, or for nominees who do not meet the eligibility requirements above, may not be considered.
NCA5 will attempt to address the full breadth of each topic and seeks a suitably diverse author pool, including experts representing the natural and social sciences, as well as traditionally underrepresented groups. Selection criteria for all author positions will consider technical expertise, disciplinary background, career status, and geographic representation. Nominees may be invited to serve as Chapter Lead Authors, Authors, or Technical Contributors to NCA5. Persons selected as Chapter Lead Authors will be informed after the close of the nominations window. Eligible nominees not selected as Chapter Lead Authors will be considered for roles as Authors or Technical Contributors.
In accordance with statutory language in the GCRA, NCA5 seeks authors with expertise in the areas of climate/earth system science, as well as sectoral, issue-specific, and regional impacts. This includes expertise in the following broad topic areas (subject to change):
- Climate/earth system science expertise to integrate, evaluate, and interpret the latest scientific findings; discuss the associated uncertainties; analyze current trends in global change; and project major trends for the subsequent 25 to 100 years.
- Sectoral and issue-specific impacts expertise, including in the social sciences, to analyze the effects of global change on the natural environment (including terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems); agriculture (including food); energy production and use; land and water resources (including land cover/land-use change, forests, coasts, oceans, and terrestrial/marine resources); transportation; human health and welfare (including air quality); human social systems (including the built environment, urban/rural systems, cities, and economics); biological diversity; tribes and Indigenous peoples; and response.
- Regional expertise that integrates across relevant natural and social science areas for the NCA regions (available at https://www.globalchange.gov/nca5).
Further, authors are welcome to nominate themselves for topics not listed above that are consistent with the GCRA mandate.
II. Call for Relevant Scientific/Technical Inputs To Inform NCA5
Submissions of scientific/technical inputs are sought for NCA5. Relevant scientific and/or technical research studies—including observed, modeled, and/or projected global change and climate science information, as well as societal drivers, vulnerability, impacts, and responses—are requested. Scientific/technical inputs that are peer-reviewed and published, or accepted for publication, in journals and/or government reports are welcome. Please refer to the NCA5 topics list above to target submissions. Submissions of regional information and information for cross-cutting or new topics since NCA4 are encouraged. For best consideration, please submit by the close of this notice.
Submissions must be uploaded electronically via the link provided at www.globalchange.gov/notices.
III. Notice of Planned Public Engagement Opportunities for NCA5
Multiple opportunities for public engagement to inform NCA5 will be presented throughout the report’s development. The following planned public engagement schedule is presented to notify the public of these coming opportunities. We note that the time ranges proposed are tentative and subject to change based on the timing of various development stages for NCA5.
- Public comment on NCA5 annotated outline (Q2 2021)
- Public engagement workshops and webinars (Q2 2021 through Q3 2021)
- Public call for Review Editors (Q2 2022)
- Public comment on NCA5 Third Order Draft (Q3 & Q4 2022)
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine peer review of NCA5 Third Order Draft (Q3 & Q4 2022)
Interested parties are invited to participate in these public engagement opportunities to ensure robust public input to NCA5. Specific dates and locations for all engagements will be provided on www.globalchange.gov/notices as they are determined. Members of the public may also sign up to receive updates through USGCRP’s bimonthly newsletter at www.globalchange.gov/newsletter-signup.
Karen St Germain,
Director of Earth Science.
[FR Doc. 2020-22729 Filed 10-14-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7510-13-P
How about organizing a National Milky Way assessment?
It is about organizing a National Way of Milking – the taxpayer
+10!
“The National Astrological Association announces the Fifth National Astrological Assessment. Looking for individuals with the experience to predict past & future weather & life events by stars, & computer models designed for such predictions Relevant experience …”
These “assessments” should be shut down as an establishment of religion by the federal government, violating the First Amendment.
Guarranteed to be chock-full of the usual lies, disinformation and propaganda.
“The production and review processes are designed to result in a report that is authoritative, timely, relevant, and policy neutral…”
Doesn’t sound like science to me.
Never heard about science fiction ? 😀
I would respectfully submit that no social (so-called) science has any value until actual science can reach a conclusion as to the extent of actual changes, if any, to a global climate, and identify what actions, if any, would have an effect.
How about a National Space Aliens Assessment? Space Alien Deniers need not apply.
I would happily accept an invitation to an all expenses paid jolly in DC for this conference for a few days.
When my turn came to present, I would walk from the stage to the front door, open it, stick my head out, look around a bit, and then authoritatively declare –
“Nope, no sign of any climate changing out here.
Where’s the bar?”
So, a ton of cash is going to be spent on a ‘National Climate Assessment’ that will, more than likely, echo the IPCC assessment. It’ll be, roughly, the same contributors and reviewers with, any views that are contrary to a preconceived notion from any source, ignored or, if included in the report, excluded from the summary for policy makers. Most will not be willing to read a full report that may well run several hundred pages and NOT be written so a 5th grader can understand it.
Max P
I’ll bet a (admittedly savvy) 5th grader could de-bunk a lot of whatever it would contain. My grandkids could re: the last one.
I would like to nominate Griff and Lloydo.
“Nominees should be accomplished scholarly writers with a demonstrated history of scientific and technical expertise and academic proficiency in at least one of the regions/climate-related topics”
Only in an anti-intellectual cesspool like WUWT could these attributes possibly be considered flaws.
I would like to see them print something like the following”
Based on the paleoclimate record and the work done with models, one can conclude that the climate change we have been experiencing is caused by the sun and the oceans over which mankind has no control Despite the hype, there is no real evidence that CO2 has andy effect on climate and there is plenty of scientific rationale to support the conclusion that the climate sensitivity of CO2 is effectively zero. Hence there is no climate crisis. There may be many good reasons to be conserving on the use of fossil fuels but climate change is not one of them.
AGW is a conjecture based on only partial science and is full of holes. For example, the AGW conjecture depends upon the existence of a radiant greenhouse effect caused by trace gases in the Earth’s atmosphere with LWIR absorption bands. A real greenhouse does not stay warm because of so called greenhouse gases or because IR radiation is trapped inside the greenhouse. A real greenhouse stays warm because the glass limits cooling by convection. It is entirely a convective greenhouse effect that keeps a real greenhouse warm. So too on Earth where instead of glass, gravity and the heat capacity of the atmosphere limits cooling by convection. It is entirely a convective greenhouse effect that keeps the surface of the Earth on average 33 degrees C warmer than it would otherwise be. 33 degrees C is the amount of warming derived from first principals and 33 degrees C is what has been measured. Any additional warming caused by a radiant greenhouse effect has not been detected. If CO2 really affected climate one would expect that the increase in CO2 over the past 30 years would have caused at least a measurable increase in the dry lapse rate in the troposphere but that has not happened. A radiant greenhouse effect has not been detected in a real greenhouse, in the Earth’s atmosphere, or anywhere else in the solar system. The radiant greenhouse effect is hence science fiction so hence the AGW conjecture is science fiction as well.
But for those who still believe in the radiant greenhouse effect, initial calculations of the climate sensitivity came up with a nominal figure of 1.2 degrees C for a doubling of CO2 not including feedbacks. Christopher Monckton and associates and came up with the conclusion, based on measurements, that if all the warming since 1850 were caused by CO2 then the climate sensitivity of CO2 could not possible be more than 1.2 degrees C including feedbacks. A researcher from Japan pointed out that the original radiametric calculations forgot to include that fact that a doubling of CO2 will cause a slight decrease in the dry lapse rate in the troposphere which is a cooling effect that lowers the climate sensitivity of CO2 by more than a factor of 20, from 1.2 degrees C to less than .06 degrees C which is too small to measure. So no wonder that no one has been able to measure the climate sensitivity of CO2 because there is nothing to measure.
Then there is the issue of H2O feedback. The AGW conjecture assumption is that CO2 based warming causes more H2O to enter the atmosphere which causes more warming that causes even more H2O to enter the atmosphere and so forth. Not only is H2O a greenhouse gas but molecule per molecule H2O is a stronger IR absorber than is CO2 and on average there is roughly 50 times more H2O in the atmosphere. Compared to H2O the contribution of CO2 to the overall radiant greenhouse effect must be trivial. What the AGW conjecture ignores is that besides being the primary greenhouse gas, H2O is a primary coolant in the Earth’s atmosphere. The overall cooling effect of H2O is evidenced by the fact that the wet lapse rate is significantly less than the dry lapse rate which is a cooling effect. So instead of a potentially unstable positive feedback, H2O provides a negative climate stabilizing feedback. So instead of multiplying the climate sensitivity of CO2 by a nominal 3 we should divide the climate sensitivity of CO2 by 3 yielding a climate sensitivity of CO2 os less than .02 degrees C which is too small to measure and is effectively zero. So all of this effort to reduce CO2 emissions because doing so might provide a better climate is a total waste of money. But even if we could somehow stop the Earth’s climate from changing as it has been doing for eons, extreme weather events and sea level rise would continue because they are both part of the current climate. If the future is anything like that past, the current interglacial period may gradually end but it may take many thousands of years to do so and the next ice age will be upon us for roughly 100,000 years so we should all learn to enjoy the warmth of the current interglacial period while it is still here.
“climate change we have been experiencing is caused by the sun and the oceans.”
The ocean is a cause of its own warming? How does that work?.
The oceans of the world operate as a huge, non-linear thermal capacitor.
While it may be funny to recommend Griff and Lloydo, it is much more important that any of the WUWT contributors who have the requisite ability and can meet the requirements offer themselves for this job. If not it will, as has been suspected by many of the contributors above, be staffed by the no-hoper Alarmists. We cannot leave the job to them and then complain about the poor service we get.
Remember ““The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” ― Edmund Burke
Don’t forget the Main Mann.
From the article: “This document also serves as a notice of planned public engagement opportunities. NCA5 will adhere to the Global Change Research Act (GCRA), Information Quality Act, and Evidence Act”
Evidence Act, huh. That would be a change for alarmist climate science.
Yes, please show us your evidence for Human-caused Climate Change.
This would be a huge change from the past where all we got from alarmists were unsubstantiated assumptions and assertions.
Evidence! That’s the ticket! Give us some!
Unfortunately, this proposal came out in July and the nominating process closed on Aug. 10th. It’s already too late to nominate anyone. I have two colleagues who are qualified AND climate realists. I would’ve nominated them had I seen this earlier. Shame.
But there will be plenty of time for public input. I will keep my colleagues informed so we can at least offer balance.