2011 Key Issues Review Harnessing Aerospace Experience for Modern Earth and Climate Information Systems and Services

1. 2011 Key Issues ReviewHarnessing Aerospace Experience for Modern Earth and Climate Information Systems and Services Rick Ohlemacher Energy & Environment Subcommittee Co-Chair 8 February 2011

2. Avian Flu Paths US Corn Yield Enabling Modern Earth and Climate Information Systems and Services ISSUE: National attention and debate on addressing climate and environmental change requires concrete solutions: • Solutions need to build upon ongoing research to provide information and services akin to weather forecasting • Use of aerospace experience, technologies, and systems will help to establish a viable framework for targeted investment • Investment needs focus for integrating critical space, air, ocean, and land-based monitoring systems for more precise understanding of climate and environmental change • The current outdated patchwork of monitoring networks is insufficient to meet future need

3. Enabling Modern Earth and Climate Information Systems and Services SOLUTION: Apply decades of expertise from military and national security to civilian applications, such as advancing weather, climate, and environmental change information services to the local level of use and benefit: • The aerospace community has been at the heart of several decades of national investment in weather and environmental monitoring systems • The result has been vastly improved weather forecasting and increased knowledge about our changing Earth and its climate. • At the same time, aerospace has delivered advanced technological and systems capabilities for information and command and control applications to military and national security missions. This heritage can be used for civilian need now. • The AIAA pledges to work with the Administration and Congress to bring aerospace experience to establishing a viable national strategy and roadmap for Earth and climate observations and environmental information systems and services.

4. Enabling Modern Earth and Climate Information Systems and Services AIAA Recommendations to Congress • Work with the aerospace community to target a national investment strategy for Earth Observations and Climate Information Systems and Services. • Call upon the Administration to establish a public-private partnering mechanism for preparation of a national strategic roadmap for an effective Earth and Climate monitoring enterprise to be subsequently used to inform a national plan and related policies and budget allocations. • Sustain investments in systems and technical development support that assures accuracy and continuity of climate and Earth observations to enable compliance verification with accepted climate mitigation and adaptation agreements. • Sponsor programs that attract and train the systems and discipline experts who can enable advances in technology, data processing, and decision support for environmental information and climate services. • Strengthen the Administration’s leadership in international forums that address investment and coordination of monitoring and decision support programs for useful application and accessibility of collected data.

5. Time series analysis Weather & Climate Models Regional Impact Analysis Surface Airborne Seaborne Space Observations Decision Tools National Policy and Strategy with Public/Private Partnerships IMPLEMENTATION DECISIONS OUTPUTS INPUTS Societal Value / Benefits International / National Processes Analyses / Predictions / Forecasts Observations ContinuityAccuracy User uptake Assessment Reporting Risk / ImpactsScenario Assessment State – TrendsModel Validation & Improvement Policy Implementation &Management State, Regional, and Local Authorities DOS UNFCCC & IntergovernmentalAuthorities EPA NSF DOT/FAA DHS NASA DOC/NOAA DOI/USGS DOE U.S. Space, Technical, and Science Authorities