Scope and Focus

Global warming is the environmental issue of the twenty-first century. Many believe it ranks with war and poverty as one of the greatest challenges to human well-being. But unlike war and poverty, which humanity has confronted for millennia, global warming is a recent concern. And unlike war and poverty, global warming is mainly a prospective threat and one that can in principle be met with pre-emptive action.

Understanding and responding to global warming requires many scientific disciplines including meteorology, climatology, and oceanography; the full array of biological and ecological sciences; and the engineering disciplines. But while science is a necessary component of policy, it is not sufficient.