Curious how climate change is affecting your world right now? Need data for your research paper, or looking for best practices for your business, nonprofit or community in climate resilience? A central resource for reliable, science-based climate information is now back online thanks to the independent work of scientists who previously worked for the federal government.
Former members of the team behind the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s website Climate.gov, which was shut down under the current administration, have preserved much of the publicly-funded data, relaunching an independent, nonprofit website called Climate.us. The team is planning to add new content when possible, relying on public donations.
“Trusted climate information should not disappear when politics change,” said Rebecca Lindsey, Managing Director of Climate.us. “Climate.us is building an independent, durable platform so people can continue to find the data and information they need to understand and talk about climate, and to teach, report, plan, prepare, and make informed decisions.”
The website contains a wealth of saved and archived information, as well as new materials like this article that explains the basics of how greenhouse gases affect life on earth because of climate change. An El Niño expert explains what is happening with the current El Niño ocean pattern in this Q & A.
Resources on this website include access to hundreds of lesson plans and projects on teaching climate to school-aged students. You get free access to scientifically sound, vetted lessons that are ready to use.
The website also curates links conveniently to other online tools like the US Drought Monitor, which shows most of East Tennessee being unusually dry at this time. The Climate Resilience Toolkit centralizes links to dozens of examples of how communities are preparing for natural disasters.
You can see the new website at Climate.us.
Anne Brock-Rankin is Marketing Coordinator for Solar Alliance, a renewable energy company based in Knoxville. She can be reached at abrock@solaralliance.com.
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