• Related Report: Stabilization Targets for Atmospheric Greenhouse Gas Concentrations
  
  A new related report, Stabilization Targets for Atmospheric Greenhouse Gas Concentrations, was released July 16. Click here for more details on that report.

• Report Release Briefing Webcast
  
  An archived video of the live webcast of the release of the first three panel reports in the America's Climate Choices study is now available Take a look at photos from the event at on Flickr.

• Video Available on America's Climate Choices Study
  
  For more on this study, watch this video to learn about America's Climate Choices from the experts who are working on it.

• Understanding and Responding to Climate Change booklet
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  Download Booklet PDF (3.3 MB)
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March 30 -- March 31, 2009
The National Academy of Sciences Building
PROGRAM -- REVISED MARCH 24

March 30, 2009


8:30 AM: WELCOME AND GOALS

• Albert Carnesale, Chancellor Emeritus, UCLA and Chair, Committee on America's Climate Choices
• Ralph Cicerone, President, National Academy of Sciences

9:15 AM: SESSION 1: WHY IS THIS STUDY NEEDED? PERSPECTIVES FROM STUDY SPONSORS

• The Honorable Alan Mollohan (D-WV), Chair, House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies
• Jane Lubchenco, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator

10:00 AM: BREAK

10:30 AM: SESSION 2: KEYNOTE PERSPECTIVES ON CLIMATE CHANGE

• John Holdren, Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy (Invited)
• James J. Mulva, Chairman and CEO, ConocoPhillips

11:30 AM: SESSION 3: WHAT INFORMATION DOES CONGRESS NEED? VIEWS FROM THE HILL

• The Honorable Bart Gordon (D-TN), Chair, House Committee on Science and Technology

12:00 PM: Lunch

1:30 PM: SESSION 4: THE CLIMATE CHALLENGE
Moderator: Diana Liverman*, University of Oxford & University of Arizona

• Certainty and Uncertainty in Climate Science--Framing a Basis for Decisions: Susan Solomon*, NOAA
• Impacts--The Avoidable and the Unavoidable: Stephen Schneider, Stanford University
• Panel discussion: Acting on the certain and the uncertain
  • Henry Jacoby, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Fred Krupp, Environmental Defense Fund
  • Charles Holliday*, DuPont

3:30 PM: Break

4:00 PM: SESSION 5: THE AMERICA'S CLIMATE CHOICES STUDY: ARE WE ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS?
Overview of tasks from the Committee and four Panels
Question/comment cards will be collected throughout this session.

• Panel on Limiting the Magnitude of Future Climate Change: Robert Fri, Resources for the Future
• Panel on Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change: Katharine Jacobs, Arizona Water Institute
• Panel on Advancing the Science of Climate Change: Pamela Matson, Stanford University
• Panel on Informing Effective Decisions and Actions Related to Climate Change: Peter Raven, Missouri Botanical Garden
• Committee on America's Climate Choices: Albert Carnesale

Panel Chairs respond to questions from the audience. Moderator: Albert Carnesale.

5:30 PM: Informal Discussion with ACC Members in the Great Hall
Refreshments provided.

Tuesday, March 31

8:30 AM: SESSION 6: KEYNOTE PERSPECTIVES ON RESPONDING TO CLIMATE POLICY
Introductions: Albert Carnesale

• Mary Nichols, California Air Resources Board
• Lorents G. Lorentsen, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

9:40 AM: Break

10:10 AM: SESSION 7: WHAT SPECIAL CHALLENGES AWAIT US?
Moderator: William Chameides, Duke University and Vice Chair, Committee on America's Climate Choices

• Integrating a National Response into a Global Framework: The Honorable Eileen Claussen, Pew Center on Global Climate Change
• Vulnerable Ecosystems: Carter Roberts, World Wildlife Fund
• Vulnerable Populations & Human Health: Howard Frumkin, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Threats to National Security: R. James Woolsey, VantagePoint Venture Partners

12:15 PM: Lunch

1:30 PM: SESSION 8: WHAT TOOLS ARE AVAILABLE TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF CLIMATE CHANGE?
Moderator: Thomas Wilbanks*, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

• Technology Levers: Robert Socolow*, Princeton University
• Policy and Economic Levers: Jonathan Wiener, Duke University
• Regional Impacts & National Assessments: Jerry Melillo, Marine Biological Laboratory
• Panel discussion
  • Jonathan Schrag, Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Inc.
  • Steve Nicholas, Institute for Sustainable Communities
  • Heidi Cullen, Climate Central

4:00 PM: Break

4:30 PM: SESSION 9: ARE WE ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS? (TAKE 2)
Moderator: William Chameides

• Committee and Panel Chairs and Vice-Chairs take comments and questions from the audience: Albert Carnesale, Robert Fri, Marilyn Brown, Katharine Jacobs, Thomas Wilbanks, Pamela Matson, Thomas Dietz, Peter Raven, Diana Liverman

5:15 PM: CLOSING REMARKS: William Chameides


*Member, Committee on America's Climate Choices