Image courtesy Jesse Allen, NASA Earth Observatory; data provided by the USGS EROS Data Center Satellite Systems Branch. ©NASA (Left: Satellite image of the Elbe River on 4th August 2000.) (Below: Satellite image of the Elbe River on 20th August 2002.)
A closer look at climate change Changes in the global climate could affect several key areas of industry, including energy, agriculture and forestry. The Climate Impact Expert System will make information on the regional climate available to key decision-makers in both the public and private sectors, which could help inform strategic decisions, as Dr Thomas Nocke explains Clear information about
the climate and its likely evolution could be crucial to the future of several areas of industry. However, while a large amount of data about the climate is available from a range of sources, it is not currently in a format that is easily accessible for decisionmakers, an issue being addressed by the Climate Impact Expert System project. “We are collecting information about climate change impacts, with high
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regional resolution. This work has been ongoing for ten years. Now we’re reaching a status where we can look towards making a portal out of it,” says Dr Thomas Nocke, the project’s scientific coordinator. The project is bringing together information about climate change in the web portal, and is presenting it to key sectors. “We are dealing with climate visualisation, setting out the extent of climate change visually,” continues Dr
Nocke. “Climate change is already happening, as current mitigation efforts are insufficient. So the degree to which we will need to adapt, and how impacts can be mitigated, are big questions.”
Industrial impact This issue holds real importance to the sustainability and future competitiveness of certain areas of industry, including energy, agriculture and even insurance.
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