Project Funding:
2011 - 2012
NRA: 2010 NASA: Science Definition Team for Carbon Monitoring System
Funded by NASA
Abstract:
The Carbon Monitoring System Science Definition Team (CMS SDT) will play a pivotal role in the stewardship of the CMS biomass and carbon flux pilot products during their research phase to help shape their policy relevance. My commitment in serving on the CMS SDT is to further the CMS goal of bringing enhanced understanding of carbon cycle science to bear in informing public policy. I bring experience as a research economist working to advance understanding of the public benefits of Earth science data and their economic value for decision making, including the role of measurement and monitoring of physical attributes of the carbon cycle in climate policy. I have led international teams of researchers using Earth science data products to improve resource management and have extensive experience in policy advisory roles to enhance the link between data and their application.
The most salient climate policy issues for the CMS pilot products include newly emerging requirements of federal regulation of greenhouse gases (GHG), particularly under the Clean Air Act (CAA); a host of new regional and state initiatives; the longstanding challenge of improving GHG inventories under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); and ongoing international concerns relating to the need for development of globally consistent measures and transparent means of measuring, monitoring, reporting, and validating (MMRV) biogenic sequestration and carbon fluxes. In serving on the CMS SDT, my commitment would be to identify, interpret, and integrate the aspects of these issues that are most relevant to the pilot projects.
I propose three tasks to support this effort. One task is to provide guidance for ascertaining how good is good enough in the development of the CMS pilot products. Given the constraints of time and funding for the pilot products, to what extent can and should they be designed not only to enhance carbon science, but to support public decisions? What are the highest priorities and who will make use of the products in serving the public? What is the role of uncertainty characterization in the application of the products for policy?
The second task includes characterization of the economic importance of the CMS data products. This effort would enable the CMS to align with priorities set forth by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) asking agencies to better assess the impact of their science, technology, and innovation investments (OMB 2010). The economic value of carbon cycle data products is underappreciated. In the case of carbon management, for example, federal agencies estimate that the management of biogenic carbon sequestration can reduce the economic cost of stabilizing GHGs by as much as 80 percent (US EIA 2009, 2010; US EPA 2009, US CBO 2009a). However, these agencies emphasize that realizing these savings will require significantly improved means of measurement and monitoring of carbon sources, sinks and fluxes. This sets the stage for demonstrating the value of CMS products. For this task, I will draw from my research on the value of information to outline a framework relevant for the CMS to use in defining and conveying the economic significance of its data products.
The third task is to support the CMS goal of enhancing its relationships with the broader academic, applications, and user communities as well as activities of other agencies. For this task, I identify initial communities and propose a set of meetings, briefings, and other opportunities for the CMS SDT to engage with these groups.
Taken together, these tasks will balance CMS science and its policy relevance in serving the public, integrate CMS products with decisionmaking, and put in place a framework for CMS to continue to meet these goals going forward.
More details may be found in the following project profile(s):
