Who studies climate change?–Paul Chan

Climate change is a complex, multi-faceted subject. Scientists that study climate change come from a wide range of disciplines. Atmospheric scientists, oceanographers, and glaciologists study the physical links between increasing atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHG, one of which is CO2) and the responses of the atmosphere, ocean, and glaciers. They also analyze how climate change would exacerbate weather hazards such as droughts, wildfires, tropical cyclones, and floods.

Climatologists study climate, defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of time. Traditionally, they use statistics to study the variations of climate over time and geographic space. A traditional role that still exists in the US is state climatologists. Each state has a state climatologist who is often associated with a state’s Land Grant University. A state climatologist documents the ongoing climate conditions of the state and provides services to the state’s constituents like the farming, forestry, fisheries, and water management sectors that rely on climate conditions for their businesses. 

Modern climatology studies long-lasting phenomena in the atmosphere and ocean. You will find climatologists studying phenomena such as El Nino-Southern Oscillations, Pacific Decadal Oscillations, and climate change—past, present, and future. They use multifaceted approaches such as analyzing historical data; analyzing measurements from tree rings, ice cores, and vegetation changes; and simulating climate using numerical models.

For example, climatologists have studied wildfires in the US. Their studies have shown that for the past 30 years, fire seasons in the western states have started earlier and grown progressively longer. Fires have also become more severe and harder to control. Recent numerical simulation studies have shown that changes in atmospheric circulation due to climate change might have caused dryer conditions in mid-latitudes and hence more wildfires.

Paleoclimatologists study the factors that influence ancient climate (e.g., ice ages) with the purpose of understanding the factors that influence the current climate.

Forestry and agricultural scientists study the factors that emit GHG, such as deforestation and animal farming. It has been estimated that deforestation accounts for about 17% of the global annual CO2 emission. Conversely, scientists in marine biology, fisheries, forestry, agriculture, and ecology study the impacts of climate change on their own respective sectors. For example, the oceans absorb about a quarter of the CO2 we produce. Some of the CO2 reacts with water to form carbonic acid. A more acidic environment has a dramatic effect on some calcifying species, including oysters, clams, sea urchins, and calcareous plankton. When shelled organisms are at risk, the entire marine food web may also be at risk.

Some social scientists (e.g., in economics and risk management) study the impacts of climate change on societies. Some also investigate how to effectively communicate climate change information to the public.

A large sector of professionals focuses on climate change mitigation—slowing down climate change by reducing new GHG emissions or removing existing GHG from the atmosphere. They are developing renewable energies such as wind, solar, wave, hydro, and geothermal. Electric vehicle is also one of these mitigations. Others are experimenting with carbon capture-and-store approaches to remove CO2 from the atmosphere.

Another sector of professionals focuses on climate change adaptation to reduce the impacts of climate change on human societies. For example, urban planners and civil/environmental engineers in coastal cities are considering measures to reduce the effects of sea level rise and coastal storms on their cities. Water managers in drought stricken areas are considering measures to reduce the effect of droughts on water supply. Crop scientists are developing genetically modified crops that are drought-resistant. Land is fundamentally linked to climate change. The land management sector has great potential to reduce emissions, sequester carbon, and adopt adaptation measures.

All these different professions form a web that holds the key to effective climate change response. A jigsaw puzzle is the right metaphor. The pieces form a complex yet coherent picture of what we know as climate change. Together, they form a growing portion of the national economy and hold potential for growth of new jobs.