Abstract
Climate change and studies of its implications are front page news. Could the heat waves of July 2006 in Europe and the US be caused by global warming? Are increased incidences of strong tropical storms and hurricanes like Katrina to be expected? Will coastal cities be flooded due to sea level rise? The National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) which archives all weather data for the nation reports that global surface temperatures have increased at a rate near 0.6�C over the last century but that the trend is three times larger since 1976 [Easterling, 2006]. Will this rate continue or will climate change be even more abrupt? Stepping back from the flurry of questions, scientists must take a systematic approach and develop a predictive framework. With responsibility for advising on energy and technology strategies, the Department of Energy Office of Biological and Environmental Research has chosen to bolster the science of climate in order to get the story straight on the factors that cause climate change and the role of carbon loading from fossil fuel use.