How Governmental Greenhouse Gas Science Has Been Weathered Through Time and Why it Matters

Global consumption of materials and energy is accelerating. The rate of plant and animal species extinction is accelerating. On a finite Earth with a growing population, current consumption cannot continue sustainably. Greenhouse gases (GHGs) tell us an important part of this story. The Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network, managed by scientists at NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory, is the largest greenhouse gas analysis network in the world. It has been shaped by scientific questions, stagnant funding despite rises in research costs, and the task of understanding how the Earth system will respond to a changing climate. The Network began by researching the Earth’s natural carbon cycle and has evolved into a group that maintains a quality-driven historical GHG record which: - Describes impacts of human activities on the Earth system - Is the cornerstone of the global GHG research community - Provides evidence to guide political and industrial decision-making Based on the synthesis of eight interviews with researchers involved in the Network, the Network’s ability to gather and spread accurate data about the state of Earth’s atmosphere is threatened by public misunderstanding of climate science, the politicization of climate change, changing global relations, and a societal perception that science should focus on short-term needs. This project aims to tell stories rarely told about GHGs, climate science, and the largest GHG science organization in the world