Mission Statement

To meet the societal need for a better understanding of the many ways that climate variability and change (on a variety of time scales from seasons to centuries) affects ecosystems and the affairs of people and nations. Armed with such knowledge, decision-makers in all socio-economic sectors of society will be better informed, as will the general population.

Societies realize how, for example, their industrialization and land-use processes can alter the chemistry of the global atmosphere and therefore climate. Increasingly, government, individual, and corporate decisions are being made for which a broader knowledge of climate affairs is required.

A Climate Affairs Program can enable people to concentrate their training in an area of education, research, and research application that centers on climate and climate-related issues. The person who focuses on climate affairs will be prepared to understand how climate affects societies and, conversely, how societies affect climate. He or she will be better prepared as well to work in various disciplinary areas (e.g., economics, politics, anthropology, history, sociology, climate and ocean research and forecasting, urban planning and economic development) and in various economic sectors (e.g., industry, commodities, agriculture, fisheries, mining, insurance, education, health, civil defense, government agencies, disaster prevention and relief).

The range of courses will include the physical, biological and social sciences, and the humanities.