Panel Discussion: Climate Services: Interdependent or Independent? Corporate Perspectives 2008 AMS Summer Community Meeting The Intersection of Weather and Climate Elliot Abrams, CCM Senior VP President AccuWeather, Inc.

2 Elliot Abrams American Weather Enterprise For more decades, the sectors of the American Weather Enterprise have struggled to define their relationships and respective roles Since the NSF Fair Weather report, the NWS and America’s Weather Industry have made dramatic progress together The sectors have better understandings and are evolving better partnership approaches A new climate agency would need to continue this progress with the American Weather Enterprise that the NWS has already developed

3 Elliot Abrams American Weather Enterprise NWS can leverage the full value of the entire American Weather Enterprise –We have come a long way in developing relationships that benefit from the strengths of each sector –NWS understands the unique value of each sector and how to work effectively with them

4 Elliot Abrams Global Climate Change The NWS and NOAA already participate and have developed relationships within leading climate organizations such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and U.S. Climate Change Science Program (USGCRP) Roles, boundaries, missions and relationships are already defined

5 Elliot Abrams Time is of the Essence –The longer we take to determine approaches, the more likely that the effects and mitigation costs will rise significantly –Concern that we could reach a tipping point

6 Elliot Abrams A new agency outside of NOAA/NWS will be more expensive and less efficient –Will need to acquire personnel –Will need to create mission, management structure and processes –Will need to ramp up operations and develop relationships with existing sectors

7 Elliot Abrams NOAA/NWS can leverage their existing expertise and relationships in the climate sphere –Follow the model that has evolved within the American Weather Enterprise with the University and Research Community and with America’s Weather Industry –Integrate and build upon current NWS participation within the IPCC, WMO, USCCSP