Despite what you might have heard (or experienced first hand), the biggest long-term climate and weather related news out of Washington, DC in recent days wasn’t the record-breaking snow.

Last week, the Department of Commerce announced plans to create a national Climate Service. This is a demand-driven move is in response to requests from businesses and local governments for a single go-to place that will give them the data they need to plan for a changing climate, and yes, more extreme weather events. (see the link at the end for more discussion on this topic)

What is NOAA’s Climate Service? What’s driving its creation?

The Climate Service is modeled after the National Weather Service. Where the NWS informs the public about short-term weather and climate conditions, the Climate Service would offer long-range climate projections. The Climate Service will integrate existing capabilities from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) into a single, coordinated office, making a huge range of information much more accessible to the public.

In announcing the government’s intent to create the climate service, NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco said that the agency already receives millions of data requests each year, "and we fully expect requests for information to grow explosively." (Climatewire, 2/9/10)

In his announcement statement, Commerce Secretary Locke said, “By providing critical planning information that our businesses and our communities need, NOAA Climate Service will help tackle head-on the challenges of mitigating and adapting to climate change,” said Secretary Locke. “In the process, we'll discover new technologies, build new businesses and create new jobs.”

What are the takeways for non-profits?

It’s time for non-profits to start thinking like these forward-looking governments and businesses. Just as local governments and businesses are gathering data and scenario planning, association executives and other non-profit leaders can benefit from doing the same, on “both sides of the ledger”. For instance:
· What threats might a changing climate create? Chambers of commerce in ski towns and beach resorts are thinking ahead.
· What opportunities might exist? Weather and climate changes, and policy reactions may dictate new building codes in some parts of the country, creating demand for new training and related partnership opportunities for associations.

Non-profits and associations should consider what the implications of the changing climate are for you and your members. Plexus can help you think through ways to mitigate the threats, and to find new revenue generating parternship opportunities that are emerging in this dynamic environment. Call us so we can help you think through these issues as part of your own climate audit.

See NOAA’s new public information site on climate at: http://www.climate.gov

And see a discussion on snow in DC and climate change at:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2010/02/as_is_often_the_case.html