Committee on Climate Change and U.S. Transportation
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) and the Division of Earth and Life Studies (DELS) Committee on Climate Change and U.S. Transportation held its first meeting on October 20-21, 2005, in Washington, D.C. The committee is examining the potential consequences of climate change of U.S. transportation and possible adaptation strategies. The study will summarize possible consequences for transportation, such as from sea-level rise and higher mean temperatures, and will analyze U.S. transportation options for adapting to such impacts. Drawing heavily on existing analyses, the committee will also provide federal, state, and local transportation officials in the United States with an overview of the scientific consensus regarding climate change--including uncertainty about its nature and extent; a summary of current and projected contributions of transportation to climate change; and a summary of the potential effects, costs, and benefits of strategies to reduce transportation's impact. The committee’s final report will include findings and recommendations regarding needed research and suggested actions to prepare for the possibility of climate change. This project is being sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, the Transit Cooperative Research Program, and TRB. The final report is expected in the summer of 2007. TRB and DELS are divisions of the National Academies, which include the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council.
This Summary Last Modified On: 4/22/2011