The University of Florida has a long history of research and teaching in the area of global climate change. The University of Florida is also a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) at UF includes researchers involved in studying climate change, its effects on agriculture, and how to mitigate those effects. IFAS also runs an agricultural experiment station that studies how to adapt crops to changing conditions. The School of Natural Resources & Environment (SNRE) at UF includes researchers who study global climate change, including how it affects ecosystems, biodiversity and human health. The school also offers graduate degrees in these areas of study.
The IPCC was created by the United Nations in 1988 to assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant to the understanding of climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation. Its first assessment report was published in 1990. Subsequent reports produced by the IPCC are published every five or six years as part of its mandate from the UN General Assembly. The IPCC Fourth Assessment Report was released on February 2nd, 2007.
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) created the Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) in 2002 to “provide strategic planning for federal climate change research programs” and “identify priorities for future research and development activities in support of U.S. climate change policy goals.”
