Brief communication: Sea-level projections, adaptation planning, and actionable science
As climate scientists seek to deliver actionable science for adaptation planning, there are risks in using novel results to inform decision-making. Premature acceptance can lead to maladaptation, confusion, and practitioner “whiplash”. We propose that scientific claims should be considered actionabl...
Main Authors: | , , |
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2024
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-534 https://noa.gwlb.de/receive/cop_mods_00072259 https://noa.gwlb.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/cop_derivate_00070481/egusphere-2024-534.pdf https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2024/egusphere-2024-534/egusphere-2024-534.pdf |
Summary: | As climate scientists seek to deliver actionable science for adaptation planning, there are risks in using novel results to inform decision-making. Premature acceptance can lead to maladaptation, confusion, and practitioner “whiplash”. We propose that scientific claims should be considered actionable only after meeting a confidence threshold based on the strength of evidence as evaluated by a diverse group of scientific experts. We discuss an influential study that projected rapid sea-level rise from Antarctic ice-sheet retreat but in our view was not actionable. We recommend regular, transparent communications between scientists and practitioners to support the use of actionable science. |
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