Living in a Changing Environment

Annual Meeting 2024 Goal

Climate change is an “all-hands-on-deck” moment for the AMS, which is recognized
globally for the leading role it plays in supporting the weather, water, and climate
enterprise. The goal of the 2024 AMS Annual Meeting is to leverage the society’s
collective strengths so that our broad community can define the steps and scientific
advances necessary to minimize the impacts of climate change, and to engage policy
makers and the public in that work. An important aspect of this meeting will be to draw
global attention to the multi-faceted issues surrounding climate science and services.

Overview and Scope

There has been no greater environmental challenge than the one we face with
human-caused climate variability and change. Sound science is necessary, but not
sufficient, to effectively address the related climate threats and to leverage the
opportunities that emerge through the climate services that are, and will be, required to
mitigate these threats. The 2024 AMS Annual Meeting will bring together the spectrum
of stakeholders needed to advance climate science and the services required to expand
public understanding of the issues and promote sound, science-based solutions.

The AMS has an outstanding record of service to a rich, multisector community — from
supporting basic research to helping to generate actionable and relevant information. As
such, the scope of the meeting will be broad and robust, covering a wide range of topics
including:

• Advancing earth system modeling and its critical scientific role

• Understanding extreme events and clarifying attribution

• Defining and communicating uncertainty effectively to elevate the level of
  stakeholder confidence

• Quantifying the science and uncertainty to inform and support global
  infrastructure requirements

• Predicting changes in precipitation, including drought and excessive amounts

• Defining roles across domains and agencies to optimal delivery climate services

• Mitigating the disproportionate impacts on diverse and marginalized communities

• Exploring climate innovations – adaptation and climate intervention

• Optimizing environmental change to benefit society - getting ahead

• Improving the skill and value of seasonal and beyond forecasts

Motivation for the Theme

• Climate change has and will continue to have tremendous impact on our global community—we face critical and accelerating life and property effects on a daily basis
• The human influence on climate are irrefutable and far-reaching—decisions made today will have far-reaching implications for the future
• There have been tremendous scientific advances in climate science, yet fundamental challenges are still to be made across the complex earth system arena
• Effective communication about climate change science (and inherent uncertainty) to policy-makers and the global population has been difficult; targeted and systematic efforts are needed to convey what is known and to challenge the mis/disinformation
• A changing environment disproportionately impacts vulnerable and underserved populations and demands a strong focus on environmental equity
• A properly focused community gathering of AMS members and associates can help build balanced and optimally-prioritized research and communication agendas that reflect the society’s views and are inclusive of its broad membership
• The AMS is uniquely positioned to convene this meeting. We possess highly relevant core strengths and our membership includes a significant number of professionals focused on advancing climate science and service; furthermore, this meeting will be inviting to those participating in climate science and service capacities but not currently engaged with the AMS, and also link those professionals who are not, and don’t see themselves having a place, in the climate arena.