“The scientific community has long agreed that climate change is one of the most profound challenges facing our global society, and as AGU outlined in our position statement on climate change, there is no question human activity is playing a predominant role in that change and that action must be taken immediately.  

“We were also pleased to see the level to which scientists were consulted in the development of the encyclical. All too often, opinions on climate change are informed more by political and social rhetoric than they are by legitimate scientific research. The state of climate research in the U.S and around globe is very strong―but in the U.S., the level of support is declining and will diminish our ability to use such expertise in our decision making. If we can reverse this trend, then science can continue to help the U.S. and the world have access to the knowledge needed to protect our collective health and welfare.

The American Geophysical Union is dedicated to advancing the Earth and space sciences for the benefit of humanity through its scholarly publications, conferences, and outreach programs. AGU is a not-for-profit, professional, scientific organization representing more than 60,000 members in 139 countries.