The CCM practice climate is changing: Will you be ready?

Effective two-way communication – speaking and listening - is essential for scientific research, education and service to businesses and the public. The opportunity for communication success and failure is at the forefront of both climate change and forensic meteorology. CCM's are involved in providing critical weather and climate information to meet industry needs for weather information on how climate change over the next 10-50 years may impact strategic and operational planning. In forensic meteorology the need for using both current observational data bases and effective analyses techniques to portray realistic, scientifically sound and ethical results is paramount.

The need for evaluations and assessments of climate change impacts and development of sound adaptation strategies is growing daily. Major metropolitan areas are developing climate action plans that are nested in all facets of daily life from transportation, water supply, sanitation and public health. Water resources are becoming limited and energy generation stretched during periods of climate extremes. The correlation between climate regimes and enhancing energy and water supply infrastructure need significant definition.

In forensic meteorology huge changes are coming due to mandated use of referenced analyses techniques and data bases. The “old school” methods of using only surface observations and a few upper air observations within a deductive reasoning process have been replaced with the use of GIS-based, multi-dimensional analyses of surface, upper air, radar and satellite observation data bases which can be further analyzed by specialized, multi-scale models. These data bases and tools are used in a scientifically consistent set of analyses processes. The gradual foray of forensics into climate change will only add to the complexity in the decades ahead.

These challenges are needed to be met by “a new breed” of CCM that is comfortable in the rapidly expanding science arena yet still operates by the ethical code of knowledge, character and service to the client. Note that the “new breed of CCM” is not defined by age or education alone. Rather the individual is defined by how they use available and current scientific knowledge and data bases while practicing with an ingrained sense of service and unwavering adherence to rules of professional conduct.