"The climate is changing faster than it has in thousands of years and will have enormous consequences on the environment and how we live, a blockbuster U.S. government report said last week.

But what if we lose the ability to monitor these changes? How we will know how fast they are happening? Without such key measurements, how will our predictions — which rely on them-  be able to inform us about the future and what people and places are most at risk? And, then, what will be the economic costs of being caught ill-prepared?

Climate scientists are deeply concerned about what they see as an endangered network of global observations vital for understanding present and future climate changes.

In a paper released Thursday, 26 scientists, including four laboratory directors at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, unveiled a blueprint for the observing network of the future. It calls for a coordinated and expanded observing network that is focused on answering key scientific questions that respond to the needs of society and that leverages emerging technology."

Jason Samenow reports for the Washington Post November 8, 2017. [2]