Biden administration launches new initiative, tools to counter climate crisis

Biden Administration on 12 October, Tuesday launched a whole-of-government initiative to deliver accessible and actionable information related to climate change. In an official statement, Tuesday, the White House announced that it was launching authoritative and useful climate change information that it will share with the impacted communities that are hit by flooding, drought, wildfires, extreme heat, coastal erosion, and other intensifying climate impacts. The new tools will include the broadcast meteorologists sharing climate information with communities, to farmers checking drought outlooks, to businesses planning for extreme weather, families making decisions about their homes and neighborhoods, the White House informed in a release. 

The more robust information related to climate change fulfills US President Biden’s call in his Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad to enhance understanding of climate risks and empower communities to better prepare and become more resilient, according to the White House. This includes coordinated efforts to make accessible web-accessible maps that show extreme heat hot spots and areas impacted by wildfire smoke, as well as the new resources and interagency strategies that will enable the officials to make science and data-based planning. The response tools, announced by the Biden administration during a Climate and Equity Roundtable in Detroit, Michigan, hosted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), would be needed to make climate-smart decisions, the White House stated. 

(AI) to improve accessibility of 'accurate and timely' climate info

These tools to tackle the climate change crisis include NOAA’s launch of a redesigned Climate.gov website that integrates artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the accessibility of accurate and timely climate information. NOAA is also awarding more than $171 million in new climate research grants and hosting additional Climate and Equity Roundtables to receive recommendations on how to use its products and services to better achieve the climate goals. At least two new reports delivered to the National Climate Task Force outline the ways the federal government will improve access to climate tools and services. This includes NFIP’s updated minimum floodplain management standards that make the impacted communities eligible for federal flood insurance.

Nearly $5 billion in funding would be made available for community projects to prepare for extreme weather and other climate-related disasters. NOAA’s Climate Program Office launched a newly redesigned version of its flagship website that provides the public with clear, timely, and science-based information about climate that also uses artificial intelligence (AI) platforms to improve the search tool. US’ OSTP, NOAA, and FEMA developed a plan to provide more robust and actionable “climate services”—science-based information and products that enhance understanding of climate impacts.