Understanding the causes and consequences of environmental change in the most rapidly warming region of the globe—the Arctic—is vital for effective scientific and societal responses. In this town hall, the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) seeks best practices and ideas to further improve how we share knowledge of the Arctic with policy makers.
SEARCH has had a long history of supporting and enhancing Arctic science, and in the past 5 years we have focused on facilitating cross-disciplinary syntheses and conveying what we know to policy makers and other decision makers. SEARCH facilitated syntheses that improved understanding of:
- Greenhouse gas fluxes from thawing permafrost
- Ice sheet contributions to sea level rise
- The consequences of diminishing sea ice
- The relationship of Arctic change to weather at lower latitudes
SEARCH has shared our understanding of Arctic change with the media and policy makers at all levels of government. Novel collaborations with Indigenous Peoples and policy makers have made scientific understanding more accessible to policy makers through press events, knowledge exchange workshops, succinct written answers to policy questions, Congressional briefings, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change meetings, and convenings of Arctic Science Ministers.
In September 2019, SEARCH hosted a major conference that brought together Arctic scientists, Indigenous Peoples, and policy makers to collaboratively determine how to better inform policy with knowledge. This town hall will also explore how we can best advance those novel collaborations.