2011 - Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences ...

Center for Science and
Technology Policy Research
The Center for Science and Technology Policy Research
(CSTPR) was established within CIRES in 2001 to
conduct research, education and outreach at the interface
of science, technology and the needs of decision makers
in public and private settings. The Center focuses on the
intersection of the environment and society, applying the
social and policy sciences to problems of environmental
change, management and sustainability. The Center’s
research is integrated with the ongoing activities of CIRES,
NOAA, CU-Boulder and the broader science and technology
community.
Much of our work poses questions about how people
and institutions make decisions under uncertainty; how
perception and technical information influence choices;
and how, over time, those choices affect the co-evolution
of science, technology and policy. Outcomes of particular
interest to Center faculty include trends in natural-disaster
losses and their underlying causes; factors affecting the
supply and demand of climate science; and ethics and
trends in environmental management and policy, including
efforts to limit greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,
manage natural hazards and adapt to environmental
change.
Current projects are examining the interaction of shortterm
municipal drought response with long-term vulnerability
to climate change; tradeoffs that land managers face
when contemplating incorporating carbon into a suite of
multiple-use objectives; and how climate-related information
is used in different water-management contexts. We
are also tracking worldwide newspaper coverage of climate
change or global warming on a monthly basis. Our
work is reported via research articles, books, reports and
several outreach methods, including a regular newsletter,
briefings for decision makers, faculty blogs, news media
and frequent seminars and workshops.
Recent highlights include publication of the final
report of the Colorado Climate Preparedness Project,
summarizing climate impacts and adaptation strategies
62 CIRES Annual Report 2011
COVER DESIGN BY AMI NACU-SCHMIDT
Final report of the Colorado Climate Preparedness Project, prepared by
the Western Water Assessment for the State of Colorado (CSTPR participants:
William Travis and Bobbie Klein).
DFDPHOTOGRAPHY
Lisa Dilling addresses the Asilomar Conference on Climate Intervention
Technologies in Pacific Grove, Calif., March 22–26, 2010.
in five climate-sensitive sectors in Colorado; a completed
graduate thesis on the drought-coping strategies among
ranchers in the Interior West (both in cooperation with
the Western Water Assessment); and research publications
on the new carbon economy, media reporting of sea-level
rise, geo-engineering, ocean fertilization, economic impacts
of tropical cyclones and an evaluation of the targets
and timetables of proposed Australian greenhouse-gasemissions
reduction policies.