Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026
06:10
Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions
Published on: March 31, 2023
Making short-term climate forecasts useful: Linking science and action
James Buizer1, Katharine Jacobs2, David Cash3
1Office of the President, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-7705; buizer@asu.edu.
Summary
Boundary organizations effectively bridge climate science and decision-making by translating El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) forecasts into actionable insights. These crucial groups foster adaptive strategies across diverse cultural contexts.
Area of Science:
- Climate Science and Social Systems
- Decision Support Systems
- Boundary Organization Studies
Background:
- The evolution of scientific and social understanding has driven the creation of knowledge systems for applying El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) forecasts.
- Successful integration of climate predictions with sectoral applications and on-the-ground actions has been achieved through evolving 'boundary-spanning' activities.
- Connecting climate science with decision-making requires effective intermediary organizations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report outcomes from an international workshop focused on identifying critical boundary-spanning features of successful boundary organizations.
- To understand the roles and structures of organizations that connect climate science producers with users.
- To explore the convergent evolution of boundary organizations across different cultural and geographical contexts.
Main Methods:
- International workshop involving producers, translators, and users of climate predictions.
- Case study review of boundary organizations from Australia, Hawaii, Pacific Islands, US Pacific Northwest, and Brazil.
- Analysis of shared experiences and organizational structures among participants.
Main Results:
- Workshop participants identified key roles for boundary organizations: information broker, convenor, translator, arbiter of knowledge access, and exemplar of adaptive behavior.
- Boundary organizations are essential for maintaining knowledge system stability amidst changing political, economic, and climatic conditions.
- Convergent evolution was observed, with diverse organizations developing similar structures and functions to facilitate climate information use.
Conclusions:
- Boundary organizations and boundary-spanners fulfill critical social and institutional roles that transcend cultural differences.
- Effective boundary spanning is vital for translating climate science, such as ENSO forecasts, into practical applications.
- The identified roles and adaptive behaviors of boundary organizations provide a robust framework for climate knowledge systems.
Related Concept Videos
01:50Global Climate Change
Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth’s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.
01:16What is Climate?
Climate refers to the prevailing weather conditions in a specific area over an extended period. As the saying goes, “Climate is what you expect. Weather is what you get.” Climate is influenced by geographic factors, such as latitude, terrain, and proximity to bodies of water.
01:07What is Weather?
Overview
01:27Microbes and Climate Change
Microorganisms are pivotal agents in Earth's biogeochemical cycles, significantly influencing climate dynamics through their metabolic activities. These microbes modulate the levels of key greenhouse gases by both contributing to and helping mitigate climate change.Microbial Contributions to Greenhouse Gas EmissionsRising global temperatures accelerate microbial metabolism, which, in turn, speeds up the decomposition of organic matter. This process releases carbon dioxide (CO₂) through...
01:12Precipitation Processes
The experimental conditions in a gravimetric analysis should be optimized to maximize the particle size and purity of the obtained precipitate. Ideally, the concentration of the precipitating reagent should be low with effective stirring to maintain low relative supersaturation for the growth of large crystals. In homogeneous precipitation, the precipitant is slowly generated by a chemical reaction in the solution to avoid local reagent excesses. For example, urea decomposes gradually to...
01:14The Carbon Cycle
Carbon is the basis of all organic matter on Earth, and is recycled through the ecosystem in two primary processes: one in which carbon is exchanged among living organisms, and one in which carbon is cycled over long periods of time through fossilized organic remains, weathering of rocks, and volcanic activity. Human activities, including increased agricultural practices and the burning of fossil fuels, has greatly affected the balance of the natural carbon cycle.