Life, Liberty and Climate Data: The Privatization of a Public Good

In episode 203 of America Adapts, Doug Parsons hosts Dr. Justin Mankin. Justin is a climate scientist and associate professor at Dartmouth College. Doug and Justin discuss his provocative column in the New York Times on climate data accessibility – should tax funded climate data remain a public good.  Justin also explains the intricacies of climate modeling and the ethical considerations of private sector involvement. Justin also emphasizes the significance of aligning private and public sector efforts for effective climate adaptation. Doug and Justin discuss the importance of having a National Adaptation Plan and Justin also highlights the work of his students in climate impact attribution and loss and damage research. America Adapts is increasingly covering the issue of climate data and modeling and in this thought providing discussion, we learn about the ethical considerations of privatizing a public good.

Topics covered:

• Understanding Climate Models
• The Right to Climate Data
• Legal Implications of Climate Data Accuracy
• Interaction with Private Sector on Climate Science
• Free Climate Models vs. Paid Models
• Importance of National Adaptation Plan
• National Resilience Framework vs. National Adaptation Plan
• Dr. Mankin's Student Research Projects
• Recommendation for Future Guest: Erin Mayfield and Klaus Keller

Quotes: 

Dr. Justin Mankin:

“I think there's a gigantic gap between the science I do and the decision relevance of it.”

 

“My investigations, which are fundamentally about informing adaptation and risk management of climate change that science is paid for,? And to the extent that science is linked back to people's tax dollars. I have an absolute imperative to communicate my science to whoever will listen.”

 

“And that means that a national adaptation plan would establish minimal require informational requirements and make those data to inform adaptation decisions available to people in a legible format, right?”

 

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