National Council for Science and the Environment
Encyclopedia
The National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) is a U.S. based non-profit organization
which has a mission to improve the scientific basis for environmental
decision-making. While an advocate for science and its use, NCSE does not take positions on environmental policies.
NCSE specializes in programs that bring together diverse individuals, institutions and communities to collaborate; particularly the many communities creating and using environmental knowledge, including research, education, environmental, and business organizations, as well as governmental bodies at all levels.
NCSE operates programs in five areas:
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
which has a mission to improve the scientific basis for environmental
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
decision-making. While an advocate for science and its use, NCSE does not take positions on environmental policies.
NCSE specializes in programs that bring together diverse individuals, institutions and communities to collaborate; particularly the many communities creating and using environmental knowledge, including research, education, environmental, and business organizations, as well as governmental bodies at all levels.
NCSE operates programs in five areas:
- Science solutions - programs that engage different communities to deploy science for decision-making on specific topics. This includes the National Commission on Science for Sustainable Forestry and the Wildlife Habitat Policy Research Program.
- Strengthening education - which includes a University Affiliate Program (~ 160 member schools) with a Council of Environmental Deans and Directors and http://www.environmentors.org|Environmentors, a high school mentoring program
- National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment
- The Encyclopedia of EarthEncyclopedia of EarthThe Encyclopedia of Earth is an electronic reference about the Earth, its natural environments, and their interaction with society. The Encyclopedia is described as a free, fully searchable collection of articles written by scholars, professionals, educators, and other approved experts, who...
. NCSE acts as the Secretariat for the Environmental Information Coalition which is building the Encyclopedia of EarthEncyclopedia of EarthThe Encyclopedia of Earth is an electronic reference about the Earth, its natural environments, and their interaction with society. The Encyclopedia is described as a free, fully searchable collection of articles written by scholars, professionals, educators, and other approved experts, who...
. - Science policy - which aims to build understanding of, and support for, environmental science and its application, and for the programs that make it possible. NCSE played an instrumental role in stimulating an National Science FoundationNational Science FoundationThe National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
initiative to triple its annual budget for environmental research, education, and scientific assessment.
See also
- SustainabilitySustainabilitySustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
- BiodiversityBiodiversityBiodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
- Global warmingGlobal warmingGlobal warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
- EcologyEcologyEcology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
- Earth ScienceEarth scienceEarth science is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth. It is arguably a special case in planetary science, the Earth being the only known life-bearing planet. There are both reductionist and holistic approaches to Earth sciences...
- Natural environmentNatural environmentThe natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
- NatureNatureNature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
- RecyclingRecyclingRecycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
External links
- National Council for Science and the Environment Homepage
- Sourcewatch
- National Council for Science and the Environment Releases “The Climate Solutions Consensus”
- AIBS and National Council for Science and the Environment
- Recommendations for Education for a Sustainable and Secure Future
- Dr. Arden Bement addressing the National Council for Science and the Environment's 5th National Conference.
- Wilson receives NCSE’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Harvard Gazette
- John Holdren, Meeting the Climate-Change Challenge. The John H. Chafee Memorial Lecture, National Council for Science and the Environment, Washington, D.C., January 17, 2008.John HoldrenJohn Paul Holdren is advisor to President Barack Obama for Science and Technology, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology...