NASA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are launching a free virtual information series about climate change's impact on Earth this month and you can watch the first talk online today (Oct. 6).
The two U.S. agencies are co-hosting the Alliances for Climate Action, an online series of talks designed to "address rising demand for accurate, timely, and actionable information at a time of rapid global climate change," NASA officials wrote in an announcement. The series will feature four two-hour sessions throughout October, all of them starting at 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT). You can watch them on NASA Live here (Space.com will simulcast it, if possible) and can register for the series at its website.
Related: Nobel prize in physics goes to trio whose research alerted the world to climate change
The first session today, entitled "Our Future Vision," will include comments from NASA chief Bill Nelson, FEMA and climate science leaders on the current stage of climate change.
"At NASA, we will always look upward and push out into the cosmos, but central to our mission is protecting the planet we call home," Nelson said in the agency's statement. "Right now, NASA's researchers, scientists and technicians are on the forefront of our nation’s climate resiliency, collecting and sharing data that is used to respond to extreme weather events and predict those to come."
You can see a schedule of events for the rest of the month and their official NASA descriptions below.
Oct. 6 – Our Future Vision: Leadership from FEMA, NASA, and climate leaders will lay out their vision for the future of climate action.
Oct. 13 – When Climate Moves Communities: Participants will focus on climate migration and managed/strategic retreat.
Oct. 20 – Stories That Inspire Action: This discussion will bring together leaders from tribal, faith-based, environmental justice, art, youth advocacy, and journalistic organizations to represent diverse perspectives and show that everyone can find their place in a community working collectively to address climate change.
Oct. 27 – Financing Climate Action: The series will wrap up with discussions revolving around climate change-resilient infrastructure and equitable climate action.
NASA has long-used satellites and other agency assets to track Earth's weather and climate from space, and has also teamed up with FEMA and other agencies as needed. Earlier this year, the Biden administration and NASA announced plans for a new Earth System Observatory to "enhance climate resilience" using next-generation data climate data systems to track climate changes and its impacts on our planet.
For more information on NASA and FEMA's Alliances for Climate Action series, session speakers and to register for events, visit the project's website. The series is part of FEMA's Resilient National Partnership Network Forum, which aims to increase the resilience of communities to natural disaster and climate threats.
Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Instagram.
Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.
