Institute for Research on Global Climate Change

The problem:

Global climate change is no longer a possibility; it is a fact. The unusually rapid increase in Earth's average

surface temperature, over the past century, stems from the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases

into the atmosphere, primarily through the burning of fossil fuels. As a human population we are committed to roughly

doubling the pre-industrial concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere by the year 2100. The land and sea

are warming, sea level is rising, and the oceans are turning acidic. Some species will go extinct, others will adapt.

Hurricanes will become more intensive, the geographic ranges of species will shift, and warmer temperatures

may also alter the epidemiology of disease outbreaks.

The mission of Florida Tech's Institute for Research on Global Climate Change is to:

(1) Foster climate-change research that leads to improved decision-making at local to international levels;

(2) Provide world-class research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate researchers;

(3) Promote inter-disciplinary collaborations leading to new understandings of climate change.