by Ed Maurer

Copernicus, named after the late medieval Polish astronomer and mathematician Nicolaus Copernicus (1473 – 1543) who posited a model of the universe with the sun rather than the earth at its center, is the European program that provides free, accurate, timely, and easily accessible information about our changing climate and its effects. We may wish to familiarize ourselves with the many aspects of this European research effort because the US agencies involved in similar work may soon experience drastic budget cuts if not outright elimination. Project 2025, which seems to be guiding the Trump administration, calls for NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) to be “broken up and downsized,” and it claims that this agency is “harmful to US prosperity”.

For a quick overview of Copernicus, download the brochure Copernicus: Europe’s Eyes on Earth. What I find exciting is a new application called Climate Pulse that makes complex data more accessible. Climate Pulse is an intuitive and interactive and tool that allows users to pull together climate data, charts and maps for a particular area, time frame, and, if needed, industry.

The Copernicus Interactive Climate Atlas is another tool that allows users to examine different scenarios in a specific region to see what could happen if global warming reaches 2,3, or 4 degrees Celsius.

For anyone interested in “temporal and spatial exploration and analysis of recent trends and projected future changes” the Atlas will prove to be a great tool to understand the past, present and possible future of our climate. This knowledge is essential for us to go forward in an intelligent and rational way. And best of all, it’s free.