C-ROADS Update Available – Download version 3.0 today!

Every new release of C-ROADS marks an exciting milestone for the small team here at Climate Interactive that began creating this model three years ago and continue to advance it in a world where the need for better understanding of the dynamics of climate and policy is greater than ever. From Copenhagen to Washington, and most recently, to Durban, C-ROADS has added scientifically-vetted analysis to the conversation and efforts to address climate change.

To build on the successes and address feedback from users, version 3.0 of C-ROADS adds many new features to this already robust simulator. We hope that these additional features and updates improve the effectiveness of your climate change efforts.

With the new version of C-ROADS you can…

• Test the sensitivity of the model results to different parameters under the Sensitivity Tab
• Analyze policies with new types of emissions targets such as emissions per capita
• Adjust GDP and population assumptions
• Examine six new graphs for outputs such as GDP and population
• Facilitate the World Climate role-playing exercise using the new control panel

Please download the new version of C-ROADS by logging into Climate Interactive or requesting access by filling out our download request form. A video tutorial and version release notes are also available on our website to guide you through the new features.

For an online demonstration of C-ROADS and the new features please join us on February 14, 2012 at 15:00 GMT (10:00 EST). Please RSVP to reserve your spot at this web event at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/728788440.

Announcing En-ROADS — A new decision support tool from Climate Interactive!

Climate Interactive is excited to introduce the development of a new simulation, En-ROADS, which will build on our robust suite of open-source tools for decision-makers. En-ROADS is a fast, powerful simulation tool to enable understanding of how changes to our energy use, consumption, and policies can lead us to achieving our climate goals.

Climate Interactive Heads to China

I’m excited to be leaving tomorrow to Beijing to work with our dear colleagues at Tsinghua University. They have asked for the C-ROADS simulation to be presented to a group of provincial leaders who are working to reduce the country’s carbon intensity 45% over the coming years. And we’ll collaborate on adapting the model for their own use.

The picture here shows many of us in Beijing during our last visit.

Good people, good goals, hoping to create a good future.

Climate CoLab’s 2011 contest

We’re pleased to announce the latest contest to be offered by MIT’s Climate CoLab. This project by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Collective Intelligence (MIT CCI) incorporates Climate Interactive’s C-ROADS model into a forum where people can test proposals and discuss ways to address climate change. Click here for details on the contest and how to enter!

Presentation to Climate Change Professionals Program

Professional Fellows at Baruch College attending a remote presentation by Climate Interactive.

Climate Interactive is proud to have presented to participants in the Professional Fellows Program.

These climate change professionals from Australia, China, Indonesia, and Japan are visiting the US to learn about US-specific climate change activities and organizations. They are experts in mitigation, carbon markets, adaptation, and REDD.  Climate Interactive presented the C-ROADS CP simulator (Windows-only) and our other simulators that can be found online.

The remote presentation led to rich conversation about a variety of climate topics.  Fellows shared their thoughts about C-ROADS and the simulators as we explored climate change topics such as US public opinion, climate science dynamics, and the value of industrial sector carbon accounting.  Here is a photo of the some of the Fellows in their conference room at Baruch College during the Climate Interactive presentation.

The Professional Fellows Program is sponsored by the US State Department and this Fellows cohort is being hosted The International Center & Baruch College (CUNY).

C-ROADS Introductory Webinar from Climate Interactive – Real-time modeling made easy

Please join Climate Interactive’s Dr. Travis Franck on March 3 for a free introductory webinar on “C-ROADS,” a powerful yet simple interactive simulator that you can use, for free, to analyze UNFCCC country pledges and proposals and quickly calculate climate outcomes such as temperature, uncertainty ranges, per-capita emissions, sea-level rise, and historical responsibility.

The webinar will cover:

-Using C-ROADS to analyze proposed international agreements in a scientifically rigorous framework.

-Analyzing climate agreements in real-time — the Copenhagen Accord pledges will be analyzed in a live demonstration.

-Discuss the independently scientifically reviewed underpinnings of the simulator.

-Provide an overview of some of the more advanced features of C-ROADS, such as historical “Contribution Analysis.”

More information on C-ROADS is at: http://cl.ly/4hJC

Participants will receive access to download the stand-alone version of the full simulator.

Serious Climate Games Launched in Asheville — With Drew Jones and C-ROADS

On February 24, several innovative climate simulation and gaming tools will be presented in Asheville, NC (most notably the new and cool “Fate of the World.”) Climate Interactive’s Drew Jones will be one of the presenters, showing C-ROADS.  For more information, download the event description and agenda here.

CI’s Drew Jones to Present at EPA Conference on Climate Impacts Modeling in Atlanta

We’re excited to be part of a very interesting EPA workshop in Atlanta next month organized by some dear colleagues (Mahri Monson, Mike Hiscock and team) — it’s a gathering of professionals dedicated to having models of climate impacts make a big difference in the ability of leaders to help society adapt well to climate change.  I (Drew Jones) will be giving a plenary talk on the lessons we’ve learned about how to ensure that models get used and facilitating some break-out groups.  Would love to meet some of our Climate Interactive colleagues in person in Atlanta next month!

Click on the picture above or the “Read the rest…” below to get the details.

Integrated Modeling to Characterize Climate Change Impacts and Support Decision Making
February 1 & 2, 2011
Atlanta, GA

No Change in the Climate Scoreboard at the Close of the Cancun Talks

With the acceptance of the Cancun Agreements, Climate Interactive’s Climate Scoreboard remains unchanged, showing that current pledges do not go far enough to achieve climate goals. No new pledges, beyond those associated with the Copenhagen Accord, materialized in Cancun, although the important step of incorporating those pledges into the framework of a UNFCCC agreement was taken.

The Scoreboard tracks pledges in the UNFCCC process and estimates long-term impacts of current pledges. Since before the last UN climate conference in Copenhagen, the Scoreboard has been tracking pledges by countries for the reduction of their emissions and using the C-ROADS model to assess the long-term temperature implications of the pledges. Heading into the Cancun climate summit, the Climate Scoreboard reflected the Copenhagen Accord pledges, where countries set forth their emissions reductions for 2020. For emissions past 2020 we made estimates based on the statements of countries in the run-up to Copenhagen, when 2050 targets were a large part of the discourse.

C-ROADS In Cancun COP16 — China, Emissions Gap Report, and Empowering the World

Second week in the COP16 UN negotiations in China showing good possibilities for climate progress for Climate Interactive and the world.

The photo here is our team of Drew Jones, Beth Sawin, and Travis Franck with Zhou Li (second from left) of Tsinghua University. We’re planning US-China-created workshops in China for provincial leaders who are working to meet their mitigation pledges. And using C-ROADS “China” to do so. Great to connect in person.

Today Beth is helping officially present the “Emissions Gap Report” (which she co-authored) from UNEP to the Mexican Government. The Report has gotten wide citation and note within the official and unofficial processes here. Very encouraged.

Other activities: Engaging “BASIC” countries who want to use C-ROADS, sharing the new iPhone app beta, talking with businesses (e.g., Nike) about business-oriented simulations, meeting venture capitalists who want a capital-driven simulation, and talking with civil society activists about sparking the global citizen support for action.

As signs here say, “From Small Seeds in Cancun…. Big Things Can Happen”