From Physics to Daily Life

9Towards a Globally Focussed Earth Simulation Centre

Robert Bishop

In the twenty-first century, humanity must grapple with the greatest convergence of global challenges in our history – the difficulty of living in balance with our fast-changing planet. Now, more than ever, as society comes face-to-face with the multiple situations of climate change, resource depletion, economic development and human security, a leadership capability is needed that tackles head-on the full complexity of the Earth and its many coupled systems.

Policy makers, community planners, emergency responders and scientists need to have at their disposal the expert assistance of an advanced capability Earth Simulation Centre that is able to operate at a global level. Such a Centre would assist in the analysis of global climate and environmental developments, and enable policy guidance in the case of future large-scale shocks and emergencies. It would complement local and national planning and prediction capabilities by offering an integrated global picture. As such, the Centre would be an invaluable tool for decision support while improving science-based policy making around the world.

The proposed Centre would include a fully dedicated high-performance computing capability and an appropriate complement of expert technical and scientific staff. The Centre would be capable of assimilating all available world data relating to the dynamic state of the planet, and providing risk analysis for human security. ...