Climate Commons Map

Climate Commons is a map-based interactive platform that contains layers of news and information on climate change in the US. It is designed to provide academics, policymakers, journalists, and the general public with the latest data and stories on the causes and impacts of, and responses to climate change across the country. The map combines the most recently available data on climate change indicators, such as temperature, precipitation, and emissions, with the latest, geo-tagged stories on climate change in the United States.

By providing users with the ability to compare recent data and media coverage on a local, regional, and national level, Climate Commons aims to inform Americans about the impacts of and responses to climate change in their own towns, regions and states. It also serves as a tool for better analyzing the perception and realities of climate change across the US.

There are several ways to use this map. The user can begin by zooming in to a town, region or state of particular interested. When closing in, the map will be redrawn to provide more detailed information, and the stories sidebar will filter out all stories not within the immediately visible map frame.

Data trends are also shown more clearly when zooming in. To visualize different types of data on climate change indicators, click on the category tab in the upper left-hand corner of the map. When exploring weather patterns, users have the option to trace annual averages, monthly anomalies, or extreme events. A legend on the left side of the map indicates the units, scale, and severity of each issue. By clicking the source link under each legend, users can access the publicly available data.

Finally, users can search for stories on a specific climate-related issue in one of two ways: using the filters just above the stories sidebar, or by searching for a specific term in the search bar in the upper right-hand corner.

 

 

Publication Date: April 2013

Related Organizations:

  • Earth Journalism Network

Resource Category:

Resource Types:

  • Education/training materials
  • Tool (general)

Impacts:

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