The u. s. government strategic plan for the climate change science program (ccsp) has five major goals related to the role of earth scientists in society. 1) improve knowledge of the earth's past and present climate and environment, including its natural variability, and improve understanding of the causes of observed variability and change. 2) improve quantification of the forces bringing about changes in the earth's climate and related systems. 3) reduce uncertainty in projections of how the earth's climate and related systems may change in the future. 4) understand the sensitivity and adaptability of different natural and managed ecosystems and human systems to climate and related global changes. 5) explore the uses and identify the limits of evolving knowledge to manage risks and opportunities related to climate variability and change.