Sharing: guidelines go one step forwards, two steps back

The World Meteorological Organization’s task force is helping to develop a Global Framework for Climate Services to link weather predictions, projections and information with climate-risk management and adaptation.

Abstract

Sharing: project will make climate data freely available to all SIR -Some of the concerns expressed in your News story on the difficulties of collecting and sharing climate data across countries are unjustified (Nature 461, 159; 2009).The World Meteorological Organization's task force is helping to develop a Global Framework for Climate Services to link weather predictions, projections and information with climate-risk management and adaptation.This international service will provide free and unrestricted collection and exchange of meteorological data.Because the information is for the public good, there will be no competition or exclusion in accessing it.Application by one user will not reduce its availability to others.It would also be impossible -or very costly -to exclude potential users from using the data for their own benefit.Another advantage is that although climate information is expensive to produce, it is relatively cheap to reproduce and distribute -making it economically efficient to supply these valuable data to all for free.