Because of the substantial implications of the hurricane–global warming issue for society and the immediate policy relevance associated with decision making related to Hurricane Katrina, attacks and rebuttals related to this research are being made in the media and on the World Wide Web without the rigor or accountability expected of scientific discourse.

Human activities are changing the composition of the atmosphere and global warming is happening as a result. The environment in which hurricanes form is changing. The evidence strongly suggests more intense storms and risk of greater flooding events.

NCAR invests in both the social sciences and capacity building through its Institute for the Study of Society and Environment and numerous initiatives across NCAR and UCAR.

Tom Wigley in 1998 reported research showing that adherence to the Kyoto Protocol alone, without subsequent action, would have a minimal impact on global warming. Wigley concluded in the article, published in Geophysical Research Letters, "This does not mean that the actions implied by the Protocol are unnecessary." He called the protocol an important first step while pointing out that much more must be done after Kyoto to reduce future global warming by a significant amount.

On the Record presents source material from NCAR and UCAR researchers to provide context and accuracy.