Odyssey in Climate Modeling, Global Warming, and Advising Five Presidents

Warren M. Washington is a Senior Scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. In the early 1960s, he was among the first scientists to pioneer the development of coupled climate models that are used for evaluation of humankind's impact on the global environment. These coupled models involve interacting atmosphere, ocean, land-vegetation, and sea ice components. Washington and Claire Parkinson of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center wrote the book titled An Introduction to Three-Dimensional Climate Modeling (2nd edition in 2005), which is widely used. He has worked with many colleagues to examine climate change including global warming and its influence on society. Over the last 35 years, he has had Presidential Appointments in the Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and G.W. Bush administrations and he has served on many science committees and boards, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the National Science Board, which he chaired from 2002 to 2006. He served as the President of the American Meteorological Society in 1995. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the American Philosophical Society and American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2010, President Obama awarded him the National Medal of Science, the nation's highest science honor. This autobiography provides information about how Washington became a scientist and his insights into science policy and other societal issues. Throughout the book, there are footnotes and internet web sites provided showing where additional information can be found. The book was edited by his wife, Mary C. Washington.