In 1972 the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. agreed to cooperate in the field of Environmental Protection. A part of this agreement involved the formation of Working Group VIII (WG VIII), which deals with the influence of the environment on climate. This mandate has been interpreted very broadly, resulting in a wide range of cooperative climate activities that have been addressed under the agreement. Details on the history, organization, and activities—past, present and future—are presented and discussed. Although this bilateral agreement predates the U.S. National Climate Program, its activities have been supplementary and complementary. Scientists interested in the activities of the climate working group are encouraged to participate.
1 Director, Division of Atmospheric Sciences, National Science Foundation, Washington, DC 20550.
2 Retired, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Headquarters, Rockville, MD 20852.
3 Opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not reflect policies or opinions of either the National Science Foundation or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
