Marc Alessi, Climate Science Fellow at the Union of Concerned Scientists
Dr. Marc Alessi, a climate science fellow at the Union of Concerned Scientists, talked with me about the challenges and advancements in climate science and policy. He highlighted the increasing communication battle between factual scientific work and disinformation fueled by corporate interests, particularly from fossil fuel companies. Marc’s passion for climate science began in childhood, driven by an interest in weather and atmospheric studies, leading him to pursue a PhD in atmospheric science with a focus on climate policy and action.
The Union of Concerned Scientists, originally formed to address nuclear weapons issues, now advocates for climate science and policy, aiming to bridge the gap between scientific research and policy-making. Marc emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary partnerships, such as those between climate scientists and lawyers, to advance climate litigation strategies.
AI tools are seen as promising for climate science, offering capabilities like downscaling and filling in data gaps even though challenges remain due to AI’s “black box” nature. Marc believes in the importance of shaping the future through proactive energy infrastructure changes and effective communication strategies
Shorts
Coming soon
Climate attribution and Concerned Scientists with Marc Alessi (audio podcast)
The Transcript for the Podcast
Source attribution for climate changes
Action Workshops and connecting
Machine learning to fill in the gaps
Building trust in AI in climate science
FAIR Principles applied to Climate Science
Using AI to communicate falsehoods
The communication battle about climate
Some technologies give fossil fuel companies an excuse
A renewable energy infrastructure
How can individuals help shape our future before the future shapes us?
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Links to explore
Marc’s website
Click on bottom link on the website to download Marc’s CV including list of research papers
Union of Concerned Scientists
Marc Alessi is a UCS Science Fellow focusing on climate attribution science.
How do climate scientists use AI?
National Academies of Sciences Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence and Climate Change workshop titled Accelerating Climate Progress with AI: From Science to Action Workshop from Jan 2026
More from UCS
Long History of Climate Models
What a Climate Model Is
