Can We Talk About the New NCA Website?

This week’s release of the National Climate Assessment, which chronicles in painstaking detail how climate change is affecting the U.S., is a far cry from what most expect when they hear the words “government report.”  The NCA represents the first major digital release of a federal report, one that could be a prototype for all future reports.

The new assessment reflects the immersive digital experience most people expect in 2014.  The site is beautifully designed, easy to navigate, and dare we say, modern.  A silent looping video of palm trees whipping in the wind introduces a chapter on extreme weather, and interactive graphics abound, allowing users to delve into key climate change indicators in as much detail as they want.  And you can actually look at it on a cell phone without squinting or wanting to smash your screen in frustration.  It’s a far cry from slogging through static pages or links to PDFs.

Can We Talk About the New NCA Website?