The insights that were shared at this event will help address the gap that is created when the science of climate change is based on abstractdata and separated from local and cultural considerations.
In each of the examples above, we witness the compelling effect of data transformed from an abstract state to a physical representation on a map, instantly bringing it to life.
Regarding the second assumption: the Prefaces to the recent print editions of the Statistical Abstract said that both government and private sources contributed to its mix of data.
Any private entity which wanted to take up the monumental task of replacing the Statistical Abstract would need to charge substantially more to make the effort sustainable, at a price that would place the data outside the reach of most of the people who used the former, taxpayer-supported version.