IIRC GIS exists in its current form because of the benefit in using it for land management. It's definitely a powerful tool to show climate change etc but unfor

IIRC GIS exists in its current form because of the benefit in using it for land management. It's definitely a powerful tool to show climate change etc but unfortunately I think we are past that phase. Most people have made up their mind on the issue - typically along partisan lines. All the maps on the world can't change political belief if people are saturated with media about how it's all a hoax etc. Great point re data. The tools for dissemination of data are getting better and there is a growing open data movement within government. My own experience has been that greater education is needed for policy makers - they often fear releasing data in case it will be used against them or don't understand the potential benefits of releasing data. In the GIS world there has also been resistance due to policy makers wanting to recover the cost of data acquisition.