[DIALOGnews] DISCCRS News 11/28/2006

Ruth Ladderud ladderra at whitman.edu
Tue Nov 28 14:31:14 CST 2006



DISCCRS News
11/24/2006
************************************
TABLE OF CONTENTS

RESOURCES and FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Menden-Deuer, S. and N.J. Grigg. 2006. Balancing Priorities in the  
Academic Workplace. This paper is the result of a discussion at the  
DIALOG VII symposium.
    http://marcus.whitman.edu/~weilercs/resources/ 
balancing_priorities.pdf
Grants.gov Application Guide - June 6, 2006
    http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=grantsgovguide
State of the Arctic Report Released Online
    http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/pubs/PDF/rich2952/rich2952.pdf
Information Unit for Conventions (IUC) Publications.  UNEP has  
published simplified guides to the IPCC Special Report on carbon  
capture & storage and the IPCC/TEAP Special Report on HFCs and PFCs.  
The first is available in all six UN languages and the second in  
English, French and Spanish. Hard copies can be ordered for no cost  
from iuc at unep.ch.
    www.unep.org/dec/information/public_information.html
NSF Dear Colleague Letter for International Polar Year 07-08
    http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf07008
NSF Centers for Ocean Science Education Excellence (COSEE)
    http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf07527

FORUM
Threat to the Planet - by James Hansen - a 16-chart, 15-20 minute  
presentation
    http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/DukeEdin_21Nov2006_complete.pdf
The American Meteorological Society is soliciting comments on their  
new climate change statement. The deadline for comments is December  
9, 2006.
    http://www.ametsoc.org/policy/draftstatements/index.html
Inconvenient Truth - Science a la Joe Camel
    (see FORUM 1 below)

SCIENCE NEWS
S&E Doctorates Hit All-time High in 2005
    http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf07301
United Nations Conference on Climate Change concludes
    http://unfccc.int/files/press/news_room/ 
press_releases_and_advisories/application/pdf/20061117_cop_12_closing- 
english.pdf
In Antarctica's Dry Valleys, worms offer clues to alarming changes in  
ecosystem
    http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/11/22/healthscience/snantar.php
Little Norway's Big Climate-Change Battle
    http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/little-norways-big-climate- 
change-battle/2006/11/27/1164476127752.html
California to Restrict Ocean Fishing
    http://www.examiner.com/ 
a-408793~California_to_Restrict_Ocean_Fishing.html  Or: http:// 
tinyurl.com/tgavz
    (see NEWS 1 below)
Iceberg Off New Zealand Becomes Tourist Mecca
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15765149/  Or: http://tinyurl.com/y2dagu
    (see NEWS 2 below)
Global Methane Rise Slowing Down
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6170736.stm  Or: http:// 
tinyurl.com/szdrz
    (see NEWS 3 below)
James Hansen receives Duke of Edinburgh Conservation Medal
    http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/climate_change/ 
index.cfm?uNewsID=87400
    (see NEWS 4 below)
Zogby Poll: Climate Concerns Influenced Midterm Electoral Vote
    http://www.zogby.com/templates/printnews.cfm?id=1194
    (see NEWS 5 below)
Colorado Institutes First US Carbon Tax
    http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20061101/ 
a_carbontax01.art.htm
    (see NEWS 6 below)
Global Warming Causes Species Extinctions Worldwide
    http://www.utexas.edu/opa/news/2006/11/biology14.html
    (see NEWS 7 below)
Weather Disasters Could Cost As Much As $1 Trillion In A Year
    http://www.terradaily.com/reports/ 
Weather_Disasters_Could_Cost_One_Trillion_Dollars_In_A_Year_999.html
    (see NEWS 8 below)
US Ranks 53 Among 56 Countries On a Climate Change Performance Index
    http://www.germanwatch.org/klima/ccpi.htm
    (see NEWS 9 below)
High Court to Weigh Climate Change Case
    http://www.examiner.com/ 
a-420694~High_Court_to_Weigh_Climate_Change_Case.html    Or: http:// 
tinyurl.com/us3et
(see NEWS 10 below)
Arctic Scientists Look to the Clouds for Clues to Climate Change
    http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/science/20061126-0929- 
mysteryintheclouds.html
(see NEWS 11 below)

SUMMER PROGRAMS, COURSES, INTERNSHIPS, MEETINGS, OPPORTUNITIES
Serve as mentor at December 2006 AGU meeting in San Francisco, CA (USA)
    http://www.msphds.usf.edu/ProgramInformation.html (note: this is  
a link to the 2005 site - you will have to search for current info or  
contact Ashanti J. Pyrtle apyrtle at marine.usf.edu)
   (see MEETING 1 below)
PACLIM 2007: Abrupt Climate Change – Causes and Ecosystem Responses  
- May 13-16, 2007 – Asilomar, Monterey County, CA (USA)
    (see MEETING 2 below)
The 2007 International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences (ISAES)  
- AUG 26-SEP 1, 2007 - University of California, Santa Barbara, CA  
(USA).
    http://isaes2007.geol.ucsb.edu/
    (see OPPORTUNITY 1) below)

JOBS
Post-doc - Biological Oceanography - Lamont-Doherty Earth  
Observatory – Columbia University - Palisades NY (USA)
    (see JOB 1 below)
Geographer/Senior Researcher - Sustainable Communities & Livelihoods  
- The Macaulay Institute, Aberdeen (UK)
    http://www.macaulay.ac.uk/jobs
    (see JOB 2 below)
Junior Professorship – Biogeographical Modelling – University  
Bayreuth – Bayreuth, (Germany)
    (see JOB 3 below)
Asst. Profs – tenure-track –Department of Geosciences - Stony  
Brook University – Stony Brook, NY (USA)
    www.stonybrook.edu/cjo
    (see JOB 4 below)
***************************************************
Forum
(FORUM 1) Inconvenient Truth - Science a la Joe Camel
    Laurie David - Washington Post - At hundreds of screenings this  
year of "An Inconvenient Truth," the first thing many viewers said  
after the lights came up was that every student in every school in  
the United States needed to see this movie.
    The producers of former vice president Al Gore's film about  
global warming, myself included, certainly agreed. So the company  
that made the documentary decided to offer 50,000 free DVDs to the  
National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) for educators to use in  
their classrooms. It seemed like a no-brainer.
    The teachers had a different idea: Thanks but no thanks, they said.
    In their e-mail rejection, they expressed concern that other  
"special interests" might ask to distribute materials, too; they said  
they didn't want to offer "political" endorsement of the film; and  
they saw "little, if any, benefit to NSTA or its members" in  
accepting the free DVDs.
    Gore, however, is not running for office, and the film's  
theatrical run is long since over. As for classroom benefits, the  
movie has been enthusiastically endorsed by leading climate  
scientists worldwide, and is required viewing for all students in  
Norway and Sweden.
    Still, maybe the NSTA just being extra cautious. But there was  
one more curious argument in the e-mail: Accepting the DVDs, they  
wrote, would place "unnecessary risk upon the [NSTA] capital  
campaign, especially certain targeted supporters." One of those  
supporters, it turns out, is the Exxon Mobil Corp.
    That's the same Exxon Mobil that for more than a decade has done  
everything possible to muddle public understanding of global warming  
and stifle any serious effort to solve it. It has run ads in leading  
newspapers (including this one) questioning the role of manmade  
emissions in global warming, and financed the work of a small band of  
scientific skeptics who have tried to challenge the consensus that  
heat-trapping pollution is drastically altering our atmosphere. The  
company spends millions to support groups such as the Competitive  
Enterprise Institute that aggressively pressure lawmakers to oppose  
emission limits.
    It's bad enough when a company tries to sell junk science to a  
bunch of grown-ups. But, like a tobacco company using cartoons to  
peddle cigarettes, Exxon Mobil is going after our kids, too.
    And it has been doing so for longer than you may think. NSTA says  
it has received $6 million from the company since 1996, mostly for  
the association's "Building a Presence for Science" program, an  
electronic networking initiative intended to "bring standards-based  
teaching and learning" into schools, according to the NSTA Web site.  
Exxon Mobil has a representative on the group's corporate advisory  
board. And in 2003, NSTA gave the company an award for its commitment  
to science education.
    So much for special interests and implicit endorsements.
    In the past year alone, according to its Web site, Exxon Mobil's  
foundation gave $42 million to key organizations that influence the  
way children learn about science, from kindergarten until they  
graduate from high school.
    And Exxon Mobil isn't the only one getting in on the action.  
Through textbooks, classroom posters and teacher seminars, the oil  
industry, the coal industry and other corporate interests are  
exploiting shortfalls in education funding by using a small slice of  
their record profits to buy themselves a classroom soapbox.
    NSTA's list of corporate donors also includes Shell Oil and the  
American Petroleum Institute (API), which funds NSTA's Web site on  
the science of energy. There, students can find a section called  
"Running on Oil" and read a page that touts the industry's  
environmental track record -- citing improvements mostly attributable  
to laws that the companies fought tooth and nail, by the way -- but  
makes only vague references to spills or pollution. NSTA has  
distributed a video produced by API called "You Can't Be Cool Without  
Fuel," a shameless pitch for oil dependence.
    The education organization also hosts an annual convention --  
which is described on Exxon Mobil's Web site as featuring "more than  
450 companies and organizations displaying the most current  
textbooks, lab equipment, computer hardware and software, and  
teaching enhancements." The company "regularly displays" its  
"many . . . education materials" at the exhibition. John Borowski, a  
science teacher at North Salem High School in Salem, Ore., was  
dismayed by NSTA's partnerships with industrial polluters when he  
attended the association's annual convention this year and witnessed  
hundreds of teachers and school administrators walk away with  
armloads of free corporate lesson plans.
    Along with propaganda challenging global warming from Exxon  
Mobil, the curricular offerings included lessons on forestry provided  
by Weyerhaeuser and International Paper, Borowski says, and the  
benefits of genetic engineering courtesy of biotech giant Monsanto.
    "The materials from the American Petroleum Institute and the  
other corporate interests are the worst form of a lie: omission,"  
Borowski says. "The oil and coal guys won't address global warming,  
and the timber industry papers over clear-cuts."
    An API memo leaked to the media as long ago as 1998 succinctly  
explains why the association is angling to infiltrate the classroom:  
"Informing teachers/students about uncertainties in climate science  
will begin to erect barriers against further efforts to impose Kyoto- 
like measures in the future."
    So, how is any of this different from showing Gore's movie in the  
classroom? The answer is that neither Gore nor Participant  
Productions, which made the movie, stands to profit a nickel from  
giving away DVDs, and we aren't facing millions of dollars in lost  
business from limits on global-warming pollution and a shift to  
cleaner, renewable energy.
    It's hard to say whether NSTA is a bad guy here or just a sorry  
victim of tight education budgets. And we don't pretend that a two- 
hour movie is a substitute for a rigorous science curriculum.  
Students should expect, and parents should demand, that educators  
present an honest and unbiased look at the true state of knowledge  
about the challenges of the day.
    As for Exxon Mobil -- which just began a fuzzy advertising  
campaign that trumpets clean energy and low emissions -- this story  
shows that slapping green stripes on a corporate tiger doesn't change  
the beast within. The company is still playing the same cynical game  
it has for years.
    While NSTA and Exxon Mobil ponder the moral lesson they're  
teaching with all this, there are 50,000 DVDs sitting in a Los  
Angeles warehouse, waiting to be distributed. In the meantime, Mom  
and Dad may want to keep a sharp eye on their kids' science homework.
    Laurie David is a Natural Resources Defense Council trustee and  
founder of StopGlobalWarming.org.

***************************************************
Science News
(NEWS 1) California to Restrict Ocean Fishing
    http://www.examiner.com/ 
a-408793~California_to_Restrict_Ocean_Fishing.html  Or: http:// 
tinyurl.com/tgavz
    MONTEREY, Calif. - Flying over California's rugged Central Coast,  
Mike Sutton pointed to kelp forests and rocky reefs just below the  
water's surface that will soon be off-limits to fishing under one of  
the nation's most ambitious plans to protect marine life. "We're  
trying to make sure our oceans are [as] protected as our land," said  
Sutton, a marine expert at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
    Despite intense opposition from many fishermen, California  
wildlife regulators are creating the nation's most extensive network  
of "marine protected areas" - stretches of ocean where fishing will  
be banned or severely restricted.
    The first chain of refuges, covering some 200 square miles and  
stretching from Santa Barbara to Half Moon Bay, just south of San  
Francisco, is due to take effect early next year. The state plans  
similar protected zones along the more intensely fished coasts of  
northern and southern California.
********************
(NEWS 2) Iceberg Off New Zealand Becomes Tourist Mecca
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15765149/  Or: http://tinyurl.com/y2dagu
    WELLINGTON, New Zealand - An iceberg has been spotted from the  
New Zealand shore for the first time in living memory, drawing  
tourists via helicopter and scientists who are trying to determine  
where it and several other giant chunks drifting in the country's  
waters originated from.
    Last year, icebergs were seen in New Zealand water for the first  
time in 56 years, but couldn't be seen from the shore. This year one  
was visible from Dunedin on South Island on Thursday.
    It has since moved away, driven by winds and ocean currents. The  
floating ice blocks have become a tourist attraction, as sightseers  
pay up to $330 each to fly over the icebergs - first spotted headed  
toward southern New Zealand several weeks ago.
********************
(NEWS 3) Global Methane Rise Slowing Down
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6170736.stm  Or: http:// 
tinyurl.com/szdrz
    BBC News Online - The rise in concentrations of the greenhouse  
gas methane in the atmosphere has slowed down considerably in recent  
years, research suggests. Scientists say levels have been stable for  
about seven years following a steep rise during the last century.
    Researchers believe the slowdown may be due to measures aimed at  
reducing the release of methane from gas pipelines, paddy fields and  
landfill sites. The findings are published in the journal Geophysical  
Research Letters.
    The study also found that major forest fires, such as occurred in  
Indonesia in 1997 and 1998, produce significant quantities of methane.
********************
(NEWS 4) James Hansen receives Duke of Edinburgh Conservation Medal
    http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/climate_change/ 
index.cfm?uNewsID=87400
    Dr James Hansen is this year's recipient of the Duke of Edinburgh  
Conservation Medal, WWF's highest award for outstanding service to  
the environment. Dr Hansen, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for  
Space Studies in New York, was presented with his medal by the Duke  
of Edinburgh in a ceremony at St James's Palace in London.
********************
(NEWS 5) Zogby Poll: Climate Concerns Influenced Midterm Electoral Vote
    http://www.zogby.com/templates/printnews.cfm?id=1194
    According to a recent Zogby International post-election survey,  
half of Americans who voted in the mid-term elections said concern  
about global warming made a difference in who they voted for on  
Election Day 2006. Eighty-five percent of these voters who felt  
global warming was important cast their votes for Democratic  
Congressional candidates, including 48 percent of Independents and 7  
percent of Republicans.
    In the post-election survey, a solid majority (58 percent) of  
voters agreed their elected officials "should make combating global  
warming a high priority." Three-quarters (75 percent) of Americans  
who voted in the mid-term elections say the "U.S. Congress should  
pass legislation promoting renewable and alternative energy sources  
as an effective way to reduce global warming pollution."
    The national Zogby Interactive poll, commissioned by the National  
Wildlife Federation, surveyed 19,356 adults between November 7 and  
November 10.
*********************
(NEWS 6) Colorado Institutes First US Carbon Tax
    http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20061101/ 
a_carbontax01.art.htm
  USA Today - Voters of Boulder, Colorado have approved the Climate  
Action Plan Tax, making it the first municipal government to impose a  
carbon tax on residents' electricity usage to tackle global warming.  
The average household will pay $1.33 per month and an average  
business will pay $3.80 per month towards the tax. The carbon tax  
will generate about $1 million annually through 2012, when it is set  
to expire. The proceeds from the tax collected by the local electric  
utility company will be used to fund the city's Climate Action Plan  
approved earlier this year.
    The city gets most of its electricity from coal-based power  
plants. Residents opting for wind power will not be required to pay  
the tax. The carbon tax measure won about 58 percent of the votes,  
according to Sarah Van Pelt, Boulder's environmental sustainability  
coordinator. Yael Gichon of Boulder's environmental affairs office  
said that the tax would fund energy efficiency efforts, energy audits  
and enhance the use of wind and solar power.
********************
(NEWS 7) Global Warming Causes Species Extinctions Worldwide
    http://www.utexas.edu/opa/news/2006/11/biology14.html
    A synthesis study by Dr. Camille Parmesan of University of Texas  
shows that global warming has already caused species extinctions in  
the most sensitive habitats and that the trend will continue over the  
next 50 to 100 years. She reviewed more than 800 scientific studies  
on climate change impacts on thousands of wild species across the  
world. "Earlier syntheses were hampered from drawing broad  
conclusions by the relative lack of studies. Because there are now so  
many papers on this subject, we can start pulling together some  
patterns that we weren't able to before," said Parmesan, associate  
professor of integrative biology, and co-author of an  
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2001 report.
    The University's press release says that stronger responses are  
now being observed in species that are adapted to very cold areas and  
where these areas have experienced strong global warming trends such  
as the Antarctic and Arctic regions. The most sensitive species are  
becoming extinct and/or shifting their ranges with original habitats  
becoming inhospitable. "Some species that are adapted to a wide array  
of environments—globally common, or what we call weedy or urban  
species—will be most likely to persist. Rare species that live in  
fragile or extreme habitats are already being affected, and we expect  
that to continue." Pests and diseases are also shifting northwards  
like other wild animals, according to the review published online in  
the December 2006 issue of the Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution,  
and Systematics.
    Another report by WWF based on a review of over 200 scientific  
articles finds a "clear and escalating pattern of climate change  
impacts on bird species around the world." Bird groups such as  
migratory, mountain, island, wetland, Arctic and Antarctic, and  
seabirds are at a high risk due to climate change. Declines of up to  
90 percent have been observed in some populations. The WWF report  
points out that bird extinction rates could be as high as 38 percent  
in Europe, and 72 percent in northeastern Australia, if global  
warming exceeds 2ºC above pre-industrial levels (currently, the value  
is 0.8ºC above pre-industrial levels).
*******************
(NEWS 8) Weather Disasters Could Cost As Much As $1 Trillion In A Year
    http://www.terradaily.com/reports/ 
Weather_Disasters_Could_Cost_One_Trillion_Dollars_In_A_Year_999.html
    TerraDaily - A UNEP Finance Initiative report issued at the  
annual UN climate conference in Nairobi forecasts annual losses to  
the tune of $800 billion by 2041 (at 2005 values) due to weather  
disasters driven by climate change. Moreover, the report says,  
"....it seems very likely that there will be a "peak" year that will  
record costs of over 1 trillion USD before 2040. In fact, since so  
much development is taking place in coastal zones, the figure may  
arrive considerably before 2040." The $1 trillion losses, which  
include economic, societal and opportunity costs, take into account  
the trend that great disasters appear in clusters every three years,  
resulting in 50 percent higher costs. In general, costs double every  
12 years. Thomas Loster, Munich Re, said that in 2005 weather-related  
damage cost $210 billion, out of which $120 billion was attributed to  
Hurricane Katrina.
*******************
(NEWS 9) US Ranks 53 Among 56 Countries On a Climate Change  
Performance Index
    http://www.germanwatch.org/klima/ccpi.htm
According to a study by Germanwatch, the United States is among the  
bottom five in a list of 56 industrialized and rapidly  
industrializing countries, which together put out more than 90  
percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. US greenhouse gas  
emissions grew 0.6 percent last year according to the U.S. Energy  
Information Administration.
    The rankings, based on a Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI),  
show Sweden at the top, with the UK closely following at number 3.  
However, Christoph Bals, political director of Germanwatch,  
emphasized, "There is no winner. The leader, Sweden, is only the one- 
eyed king among the blind." India is ranked 9th, but China is placed  
immediately after the US. The comprehensive index analyzes emission  
trends and assesses climate policies at both domestic and  
international levels besides looking at emission volumes of each  
country. "If the USA....were to exercise an international climate  
policy stance as progressive as the UK, it would move up more than 30  
places," said Bals.
********************
(NEWS 10) High Court to Weigh Climate Change Case
    http://www.examiner.com/ 
a-420694~High_Court_to_Weigh_Climate_Change_Case.html    Or: http:// 
tinyurl.com/us3et
    San Francisco Examiner - WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court hears  
arguments this week in a case that could determine whether the Bush  
administration must change course in how it deals with the threat of  
global warming.
    A dozen states as well as environmental groups and large cities  
are trying to convince the court that the Environmental Protection  
Agency must regulate, as a matter of public health, the amount of  
carbon dioxide that comes from vehicles.
    Carbon dioxide is produced when fossil fuels such as oil and  
natural gas are burned. It is the principal "greenhouse" gas that  
many scientists believe is flowing into the atmosphere at an  
unprecedented rate, leading to a warming of the earth and widespread  
ecological changes. One way to reduce those emissions is to have  
cleaner-burning cars.
*********************
(NEWS 11) Arctic Scientists Look to the Clouds for Clues to Climate  
Change
    http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/science/20061126-0929- 
mysteryintheclouds.html
    San Diego Union-Tribune - EUREKA, Nunavut Territory - Scientists  
are peering into the clouds near the top of the world, trying to  
solve a mystery and learn something new about global warming.
    The mystery is the droplets of water in the clouds. With the  
North Pole just 685 miles away, they should be frozen, yet more of  
them are liquid than anyone expected.
    So the scientists working out of a converted blue cargo container  
are trying to determine whether the clouds are one of the causes - or  
effects - of Earth's warming atmosphere.
***************************************************
Summer Programs, Courses, Internships, Meetings, Opportunities
(MEETING 1) Serve as mentor at December 2006 AGU meeting in San  
Francisco, CA (USA)
    http://www.msphds.usf.edu/ProgramInformation.html (note: this is  
a link to the 2005 site - you will have to search for current info or  
contact Ashanti J. Pyrtle apyrtle at marine.usf.edu)
    Please consider serving as a meeting mentor for a student  
participating in Phase I of the 2006-2007 MS PHD'S (Minorities  
Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth System  
Science) Professional Development Program during the 2006 Fall AGU  
meeting.
    As a science meeting mentor, you will interact with an  
undergraduate or graduate student interested in pursuing an earth/ 
ocean science-related career. If you agree to serve as a meeting  
mentor you will be asked to:
* Communicate with one student before the 2006 Fall AGU meeting (an  
opportunity to introduce yourselves, discover common academic  
interests, etc.) if possible
* Participate in a mentor orientation/reception and Mentor-Mentee  
pair introductions at the California Academy of Science on Sunday,  
Dec. 10th from
7:00PM-8:00PM
* Discuss a minimum of four presentations with your assigned mentee  
during the 2006 Fall AGU meeting
* Facilitate networking (introduce your mentee to other scientists  
with similar interests) during and after the 2006 Fall AGU meeting
* Offer academic and career advice during and after the 2006 Fall AGU  
meeting
    If you are interested in serving as a mentor, please complete the  
brief on-line survey found at http://www.msphds.usf.edu/survey/ 
mentor_survey.php as soon as possible. If you have previously served  
as a mentor in the MS PHD'S Professional Development Program you do  
not need to complete a new survey. However, you will need to send an  
email to msphds at marine.usf.edu indicating your willingness to serve  
as a mentor during the 2006 Fall AGU Meeting.
    Thanks in advance for considering participating in this  
worthwhile endeavor!
(MEETING 2) PACLIM 2007: Abrupt Climate Change – Causes and  
Ecosystem Responses - May 13-16, 2007 – Asilomar, Monterey County,  
CA (USA)
    The purpose of the 2007 Pacific Climate Workshop is to place the  
atmospheric and oceanic mechanisms that drive abrupt climate change  
in the eastern Pacific Ocean and western North America into the  
context of ecosystem response. Using records of cold-climate abrupt  
change such as the Younger Dryas and Holocene and historic records of  
"warm-climate surprises", what is the possible range of response in  
marine and terrestrial ecosystems? Because abrupt climate change is  
inevitable, how predicable is it and what evidence exists for an  
anthropogenic component in recent abrupt changes?
    As usual, about half of the program will be organized around this  
theme and the remainder will be open to other climate-related topics.  
There will also be a poster session which will be open for the entire  
meeting.
    The registration information should be available on the PACLIM  
website by the end of the year.
    PACLIM 2006 Proceedings Volume: A total of thirteen manuscripts  
have been received or promised for the 2006 PACLIM Proceedings volume  
to be published in Quaternary International. The Elsevier site for  
submission of manuscripts (http://ees.elsevier.com/quatint/ ) will be  
open for a couple more weeks so there is still time for those who  
have something to contribute, but manuscripts should be submitted  
ASAP. Disregard the statement on the submission site that tells  
authors to submit manuscripts for special issues directly to the  
guest editors.
    We are still looking for reviewers for manuscripts on topics  
ranging from rock glaciers to diatoms.
    Scott W. Starratt, Ph.D.,  Research Geologist,  MS 910 Volcanic  
Hazards Team,  U.S. Geological Survey,  345 Middlefield Road,  Menlo  
Park, CA 94025.   650-329-4990 (voice)   650-329-5203 (fax)  
sstarrat at usgs.gov
********************
(OPPORTUNITY 1) The 2007 International Symposium on Antarctic Earth  
Sciences (ISAES) - AUG 26-SEP 1, 2007 - University of California,  
Santa Barbara, CA (USA).
    http://isaes2007.geol.ucsb.edu/
    If anyone is interested in participating in the session for  
"Polar Education and Outreach Initiatives" please contact: Michele  
Zebich-Knos (Kennesaw State University) at mzebich at kennesaw.edu or  
770.423.6499.
    Since 2007 marks the start of the International Polar Year, this  
conference will be a good place to connect with scientists who  
conduct research on Antarctica.

***************************************************
Jobs
Planktonnet: Great listserv for aquatic-science jobs
To subscribe to the list, send an empty email to:
planktonnet-subscribe at yahoogroups.com
Or, visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/planktonnet/ and click on  
'Join this group'
********************
(JOB 1) Post-doc - Biological Oceanography - Lamont-Doherty Earth  
Observatory – Columbia University - Palisades NY (USA)
    We are seeking qualified applicants for a post-doctoral position,  
to participate in a 3-year NSF-sponsored study of the role of light  
and nutrients in controlling phytoplankton photosynthesis in the  
ocean. This position will be supported for 2 years, future pending  
upon funding and performance. Duties include participating in  
research cruises, processing and analysis of data, and publication of  
results in peer- reviewed journals. Applicants should have  
demonstrated experience using both field and laboratory approaches to  
studying phytoplankton physiology, including: variable fluorescence,  
spectral fluorescence, photosynthetic rate determination, light  
absorption by phytoplankton cells, and analysis of HPLC pigments.  
Strong consideration will be given to applicants who have prior  
experience designing field experiments and sampling strategies to  
best link meso-scale ocean physics with phytoplankton photosynthesis.
    Position can begin as soon as February 1, 2007. Applicants should  
send a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and the names of three  
references to Ms. M. Mokhtari, Manager of Human Resources, Lamont- 
Doherty Earth Observatory, P.O. Box 1000, Palisades, NY 10964 or  
email to: personnel at admin.ldeo.columbia.edu with Search Number LD 670  
06 024 in the subject line. Columbia University is an Affirmative  
Action/Equal Opportunity employer. Minorities and Women are  
encouraged to apply.
********************
(JOB 2) Geographer/Senior Researcher - Sustainable Communities &  
Livelihoods - The Macaulay Institute, Aberdeen (UK)
    http://www.macaulay.ac.uk/jobs
    We are seeking a senior researcher to work on factors affecting  
rural communities and land use, particularly in relation to one or  
more of the following issues: climate change, biodiversity  
conservation, or sustainable development policies. Candidates with  
relevant UK and/or international research experience in any of these  
areas are encouraged to apply. The position also involves  
coordinating a new interdisciplinary project involving geographers,  
social scientists, economists, natural scientists, and modellers  
working on the protection and enhancement of landscapes and rural  
communities in Scotland.
    A post-graduate degree in geography or a related subject, a  
strong track record in peer-reviewed publications and grant-winning,  
and a commitment to collaborative, inter-disciplinary approaches to  
research, are essential. Experience in project coordination is highly  
desirable, and knowledge of spatial analysis techniques would also be  
advantageous.
    Starting salary within the range £32,000 - £42,000 per annum  
with excellent employee benefits.
    Quote Ref MA49/06 Further information and application forms can  
be obtained from: Human Resources,  The Macaulay Institute, Aberdeen,  
AB15 8QH,  T:01224-498200 - Email: hr at macaulay.ac.uk  http:// 
www.macaulay.ac.uk/jobs
    Completed application forms must be returned By 1 December 2006
********************
(JOB 3)  Junior Professorship – Biogeographical Modelling –  
University Bayreuth – Bayreuth, (Germany)
    The position will be filled as soon as possible, initially for a  
period of three years, with the possibility of an extension for  
another three years subject to a positive evaluation.
    Candidates for this Junior Professorship have received a Ph.D.  
degree in Biology, Ecology, Geoecology, Geography or any related  
field during the last three years.  The candidate is expected to  
engage in own independent research programs. Specifically he/she  
should have experience in biogeographical research. The candidate  
should be familiar with dispersal models, explorative multivariate  
statistics and rule based spatially explicit models.
    This position will contribute to the research focus on Ecology  
and Environmental Science at the University of Bayreuth.  Integration  
into existing research groups at the University of Bayreuth is  
required (e.g. Bayreuth Centre for Ecology and Environmental  
Research, BayCEER).  Documented activities in the acquisition of  
third-party funding are desired.  The teaching will concentrate on  
the Elite Study Program “Global Change Ecology” (within the Elite  
Network of Bavaria) but courses for studies in Geography, Geoecology  
and Biology are expected as well. Teaching is mainly English.
    The successful candidate must hold a university degree, prove his/ 
her potential for scientific work (e.g. by excellent Ph.D.) and  
teaching skills.
    Physically handicapped persons will be favoured, if they are  
equally qualified. To increase the number of women in science, women  
are explicitly encouraged to apply. Applications including CV,  
university certificates and list of publications should be sent  
before December 31st 2006 to the: Dean of Faculty of Biology,  
Chemistry and Geosciences; University of Bayreuth; D-95440 Bayreuth,  
Germany.
********************
(JOBS 4) Asst. Profs – tenure-track –Department of Geosciences -  
Stony Brook University – Stony Brook, NY (USA)
    www.stonybrook.edu/cjo
    The Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University invites  
applications for tenure track faculty positions at the Assistant  
Professor level. Preference will be given to candidates who  
compliment existing research strengths including planetary sciences  
and computational geosciences. A Ph.D. in Geoscience or closely  
related field and significant past research accomplishments based on  
quality and originality in published work or manuscripts in  
preparation are required.

The successful candidate will be expected to teach at the graduate  
and undergraduate levels and to develop a vigorous research program.  
Evaluation of applicants will begin December 15, 2006. Applicants  
should send curriculum vitae, statement of research interests, names  
and complete contact information of three references to:

Professor John B. Parise, Chair
Faculty Search Committee,
Department of Geosciences,
Stony Brook University,
Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100

Email address for applicants: Geosciences_Search at notes.cc.sunysb.edu

**************************************************
This newsletter has been developed by C. Susan Weiler to distribute  
information of potential interest to recent PhDs engaged in  
interdisciplinary aquatic science or climate-change research, and to  
build an international sense of community among recent grads. It  
provides an international forum for the exchange of information and  
opinions regarding research, professional and social issues. The  
views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the  
funding agencies or sponsoring societies. Dr. Weiler reserves the  
right to edit or reject material submitted to the list.
         Please submit announcements of interest to recent PhDs to  
phd at whitman.edu.  Send a short message in the body of an e-mail  
message, and link to any appropriate websites. Do not send attachments.
         Moving? Send address changes to dialog at whitman.edu or  
disccrs at whitman.edu
**********
C. Susan Weiler, Ph.D.
Office for Earth System Studies    Tel:   509-527-5948
Whitman College                          Fax:  509-527-5961
Walla Walla, WA 99362
    weiler at whitman.edu
    Programs for Recent PhDs                 http://aslo.org/phd.html
    DISCCRS poster       http://www.aslo.org/phd/disccrsposter.pdf
   Workshop Report, Meeting the Needs of
     Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Graduates in a
          Changing Global Environment
http://marcus.whitman.edu/~weilercs/biocomplexity/





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