[DIALOGnews] DISCCRS News 7/20/2007
Ruth Ladderud
ladderra at whitman.edu
Fri Jul 20 13:24:41 CDT 2007
DISCCRS News
7/20//2007
************************************
TABLE OF CONTENTS
RESOURCES and FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Global Climate Change: A Challenge to Policy, by Kenneth J. Arrow
(2007), The Economists' Voice: Vol. 4: No. 3, Article 2.
http://www.bepress.com/ev/vol4/iss3/art2
Nobel Laureate Kenneth J. Arrow explains why something must be done
to limit global warming even if the Stern Report inadequately
discounted future costs.
Climate Change: The Uncertainties, the Certainties and What They
Imply About Action, by Thomas C. Schelling (2007) The Economists'
Voice: Vol. 4: No. 3, Article 3.
http://www.bepress.com/ev/vol4/iss3/art3
Nobel Laureate Thomas Schelling argues although the uncertainties
regarding climate change are many, the certainties create certain
urgencies and inaction is an extreme position; he emphasizes
technological advance and governmental sponsorship.
National Science Foundation Regional Grants Conference - 22-23
October 2007 - Portland, Oregon (USA)
http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=reggrntsconf07
Similar conferences are held in other parts of the U.S. This is a
great opportunity to learn how the NSF system works.
FORUM
The Biofuel Myths
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/10/opinion/edholt.php
(see FORUM 1 below)
The world has two energy crises but no real answers By Gideon Rachman
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0a97e57e-2e34-11dc-821c-0000779fd2ac.html
(see FORUM 2 below)
SCIENCE NEWS
Al Gore sponsors a Create-an-Ad Contest to Raise Awareness of Climate
Change
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/13/business/media/13green.html?
Mark Abbott of Oregon State University to become National Science
Foundation's Assistant Director for Geosciences
http://presszoom.com/story_136346.html
Clues to Rising Seas Are Hidden in Polar Ice
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/15/
AR2007071500882.html Or: http://tinyurl.com/2qayqp
(see NEWS 1 below)
Invasive Species Are Wreaking Ecological Havoc
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/health_science/daily/
20070716_They_Came__They_Stayed__They_Conquered.html Or: http://
tinyurl.com/2xyfzm
(see NEWS 2 below)
Energy Use 'Drove Human Walking'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6902379.stm Or: http://
tinyurl.com/2tdcv3
(see NEWS 3 below)
Glaciers in Retreat
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/17/science/earth/17glacier.html
Or: http://tinyurl.com/337544
(see NEWS 4 below)
So You Think It's Hot? Southwest to Sizzle for 90 Years
Megadrought Could Cause Social Conflicts Over Water, Energy, Immigration
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=3352465&page=1
(see NEWS 5 below)
The Energy Challenge: Solar Power Wins Enthusiasts but Not Money
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/science/earth/energy.html
(see NEWS 6 below)
Teachers to Learn About Climate Change
http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2007/07/18/
teachers_to_learn_about_climate_change/ Or: http://tinyurl.com/2bbu4w
(see NEWS 7 below)
Megaflood 'Made Island Britain'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6904675.stm Or: http://
tinyurl.com/yqvpat
(see NEWS 8 below)
SUMMER PROGRAMS, COURSES, INTERNSHIPS, MEETINGS, OPPORTUNITIES
Course for Developing Environmental Journalism Skills
http://ej.msu.edu/index2.php
If interested in developing your environmental journalism skills,
contact Michigan State University's Knight Center for Environmental
Journalism. They offer scholarships for an excellent 5-day field school.
JOBS
Future Generation Fellowships, University of Melbourne, Australia
www.jobs.unimelb.edu.au - position number (FGF2007)
(see JOB 1 below)
Post-doc - Physical Oceanography and Ocean Circulation - Earth and
Space Research, Seattle, WA (USA)
(see JOB 2 below)
Staff Scientist/ Policy Analyst - transportation and climate change
- International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) - San
Francisco (USA
(see JOB 3 below)
Post-doc - Spatial Modeling of Human-Environment Interactions, Center
for Applied Geographic Information Science, University of North
Carolina at Charlotte (USA)
(see JOB 4 below)
Policy Director & Policy Analyst - Environmental and Energy Study
Institute (EESI), (USA)
(see JOB 5 below)
Program Director - Social Sciences - Earthwatch - Maynard, MA (USA)
http://www.earthwatch.org/atf/cf/{BB294090-7E6A-477F-
AE67-1A6A3A3288B3}/SOCSCIPROGRAMDIRECTOR.PDF
(see JOB 6 below)
Asst Profs – environmental policy, land use, population and
environment and coupled and human and natural systems - Environmenal
Science & Sociology – Michigan State University – Lansing, MI (USA)
(see JOBS 7 below)
***************************************************
Forum
(FORUM 1) The Biofuel Myths
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/10/opinion/edholt.php
The term "biofuels" suggests renewable abundance: clean, green,
sustainable assurance about technology and progress. This pure image
allows industry, politicians, the World Bank, the United Nations and
even the International Panel on Climate Change to present fuels made
from corn, sugarcane, soy and other crops as the next step in a
smooth transition from peak oil to a yet-to-be-defined renewable fuel
economy.
But in reality, biofuel draws its power from cornucopian myths
and directs our attention away from economic interests that would
benefit from the transition, while avoiding discussion of the growing
North-South food and energy imbalance. (continued...)
********************
(FORUM 2) The world has two energy crises but no real answers By
Gideon Rachman
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0a97e57e-2e34-11dc-821c-0000779fd2ac.html
How very shocking! Brendan Nelson, Australia's defence minister,
has caused sharp intakes of breath by saying something that is
obviously true. He remarked last week that the Middle East was "an
important supplier of energy, oil in particular" and that - as a
result - people "need to think what would happen if there were a
premature withdrawal from Iraq".
Mr Nelson did not say that Iraq was a "war for oil". He merely
noted that there was a lot of the stuff sitting under the ground
there - and that this mattered.
This is not news. If you look at the biggest geopolitical
questions facing the world, energy is at the heart of most of them.
The world is, in fact, facing two energy crises. The first is
rooted in scarcity and traditional power politics. It involves the
struggle by the world's largest and most energy-hungry economies to
get hold of the natural resources they need. Just yesterday the
International Energy Agency warned that the world oil market would be
"extremely tight" over the next five years. Demands from China and
other emerging economies are rising. But Mary Kaldor - co-author of a
new book called Oil Wars (Pluto) - points out the struggle to find
new oil is a familiar sort of conflict, reminiscent of the 19th
century "great game" or earlier imperial clashes.
The second energy crisis is new. It is driven by climate change.
It demands international co-operation rather than competition. While
the first crisis leads politicians and businessmen to search out ever
more oil and gas, the second demands that they radically reduce their
economies' dependence on hydrocarbons.
Politicians find themselves pulled in two directions. Tony Blair,
the former UK prime minister, spent much of his last few months in
office trying to promote an international agreement on climate
change. But he also thinks that one of his most important - if least
heralded - achievements was to secure a long-term deal for Britain on
gas supplies from Norway.
In theory, the two energy crises could point in the same
direction. The development of alternative, "clean" energies would
reduce dependence on oil and gas. It is also crucial to any effort to
cut emissions of carbon dioxide. The trouble is that there is little
sign that alternative energy can be developed fast enough to rein in
demand for oil and gas. Mr Blair is a firm believer in the need to
develop nuclear energy. But even this policy - controversial as it is
- seems unlikely to fill the gap. One report published last week
argued that four new nuclear reactors a month would have to be built
from now to 2070 to make any difference to global carbon dioxide
emissions (Too Hot to Handle? The Future of Civil Nuclear Power ,
Oxford Research Group).
But while the debate about global warming continues to generate
more hot air than real change, the pursuit of new sources of oil and
gas is now central to the foreign policies of all the world's biggest
powers.
China's controversial foray into Africa is its first real effort
to build power and influence outside Asia. The search for oil is
fundamental to this policy - in particular, China's controversial
relationship with the government of Sudan. At home, China is opening
a new coal-fired power station every week, to the despair of global-
warming activists. (continued...)
***************************************************
Science News
(NEWS 1) Clues to Rising Seas Are Hidden in Polar Ice
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/15/
AR2007071500882.html Or: http://tinyurl.com/2qayqp
Washington Post (Registration Required) - Few consequences of
global warming pose as severe a threat to human society as sea-level
rise. But scientists have yet to figure out how to predict it. And
not knowing what to expect, policymakers and others are hamstrung in
considering how to try to prevent it or prepare for it.
To calculate sea-level rise, the key thing researchers need to
understand is the behavior of the major ice sheets that cover
Greenland and Antarctica. The disintegration of one would
dramatically raise the ocean.
But while computer models now yield an increasingly sophisticated
understanding of how a warming atmosphere would behave, such models
have yet to fully encapsulate the complex processes that regulate ice
sheet behavior. "The question is: Can we predict sea level? And the
answer is no," said David Holland, who directs New York University's
Center for Atmosphere Ocean Science.
********************
(NEWS 2) Invasive Species Are Wreaking Ecological Havoc
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/health_science/daily/
20070716_They_Came__They_Stayed__They_Conquered.html Or: http://
tinyurl.com/2xyfzm
Philadelphia Inquirer - For several years, foresters and
entomologists have watched with horror - and dread - as a half-inch
green bug spread outward from Detroit, leaving 25 million dead ash
trees behind. Survey crews from Michigan to Pennsylvania stalked the
forests; if it showed up, they wanted to know.
Three weeks ago in western Pennsylvania, two surveyors pulled to
the side of the road and got out of their car. "Stand still," said
one, noticing an iridescent insect on the other's back. The emerald
ash borer had landed.
Now, with reports of suspicious ash tree damage from surrounding
counties, state and federal officials are planning still more surveys
- and trying to figure out what on earth to do next.
********************
(NEWS 3) Energy Use 'Drove Human Walking'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6902379.stm Or: http://
tinyurl.com/2tdcv3
BBC News Online - Humans evolved to walk upright because it uses
less energy than traveling on all fours, according to researchers. A
US team compared the energy used by humans and by chimpanzees in
walking.
The human bipedal gait is about four times more efficient than
chimps getting around on either two or four legs, the researchers
found. Writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
(PNAS), they say this may explain why we walk bipedally, and some of
our anatomical features.
Other research groups have proposed alternative explanations for
our two-legged gait. Some suggest it evolved because early humans
needed to reach upwards to collect food or pass it to a mate, while
others maintain it predates four-legged locomotion in primates,
citing the often upright posture of orangutans as they move across
slim branches.
********************
(NEWS 4) Glaciers in Retreat
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/17/science/earth/17glacier.html
Or: http://tinyurl.com/337544
New York Times (Registration Required) - ON CHORABARI GLACIER,
India - This is how a glacier retreats. At nearly 13,000 feet above
sea level, in the shadow of a sharp Himalayan peak, a wall of black
ice oozes in the sunshine. A tumbling stone breaks the silence of the
mountains, or water gurgles under the ground, a sign that the glacier
is melting from inside.
Where it empties out - scientists call it the snout - a noisy,
frothy stream rushes down to meet the river Ganges. D.P. Dobhal, a
glaciologist who has spent the last three years climbing and poking
the Chorabari glacier, stands at the edge of the snout and points ahead.
Three years ago, the snout was roughly 90 feet farther away. On a
map drawn in 1962, it was plotted 860 feet from here. Mr. Dobhal
marked the spot with a Stonehenge-like pile of rocks. Mr. Dobhal's
steep and solitary quest – to measure the changes in the glacier's
size and volume - points to a looming worldwide concern, with
particularly serious repercussions for India and its neighbors,
********************
(NEWS 5) So You Think It's Hot? Southwest to Sizzle for 90 Years
Megadrought Could Cause Social Conflicts Over Water, Energy, Immigration
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=3352465&page=1
As the country sizzles from Phoenix to Las Vegas, scientists and
environmentalists are saying, "I told you so."
Although it's hard to judge long-term trends from individual
seasons, a study co-written by researchers at Columbia and Princeton
universities confirms that long-term drought is already under way in
the American Southwest — one that may last the rest of this century,
if not longer.
These scientists attribute this new climatology in one of the
fastest-growing regions of the United States to global warming.
"It's already on the way," said senior researcher and
geophysicist Richard Seager of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Institute at
Columbia University. "Even if we intervene, it will persist for a few
more decades. It takes that long to respond."
Seager and his colleagues at Lamont-Doherty, and at the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics
Lab at Princeton, looked at 19 different computerized climate models
from around the world.
Similar to those used for weather forecasting, the models dated
back to 1860 and projected to 2100. The models showed a marked
increase in arid climate beginning around now and worsening through
the current century.
The team reported its findings this year at the Fourth Assessment
Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, often called
the supreme court of climate science. Its research was also published
in April in the journal Science.
********************
(NEWS 6) The Energy Challenge: Solar Power Wins Enthusiasts but Not
Money
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/science/earth/energy.html
The trade association for the nuclear power industry recently
asked 1,000 Americans what energy source they thought would be used
most for generating electricity in 15 years. The top choice? Not
nuclear plants, or coal or natural gas. The winner was the sun, cited
by 27 percent of those polled.
It is no wonder solar power has captured the public imagination.
Panels that convert sunlight to electricity are winning supporters
around the world - from Europe, where gleaming arrays cloak
skyscrapers and farmers' fields, to Wall Street, where stock
offerings for panel makers have had a great ride, to California,
where Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's "Million Solar Roofs" initiative
is promoted as building a homegrown industry and fighting global
warming.
But for all the enthusiasm about harvesting sunlight, some of the
most ardent experts and investors say that moving this energy source
from niche to mainstream - last year it provided less than 0.01
percent of the country's electricity supply - is unlikely without
significant technological breakthroughs. And given the current scale
of research in private and government laboratories, that is not
expected to happen anytime soon.
Even a quarter century from now, says the Energy Department
official in charge of renewable energy, solar power might account
for, at best, 2 or 3 percent of the grid electricity in the United
States.
In the meantime, coal-burning power plants, the main source of
smokestack emissions linked to global warming, are being built around
the world at a rate of more than one a week.
Propelled by government incentives in Germany and Japan, as well
as a growing number of American states, sales of solar panels made of
silicon that convert sunlight directly into electricity, known as
photovoltaic cells, have taken off, lowering manufacturing costs and
leading to product refinements.
But Vinod Khosla, a prominent Silicon Valley entrepreneur who
focuses on energy, said the market-driven improvements were not
happening fast enough to put solar technology beyond much more than a
boutique investment.
"Most of the environmental stuff out there now is toys compared
to the scale we need to really solve the planet's problems," Mr.
Khosla said.
Scientists long ago calculated that an hour's worth of the
sunlight bathing the planet held far more energy than humans
worldwide could use in a year, and the first practical devices for
converting light to electricity were designed more than half a
century ago. (continued...)
********************
(NEWS 7) Teachers to Learn About Climate Change
http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2007/07/18/
teachers_to_learn_about_climate_change/ Or: http://tinyurl.com/2bbu4w
Boston Globe (Registration Required) - FAIRBANKS, Alaska --
School teachers from across Alaska are getting lessons this month at
the University of Alaska Fairbanks so they can more effectively teach
their students back home about climate change. Sixty teachers are
scheduled to participate in this year's Science Teacher Education
Program hosted by the Geophysical Institute at the university.
During the program's two-week sessions, teachers learn from
scientists and develop lesson plans together. "The plan is to have
teachers better prepared to teach science," Mary Martin, the
program's coordinator said. "This year it's about scientists teaching
about global climate change."
The first session of the program started last week and runs
through Friday with 30 teachers participating. Another batch of
teachers is scheduled to arrive on campus next week. Each day,
teachers will spend several hours in the morning talking with UAF
scientists about the latest research on sea ice, coastal erosion,
glaciers, permafrost and hydrology.
********************
(NEWS 8) Megaflood 'Made Island Britain'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6904675.stm Or: http://
tinyurl.com/yqvpat
BBC News Online - Britain became separated from mainland Europe
after a catastrophic flood some time before 200,000 years ago, a
sonar study of the English Channel confirms. The images reveal deep
scars on the Channel bed that must have been cut by a sudden, massive
discharge of water.
Scientists tell the journal Nature that the torrent probably came
from a giant lake in what is now the North Sea. Some event - perhaps
an earthquake - caused the lake's rim to breach at the Dover Strait,
they believe.
Dr Sanjeev Gupta, from Imperial College London, and colleagues
say the discharge would have been one of the most significant
megafloods in recent Earth history, and provides an explanation for
Britain's island status. "This event, or series of events, that
caused [the breach] changed the course of Britain's history," Dr
Gupta told BBC News.
***************************************************
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) Future Generation Fellowships, University of Melbourne,
Australia
www.jobs.unimelb.edu.au - position number (FGF2007)
The University of Melbourne's strategic direction sets three
priorities for the University - a continuing focus on research,
learning and teaching and an expanded focus on knowledge transfer -
and envisages a 'triple helix' in which the three strands of
research, learning and teaching and knowledge transfer are closely
bound, each reinforcing the other. In seeking to foster and develop
excellence in research and related activities, the University is
offering Future Generation Fellowships to outstanding early career
researchers.
Selection Criteria: 1) Candidates must hold a PhD or demonstrate
equivalent standing through other expertise and experience Have an
outstanding research record relative to opportunity. 2) Be in a
research field that aligns with the strategic direction of the
University: - Asian and Middle Eastern Interactions – Communications
- Cultural, Economic and Social Analysis - Health and Medicine -
Physical and Biological Systems 3) Having research expertise that
encourages cross-disciplinary research with linkages extending beyond
Department and Faculty boundaries will be an advantage 4) Have
completed at least one period of postdoctoral training, or
equivalent, at the time of taking up the Fellowship Benefits
Successful Fellows will be offered a Fellowship of up to 3 years
providing them with an opportunity to develop and extend their career
with the University of Melbourne.
At the end of this term, a continuing Lectureship will be subject
to advertisement and competition. Salary in the range A$68,256 -
$73,376 p.a. will be negotiated in accordance with experience and
suitability. In addition, the University also offers generous
employer superannuation benefits of 17%.
We invite exceptional candidates in the sciences, humanities,
music, visual and performing arts and social sciences to submit their
CV, a proposal outlining a broad research plan and a statement
demonstrating how they meet the selection criteria.
Applicants should discuss their application with the appropriate
Head or Dean of the Department/Faculty in which they would work.
Closing Date: 31 August 2007.
To submit your application, you must access the online
advertisement at
www.jobs.unimelb.edu.au by using the position number (FGF2007) as the
keyword in the Job Search screen.
********************
(JOB 2) Post-doc - Physical Oceanography and Ocean Circulation -
Earth and Space Research, Seattle, WA (USA)
Earth & Space Research (ESR), a small non-profit oceanographic
research company, seeks a qualified oceanographer to carry out guided
as well as self-directed research related to upper ocean circulation
and dynamics using the OSCAR satellite-derived surface current fields
( www.oscar.noaa.gov). Scientific analyses may include seasonal to
interannual variability, ENSO dynamics, heat and freshwater
transports, mixed layer dynamics, merged analysis with surface
drifters, model assimilation, Lagrangian statistics and other
relevant topics. In addition, several substantive improvements to the
OSCAR data are planned over the next two years.
The successful candidate will be given primary responsibility to
manage the day-to-day operations of the OSCAR processing system at
ESR, which will include implementing new algorithms, automated
processing functions, data transfers, ongoing validation analysis and
liaison with the NOAA Laboratory for Satellite Altimetry and the NOAA
Ocean Prediction Center for implementing and evaluating a parallel
operational data system. Minimum qualifications include post graduate
degree (PhD preferred) in physical oceanography or closely related
field. Experience and skill with Unix/Linux, automated scripting and
Matlab are highly desired. Skill with C, Fortran, Perl or other
coding languages is also beneficial. The position is available Summer/
Fall 2007, and has funding for up to two years. The successful
candidate will find opportunities for longer term employment along
with encouragement and mentoring to develop future scientific
proposals and formulate his/her own research program.
ESR (www.esr.org) is a Seattle-based, nonprofit institute
specializing in oceanographic and climate related research with
projects that cover a wide range of topics from polar oceanography to
equatorial studies involving field measurement programs and satellite
remote sensing. The organization's mission is to increase societal
understanding of the Earth system through scientific research and
public education. ESR provides a unique research environment by
encouraging excellence in scientific inquiry through a supportive and
responsive management structure and generous benefits program.
To respond to this announcement, please send brief statement of
interest and C.V. to Dr. Gary Lagerloef, ESR President, at
employment at esr.org.
********************
(JOB 3) Staff Scientist/ Policy Analyst - transportation and climate
change - International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) - San
Francisco (USA)
The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT)
currently has an immediate opening in the San Francisco office,
primarily intended to support California-based policy making efforts
related to implementation of AB32 and the cross-fertilization of
climate change policy-making between California and the rest of the
world.
This position is intended to support strong policy-making on
climate change, both in California and internationally. This position
will work on implementation of AB32 in California, international
information exchange related to California’s climate
legislation, and other ICCT transportation projects related to
climate change. This position will work directly with Dr. Alan Lloyd,
president of ICCT, and other ICCT staff.
Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have strong policy and
technical skills, with a background in climate change mitigation. An
emphasis in transportation-related issues is desirable. International
work or study experience and/or fluency in another language is
desirable. The candidate must have excellent written and verbal
communications skills and strong quantitative, analytic, and research
skills. He or she should also be well-organized and self-directed,
strategic in identifying policy needs and how to meet them, and able
to accurately and concisely summarize complex information. Candidates
should have at least 2-3 years of relevant work experience with a
government, environmental or consulting organization, or a
development agency and/or a master’s degree in environmental
science, engineering, energy and resources, economics, or public policy.
Job details: Salary will be competitive and commensurate with
experience and a generous benefits package is provided.
Please send a resume, cover letter, a writing sample, three
references (letters not necessary), and salary expectations to Kate
Blumberg (kate at theicct.org). Candidates will be considered on a first
come, first served basis and the position will remain open until filled.
The International Council on Clean Transportation is a nonprofit
organization whose purpose is to dramatically reduce conventional
pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions from personal, public and
goods transportation in order to improve air quality and human
health, and mitigate climate change. The Council is made up of
leading government regulators and experts from around the world that
participate as individuals based on their experience with air quality
and transportation issues. The ICCT promotes best practices and
comprehensive solutions to improve vehicle emissions and efficiency,
increase fuel quality and sustainability of alternative fuels, reduce
pollution from the in-use fleet, and curtail emissions from
international goods movement. The ICCT has offices in Washington, DC
and San Francisco, California. For more information, visit http://
www.theicct.org
********************
(JOB 4) Post-doc - Spatial Modeling of Human-Environment
Interactions, Center for Applied Geographic Information Science,
University of North Carolina at Charlotte (USA)
We seek a post-doctoral associate whose research interests focus
on the spatial dimensions of human-environment interactions, with
emphasis on urbanizing metropolitan regions. Supported by state
funding to the Center for Applied GIS, this position will contribute
to research on the application of advanced geospatial concepts and
technologies to social and environmental problems. A wide range of
research topics are appropriate for investigation in this position.
Qualified candidates will possess a multidisciplinary background
applicable to the understanding of environmental and human systems,
such as work in environmental geography, landscape ecology, land-use
change dynamics, conservation planning, urban and regional planning,
sustainable development, and/or environmental management and policy.
Strong quantitative and spatial modeling skills are required.
Experience with field methods and integration of field data with GIS
and remote sensing data for multi-scalar spatial analysis is desired.
Evidence of strong publication potential and ability to generate
external funding is essential.
Salary and Benefits: $40,000 per year, student health benefits,
plus $10,000 annual budget for research and travel.
The position will be located at UNC Charlotte in the Center for
Applied Geographic Information Science ( www.gis.uncc.edu ) with an
appointment of 2 to 4 years pending performance. As part of a rapidly
growing research university, the Center is integrally involved in
several federally funded projects in both basic and applied GIScience
research ranging from modeling impacts of urban growth on forest loss
to predicting the spread of emerging forest disease.
Start date: Review of applications will begin on September 15,
2007 and will remain open until a suitable candidate is identified.
Start date is negotiable.
To apply: please send an electronic application via e-mail with
curriculum vitae, a statement of research interests, and the names of
three references to Dr. Ross Meentemeyer ( rkmeente at uncc.edu ).
Include 1)Center Post-Doc Search 2) in the subject line. For more
information, please feel free to contact Dr. Meentemeyer by e-mail.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte is an AA/EOE.
********************
(JOB 5) Policy Director & Policy Analyst - Environmental and Energy
Study Institute (EESI), (USA)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) is a non-
profit organization dedicated to promoting environmentally
sustainable societies. EESI believes meeting this goal requires
transitions to social and economic patterns that sustain people, the
environment and the natural resources upon which present and future
generations depend. EESI produces credible, timely information and
innovative public policy initiatives that lead to these transitions.
These products take the form of publications, briefings, work shops
and task forces.
Policy Director: Major Responsibilities:
Develop and manage an Institute-wide effort to contribute to the
design and adoption of policies that control U.S. greenhouse gas
emissions, with a focus on the contribution that green buildings,
energy efficient and renewable energy technologies can play. The
applicant will provide strategic direction to a multi-disciplinary
team of associates, analysts, and others working on U.S. climate policy
Develop and implement a Congressional strategy and engage with
senior legislative staff as well as members of Congress to achieve
desired federal policy outcomes. The applicant will also work with
other stakeholders to design and help implement climate and energy
policies. The applicant will be called on to provide media
interviews, as well as represent EESI in meetings with government
officials, industry representatives and others in the policy
community. It is essential that the Policy Director be able to engage
different constituencies and views with clarity and good humor.
EESI holds several briefings a year on various green building,
renewable energy, energy efficiency and environmental topics which
are timely to policymakers. The Policy Director will be responsible
for helping to develop the briefing panels, writing related
materials, outreach and follow-up for the briefing. Give
presentations at conferences, workshops and other events related to
U.S. climate policy, green buildings and other energy efficiency and
renewable energy technologies. Build, maintain and update the green
buildings network, including Congressional contacts. Help set
research and analysis agenda. The Policy Director will be responsible
for helping draft proposals and reports to funders and will be
responsible for handling other duties as assigned.
Responsibilities may shift depending upon organizational resources
and priorities and obligations to funders.
Additional Qualifications: Advanced degree in public policy, law,
economics, environmental policy, political science, public
administration, natural sciences, engineering, or related field. 5-8
years work experience, with minimum of 2 years direct policy
experience at the federal or state level. Knowledge of the U.S.
government, including familiarity with Capitol Hill and federal
executive agencies. A sound understanding of and demonstrated
interest in climate change and energy policy. Efficient, accurate,
and timely research for program information and interest in being a
public spokesperson on EESI's activities. Strong and demonstrable
writing, quantitative and analytical skills, including the ability to
design and write original policy research. Strong communication
skills, and a demonstrated ability to work effectively in teams and
independently from staff and consultants. Self-starter, flexible
and able to manage multiple tasks. Ability to think strategically
and creatively to help further EESI's mission.
Application Requirements: The EESI Policy Director position is
full time; start date is flexible.
To apply please submit the following items via email to
jobs at eesi.org. Please reference Policy Director Position in subject
field.
a) cover letter explaining your interests and experience with U.S.
climate policy, green building, renewable energy and energy
efficiency technology.
b) current resume, list of publications if applicable
c) writing sample, two-five pages in length
d) list of references
e) salary history/requirements
Position is paid and open till filled.
********************
(JOB 6) Program Director - Social Sciences - Earthwatch - Maynard, MA
(USA)
http://www.earthwatch.org/atf/cf/{BB294090-7E6A-477F-
AE67-1A6A3A3288B3}/SOCSCIPROGRAMDIRECTOR.PDF
Earthwatch is seeking a dynamic PhD scientist to lead the
development of a social science research program at the organization.
Earthwatch has a long history of supporting a diverse portfolio of
social science related projects throughout the world, including field
research in archaeology, public health, and cultural anthropology
among others. Earthwatch is now moving towards a more applied focus
for all programs and will evaluate all projects against global
sustainability agendas.
Recognizing the importance of social sciences in addressing
global agendas, Earthwatch is hiring a Social Science Program
Director to build a global program of volunteer-supported field
research that addresses these agendas. This person will support the
evaluation and incorporation of social sciences in the other
conservation and educational programs in the organization as well.
The Social Sciences Program Director will be expected to recruit and
develop field research projects appropriate for volunteers as well as
support the evaluation process and reporting for these projects.
The Social Sciences Program Director will report to the Director
of Research, and work with Program Directors in other disciplines to
support the organization’s Research Program. Earthwatch is searching
for candidates with significant experience in the following areas:
field research, project management, evaluation and reporting,
communication and fund raising.
********************
(JOBS 7) Asst Profs – environmental policy, land use, population and
environment and coupled and human and natural systems - Environmenal
Science & Sociology – Michigan State University – Lansing, MI (USA)
Michigan State University seeks aculty members in the areas of
coupled human and natural systems and population and environment or
environmental policy, land use, population and environment and
coupled and human and natural systems. Appointments will be joint
between the Environmental Science and Policy Program and the
Departments of Geography (land use position), Political Science
(environmental policy position) or Sociology (population and
environment or environmental policy position). These are positions in
a cluster of several focusing on coupled human and natural systems.
We are especially interested in researchers who apply modeling to
understanding human-environment interactions. The appointment will be
tenure system at the Assistant Professor level on an academic year
basis. Ph.D. or equivalent is required at the time of the
appointment. Candidates should have strong methodological skills and
rigorous theoretical focus. International experience or demonstrated
interest in international issues is an advantage. The positions will
be structured to allow development of internationally renowned
research programs with extramural support. Preference will be given
to candidates who could engage in an initiative to introduce
computational and other formal modeling techniques into the
undergraduate social science curriculum. Letters of application
should be accompanied by a curriculum vitae, short statement of
professional goals, 3 letters of reference and examples of published
work. Applications will be reviewed starting October 1, 2007, and
will be accepted until the positions are filled. Applications can be
mailed or sent electronically. Mailed applications should be
addressed to: ESPP CHANS Search Committee, Environmental Science &
Policy Program, Michigan State University, 274 Giltner Hall, East
Lansing, MI 48824-1101. Electronic applications should be sent to
ESPP at MAIL.MSU.EDU and directed to Search Committee.
**************************************************
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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