[DIALOGnews] DISCCRS News 8/17/2007
Ruth Ladderud
ladderra at whitman.edu
Thu Aug 16 16:56:07 CDT 2007
DISCCRS News
10/17/2007
************************************
TABLE OF CONTENTS
RESOURCES and FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
International Polar Year (IPY): Second Funding Opportunity for
"Humans in Polar Regions" deadline September 14, 2007
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=501036&org=OPP
NSF's IPY solicitation (NSF 07-536) provides a second deadline -
September 14, 2007 - for proposals submitted under the "Humans in
Polar Regions" subtopic area of Human and Biotic Systems in Polar
Regions. There are several million dollars slotted for this
competition, and we hope to have a strong representation of the
social, behavioral and economic sciences in the pool of proposals to
be considered during the fall panel review cycle.
Warming the Extremities - The summer 2007 issue of Planet Earth, a
magazine published by the U.S. National Environment Research Council,
has a cover story related to warming in the extremities.
http://www.nerc.ac.uk/publications/planetearth/2007/summer/
National Science Board Approves NSF Plan to Emphasize Transformative
Research
file://localhost/Users/weilercs/Library/Mail%20Downloads/
news_summ.htm
(see RESOURCES 1 below)
FORUM
This paper is the result of a talk given by James Hansen in Des
Moines, Iowa. It includes a description of Declaration of Stewardship
slightly edited for clarity
http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/Iowa_70805.pdf
Gore cranks heat on Big Oil
http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/world/ny-
wosing085324119aug08,0,3596566.story
SCIENCE NEWS
Man-Made Soot Contributed to Warming in Greenland in the Early 20th
Century
URL : http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=pr07098
Extreme global weather in line with climate change predictions: UN
expert
http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/world/ny-
wosing085324119aug08,0,3596566.story
Global warming and cooling linked to the sunspot cycle
http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/mg19526164.800?
DCMP=NLC-nletter&nsref=mg19526164.800
(see NEWS 1 below)
Iron Fertilization Of Oceans: A Real Option For Carbon Dioxide
Reduction?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070608142214.htm
(see NEWS 2 below)
First short-term climate change forecast
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/aug2007/2007-08-10-02.asp
(see NEWS 3 below)
Sunspot abundance linked to heavy rains in East Africa
(see NEWS 4 below)
U.S. Coal-Burning Boom Drastically Warmed Arctic
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/08/070809-coal-
arctic.html Or: http://tinyurl.com/ynm46e
(see NEWS 5 below)
Ten-Year Climate Model Unveiled
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6939347.stm Or: http://
tinyurl.com/2a9ccp
(see NEWS 6 below)
Arctic Neighbours Draw Up Battle Lines
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6941569.stm Or: http://
tinyurl.com/2bpn9w
(see NEWS 7 below)
1934: New Hottest Year in U.S on Record
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-
temp15aug15,1,6151233.story Or: http://tinyurl.com/27gjqg
(see NEWS 8 below)
Record temperatures increase fire danger in the Mediterranean Rural-
urban migration can increase vulnerability to forest fires
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000640/index.html
(see NEWS 9 below)
Advanced Electricity Technologies Could Lower Costs by 50 Percent
http://global-warming.accuweather.com/2007/08/
advanced_electricity_technolog_1.html http://epri-reports.org/
DiscussionPaper2007.pdf
(see NEWS 10 below)
Climate Tipping Points Loom Large
http://environment.newscientist.com/article.ns?
id=mg19526173.900&feedId=online-news_rss20
(see NEWS 11 below)
Sierra trees dying faster due to warming U.S. study: Death rate
along 400-mile range doubled since 1983
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20177286/-
(see NEWS 12 below)
Cost of Saving the Climate Meets Real-World Hurdles
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/15/
AR2007081502432.html?referrer=emailarticle (free registration required)
(see NEWS 13 below)
SUMMER PROGRAMS, COURSES, INTERNSHIPS, MEETINGS, OPPORTUNITIES
2007-2008 Earth System Science Student Professional Development
Opportunity
(see OPPORTUNITY 1 below)
Climate change policy conference - September 28, 2007 - Waterloo,
Ontario (Canada)
http://www.wlu.ca/viessmann/html_pages/conferences.htm
(see OPPORTUNITY 2 below)
Early-career workshop - Environmental and Resource Economics - 12-13
November 2007 - Bathurst, NSW (Australia)
(see OPPORTUNITY 3 below)
JOBS
Climate Adaptation Specialists (2) - Freshwater and Terrestrial -
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – Washington DC (USA) or (UK)
www.worldwildlife.org/jobs http://www.worldwildlife.org/about/
jobs_iframe.cfm
(see JOB 1 below)
Post-Doc Research Associates (2) - Atmospheric chemistry –
University of Washington - Bothell, WA (USA)
(see JOB 2 below)
Post-Doc - Atmospheric chemistry - School of Environmental Sciences -
University of East Anglia (UK)
(see JOB 3 below)
Post-Doc - Climate/Ecosystem Modeling - Effects of Land Use Practices
on the Earth System - Center for Sustainability and the Global
Environment (SAGE) - University of Wisconsin (USA)
(see JOB 4 below)
Task Leader - Information Systems - NASA Global Change Master
Directory (USA)
(see JOB 5 below)
Researcher - Climate Policy Project (CP) – IGES - Kanagawa 240-0115
(Japan)
http://www.iges.or.jp/en/news/saiyo/200708cp/index.html
(see JOB 6 below)
Postdocs - Nat'l Resource Economics/Politics Economy - University of
California, Berkeley CA (USA)
http://research.chance.berkeley.edu/ciriacy/
(see JOB 7 below)
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Resources and Funding Opportunities
(RESOURCES 1) National Science Board Approves NSF Plan to Emphasize
Transformative Research
file://localhost/Users/weilercs/Library/Mail%20Downloads/
news_summ.htm
Press Release 07-097 - August 9, 2007 - The National Science
Board (Board) has unanimously approved a motion by National Science
Foundation (NSF) Director Arden L. Bement, Jr. to enhance support of
transformative research at the NSF. Additionally, Bement proposed --
and the Board adopted -- a change to the intellectual merit review
criterion to specifically include evaluation of proposals for
potentially transformative concepts. Both actions were taken at the
Board's August 6-8, 2007 meeting, at the NSF in Arlington, VA.
The Board approved a change in NSF Merit Review Criteria I from
the NSF Grant Proposal Guide http://www.nsf.gov/publications/
pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg to specifically include review of the extent
to which a proposal also suggests and explores potentially
transformative concepts. The change in the intellectual merit section
of the NSF Grant Proposal Guide would add "potentially transformative
research" language: "To what extent does the proposed activity
suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative
concepts?"
During its last meeting in May, the Board issued a report,
Enhancing Support of Transformative Research at the National Science
Foundation, that included a recommendation that NSF "develop a
distinct, Foundation-wide Transformative Research Initiative." The
Board defined transformative research as "research that has the
capacity to revolutionize existing fields, create new subfields,
cause paradigm shifts, support discovery, and lead to radically new
technologies."
In response, Bement proposed a three-pronged strategy to the
Board's Task Force on Transformative Research. Under Bement's plan,
the NSF will:
1. Infuse support of potentially transformative research
throughout NSF and all of its programs;
2. Learn how to facilitate potentially transformative research; and
3. Lead the community through opportunities for potentially
transformative research proposal submissions.
Bement highlighted that much can be done with improved
communication and existing award mechanisms to infuse the concept of
potentially transformative research across the Foundation. He
highlighted the importance of learning from small scale pilots and
from community feedback. For example, the results of a recent survey
revealed that while the majority of respondents (proposers) perceive
that NSF already welcomes transformative research, and while NSF was
strongly preferred over other funding sources as the place to submit
a transformative idea, there is room for improvement.
To lead the community, Bement will charge an NSF working group to
develop the framework and recommend implementation details for a new
funding mechanism for "early-concept" research projects, including a
mechanism to monitor and track the impact. NSF will broadly advertise
the new funding mechanism to the community once it has been finalized.
Related Websites:
National Science Board: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb
Enhancing Support of Transformative Research at the National Science
Foundation: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/documents/2007/tr_report.pdf
Impact of Proposal and Award Management Mechanisms Working Group
(IPAMM) - 2007 Proposer Survey: http://nsf.gov/od/ipamm/
ipamm_2007survey.jsp
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Science News
(NEWS 1) Global warming and cooling linked to the sunspot cycle
http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/mg19526164.800?
DCMP=NLC-nletter&nsref=mg19526164.800
PLANET-wide heating and cooling of the atmosphere during the 11-
year sunspot cycle has been measured for the first time. Climate-
change sceptics may seize on the findings as evidence that the sun's
variability can explain global warming - but mathematician Ka-Kit
Tung says quite the contrary is true.
Tung and colleague Charles Camp, both of the University of
Washington in Seattle, analysed satellite data on solar radiation and
surface temperatures over the past 50 years, covering four-and-a-half
solar cycles. They found that global average temperatures oscillated
by almost 0.2 °C between high and low points in the cycle, nearly
twice the amplitude of previous estimates (Geophysical Research
Letters, DOI: 10.1029/2007GL030207).
The finding adds to the evidence that mainstream climate models
are right about the likely extent of future human-generated warming,
Tung says. It also effectively rules out some lower estimates in
those models.
********************
(NEWS 2) Iron Fertilization Of Oceans: A Real Option For Carbon
Dioxide Reduction?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070608142214.htm
Science Daily - Over the last weeks, commercial efforts have been
launched to manipulate a portion of the Pacific Ocean to increase the
uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide by artificially enhancing
phytoplankton activity. A research vessel is currently sailing to the
Galapagos Sea to seed an area larger than Puerto Rico with tonnes of
iron, to stimulate the CO2 sequestration into the deep ocean.
However, such iron fertilization is also a way of generating carbon
offsets, whereby CO2 polluters can buy "ecosystem restoration
credits" and shrink their carbon footprint.
This experiment is based on the fact that in about one-third of
the surface ocean, the growth of phytoplankton is limited by the lack
of iron; a well researched phenomenon. However, a valuable question
to raise is to what extent artificial iron fertilization represents a
real option for CO2 reduction. Indeed, a group of EUR-OCEANS
scientists using the Kerguelen Plateau as a site study for natural
iron fertilization of the Southern Ocean, recently showed that
artificial iron fertilization of the surface ocean is a mechanism 10
to 100 times less efficient than the naturally occurring processes,
in increasing CO2 capture through the biological pump.
While the scientific community, governments, private sectors and
society are coming to a consensus regarding the anthropogenic causes
of global warming, the need to consider concrete actions and to
develop strategies to reduce atmospheric CO2 concentrations and the
greenhouse effect is becoming urgent. It is then crucial to examine
to what extent oceans could be use to store our excess atmospheric CO2.
The CO2 Problem: Today, concentrations of atmospheric carbon
dioxide far exceed the natural range over the last 650,000 years...
********************
(NEWS 3) First short-term climate change forecast
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/aug2007/2007-08-10-02.asp
EXETER, UK, August 10, 2007 (ENS) - Get ready for the heat. In
the world's first near-term global warming forecast, British climate
scientists say the planet's temperature will plateau for two years
and then rise sharply through 2014.
Using powerful computer models, scientists at the British
meteorological service's Hadley Center predict that at least half of
the years after 2009 will exceed temperatures during 1998, the
warmest year currently on record.
The year 2014 is likely to be 0.3 Celsius (.5 Fahrenheit) warmer
than 2004, the Met Office scientists predict.
This forecast means that while it has taken a century for the
global temperature to rise 0.8 C (1.44 F) it will take only 10 years
for the planet to heat up half again as much.
Published in the journal "Science," today, the forecast indicates
that a natural cooling trend in the eastern and southern Pacific
Ocean has kept global warming in check, but that trend is about to end.
Scientists at the Met Office Hadley Centre present the first
decadal climate prediction model covering the decade from 2004 to
2014...
********************
(NEWS 4) Sunspot abundance linked to heavy rains in East Africa
American Geophysical Union - Paul Smith's College Joint Release
AGU Release No. 07-19 - 6 August 2007 -
WASHINGTON - A new study reveals correlations between plentiful
sunspots and periods of heavy rain in East Africa. Intense rainfall
in the region often leads to flooding and disease outbreaks.
The analysis by a team of U.S. and British researchers shows that
unusually heavy rainfalls in East Africa over the past century
preceded peak sunspot activity by about one year. Because periods of
peak sunspot activity, known as solar maxima, are predictable, so too
are the associated heavy rains that precede them, the researchers
propose.
"With the help of these findings, we can now say when especially
rainy seasons are likely to occur, several years in advance," says
paleoclimatologist and study leader Curt Stager of Paul Smith's
College in Paul Smiths, New York. Forewarned by such predictions,
public health officials could ramp up prevention measures against
insect-borne diseases long before epidemics begin, he adds.
The sunspot-rainfall analysis is scheduled to appear on 7 August
in the Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres, a publication
of the American Geophysical Union.
Increasing sunspot numbers indicate a rise in the sun's energy
output. Sunspot abundance peaks on an 11-year cycle. The next solar
maximum is expected in 2011-2012. If the newfound pattern holds,
rainfall would also peak the year before.
"We expect East Africa to experience a major intensification of
rainy season precipitation, along with widespread Rift Valley Fever
epidemics, a year or so before the solar maximum of 2011-2012," the
team reports. Because mosquitoes and other disease-carrying insects
thrive in wet conditions, heavy rains may herald outbreaks of
diseases such as Rift Valley Fever.
The new analysis relies on rainfall data going back a century.
The scientists also used historical records of water levels at lakes
Victoria, Tanganyika, and Naivasha.
The work counters previous research that found no connection
between sunspot cycles and rainfall in East Africa. Stager's team
concludes that, although the link between sunspots and rainfall was
weak between 1927 and 1968, the cyclic pattern held true throughout
the 20th century. Previous statistical analysis discounted the link
for a variety of reasons, including the influence of El Nino and
other climatic disturbances not associated with sunspots.
Scientists have investigated apparent correlations between solar
variability and Lake Victoria's water levels since the beginning of
the last century, says co-author Alexander Ruzmaikin of NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. The new research
"shows that these correlations are, in fact, not accidental,
effectively resolving a longstanding historical puzzle and improving
our knowledge of how solar variability affects Africa's climate," he
adds.
Stager, Ruzmaikin and their colleagues offer several reasons why
sunspot peaks may affect rainfall. In a simple scenario, increased
solar energy associated with sunspots heats both land and sea,
forcing moist air to rise and triggering precipitation.
While sunspot peaks augur extraordinarily wet rainy seasons,
heavy rains are possible at other times as well, Stager acknowledges.
But, most of the rainiest times, he says, are consistently coupled
with the predictable rhythms of sunspot peaks. And, to be forewarned
is to be forearmed.
"The hope is that people on the ground will use this research to
predict heavy rainfall events," Stager says. "Those events lead to
erosion, flooding, and disease."
The National Science Foundation funded the study.
********************
(NEWS 5) U.S. Coal-Burning Boom Drastically Warmed Arctic
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/08/070809-coal-
arctic.html Or: http://tinyurl.com/ynm46e
National Geographic News - Soot emissions from U.S. coal burning
may have significantly contributed to pre-1950 global warming in the
Arctic, a new study suggests. Soot, emitted naturally into the
atmosphere by forest fires, is also a pollutant from human activities
such as burning fossil fuels.
Winds carried soot from the United States and possibly other
countries to the Arctic, where it fell on the snow. The darkened snow
then absorbed more solar energy, warming the Arctic climate. Because
the sunlight is not reflected back into the atmosphere, the Arctic
climate warmed.
At its worst, U.S. soot pollution was eight times more powerful
in warming the Arctic springtime than the soot from forest fires,
said study lead author Joseph McConnell, a snow hydrologist at the
Desert Research Institute in Nevada.
********************
(NEWS 6) Ten-Year Climate Model Unveiled
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6939347.stm Or: http://
tinyurl.com/2a9ccp
BBC News Online - Scientists say they have developed a model to
predict how ocean currents, as well as human activities, will affect
temperatures over the next decade. By including short-term natural
events, such as El Nino, a UK team says it is able to offer 10-year
projections.
Models have previously focused on how the globe will warm over a
century. Writing in Science, Met Office researchers project that at
least half of the years between 2009 and 2014 are likely to exceed
existing records.
However, the Hadley Centre researchers said that the influence of
natural climatic variations were likely to dampen the effects of
emissions from human activities between now and 2009. But over the
decade as a whole, they project the global average temperature in
2014 to be 0.3C warmer than 2004.
********************
(NEWS 7) Arctic Neighbours Draw Up Battle Lines
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6941569.stm Or: http://
tinyurl.com/2bpn9w
BBC News Online - The Arctic is one of the world's most remote,
pristine and for most people, inhospitable parts of the world. But in
recent years, there has been intense interest in the region from the
countries that border it. No-one knows for certain, but it is
strongly suspected that the seabed below the Arctic Ocean contains
vast deposits of oil, minerals and natural gas.
Last week crews aboard Russian submarines, explored and mapped
out part of the Lomonosov Ridge which Moscow says extends from
Russia's continental shelf. For good measure one crew took a
diversion below the North Pole and in a gesture that made headlines
across the world, dropped a Russian flag on the ocean floor.
The Canadian government was not amused by the Russian action,
prompting the country's Foreign Affairs Minister Peter Mackay to
comment...But with Denmark the latest country to announce that it is
sending its own team of scientists to the region, there seems no end
to the international scramble for one of the last relatively
untouched parts of the world.
********************
(NEWS 8) 1934: New Hottest Year in U.S on Record
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-
temp15aug15,1,6151233.story Or: http://tinyurl.com/27gjqg
Los Angeles Times (Registration Required) - A slight adjustment
to U.S. temperature records has bumped 1998 as the hottest year in
the country's history and made the Dust Bowl year of 1934 the new
record holder, according to NASA. But the re-ranking did not affect
global records, and 1998 remains tied with 2005 as the hottest year
on record, climatologist Gavin A. Schmidt of NASA's Goddard Institute
for Space Studies in New York said Tuesday.
The data adjustment changes "the inconsequential bragging rights
for certain years in the U.S.," he said. But "global warming is a
global issue, and the global numbers show that there is no question
that the last five to 10 years have been the hottest period of the
last century."
The re-ranking occurred Aug. 7 with little fanfare, but it
touched off a firestorm among climate bloggers and commentators, who
took the new rankings as evidence that global warming was a hoax. But
the uproar was really "much ado over nothing," Schmidt said. The
brouhaha was triggered Aug. 4 when Steve McIntyre of the blog
Climateaudit.org e-mailed NASA scientists pointing out an unusual
jump in temperature data from 1999 to 2000.
********************
(NEWS 9) Record temperatures increase fire danger in the
Mediterranean Rural-urban migration can increase vulnerability to
forest fires
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000640/index.html
30 July 2007, Rome - Record summer temperatures and hot dry winds
have made parts of the Mediterranean a tinder box with fire-fighters
working around the clock to control blazes threatening people and
vegetation on thousands of hectares of southern Italy, Greece, and
other parts of the Mediterranean, FAO said today.
About 50 000 fires sweep through as many as one million hectares
of Mediterranean forest and other woodlands each year, according to
FAO. In the Mediterranean, up to 95 percent of fires are caused by
people. Arson and negligence, especially in the disposal of discarded
cigarettes and the careless handling of barbecues and fires in
camping sites, are the cause of many wildfires.
FAO notes that while fire is an important and widely used tool in
land management and maintaining ecological processes, wildfires
destroy millions of hectares of forest and vegetation with a loss of
human and animal lives causing immense economic and environmental
damage.
Approximately 30 000 workers are mobilized... (continued)
********************
(NEWS 10) Advanced Electricity Technologies Could Lower Costs by 50
Percent
http://global-warming.accuweather.com/2007/08/
advanced_electricity_technolog_1.html http://epri-reports.org/
DiscussionPaper2007.pdf
EPRI STUDY SHOWS A "FULL TECHNOLOGY PORTFOLIO" CAN REDUCE COST OF
CO2 CONTROLS
Palo Alto, Calif. — August 13, 2007 The Electric Power Research
Institute (EPRI) today released a study that shows that the
aggressive development and implementation of a full portfolio of
advanced electricity technologies could reduce the economic cost of
cutting future U.S. CO2 emissions by more than 50 percent while
meeting the continuing growth in demand for electricity.
"EPRI's analysis clearly shows that if we can deploy a 'full
technology portfolio,' we can provide lower-carbon electricity
throughout the economy while simultaneously meeting additional demand
for electricity due to population growth and economic expansion,"
said Steve Specker, EPRI president and chief executive officer.
Previous EPRI work has shown that absent investments in advanced
technologies, significant reductions in future emissions of CO2 and
other greenhouse gases will result in higher prices for electricity
and natural gas, and reduced economic growth.
However, by developing and deploying advanced electricity
technologies, such as a "smart" electricity grid, plug-in hybrid
vehicles, new advanced nuclear reactors, and clean coal technologies
with carbon capture and storage, this EPRI study shows that the same
cuts in future U.S. CO2 emissions could be accomplished at much lower
cost – saving as much as $1 trillion in future U.S. economic growth
under some scenarios analyzed.
The study builds upon prior work in which EPRI estimated the
technical feasibility of achieving large-scale CO2 emissions
reduction using advanced electricity technologies, and includes new
work that identifies the research, development and deployment
pathways necessary for these technologies to reach their full potential.
EPRI released its analysis following its annual Summer Seminar,
which brings together leaders of the electric power industry,
academia, regulators and advocacy groups to address critical industry
issues. EPRI will use the study to inform the work of the electricity
industry, government and other interested parties in preparing a long-
term action plan for research, development and demonstration projects
related to these technologies.
The study, "The Power to Reduce CO2 Emissions – The Full
Portfolio," is available in the Newsroom on the EPRI website at
www.epri.com.
********************
(NEWS 11) Climate Tipping Points Loom Large
http://environment.newscientist.com/article.ns?
id=mg19526173.900&feedId=online-news_rss20
Fred Pearce, New Scientist - SOME climate tipping points may
already have been passed, and others may be closer than we thought,
it emerged this week. Runaway loss of Arctic sea ice may now be
inevitable. Even more worrying, and very likely, is the collapse of
the giant Greenland ice sheet. So said Tim Lenton of the University
of East Anglia, UK, speaking on Monday at a meeting on complexity in
nature, organised by the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge.
Lenton warned the meeting that global warming might trigger
tipping points that could cause runaway warming or catastrophic sea-
level rise. The risks are far greater than suggested in the current
IPCC report, he says.
Yet climate modellers are in a quandary. As models get better and
forecasts more alarming, their confidence in the detail of their
predictions is evaporating.
The IPCC says the Greenland ice sheet will take at least ...
(subscription required)
********************
(NEWS 12) Sierra trees dying faster due to warming U.S. study:
Death rate along 400-mile range doubled since 1983
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20177286/-
SACRAMENTO, California - Conifer trees in the Sierra Nevada are
dying at nearly double the rate as they were two decades ago,
stressed by hotter temperatures and lower precipitation, according to
a study to be presented later this week.
The 400-mile-long range has endured dry spells in the past, but its
trees now are more likely to die during such periods because they are
struggling with the effects of a new challenge — global warming.
"What surprised us are how sensitive these trees are to short-
term changes in climate," said Phillip van Mantgem, an ecologist with
the U.S. Geological Survey and author of the report. "That was kind
of a shock."
Geological Survey researchers will present their findings Friday
at a meeting of the Ecological Society of America in San Jose, Calif.
They say their report is the first of its kind, coming after
researchers spent 22 years examining coniferous trees in Yosemite and
Sequoia national parks.
********************
(NEWS 13) Cost of Saving the Climate Meets Real-World Hurdles
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/15/
AR2007081502432.html?referrer=emailarticle (free registration required)
On the Internet, erasing your role in climate change seems as
easy as ordering a DVD -- and cheaper than a cup of coffee a day.
With a click, a credit card and $99, visitors can pay a Silver
Spring nonprofit group, Carbonfund.org, to "offset" a year's worth of
greenhouse-gas emissions. Whatever the customer put into the
atmosphere -- by flying, driving, using electricity -- the site
promises to cancel out, by funding projects that reduce pollutants.
The business of selling carbon "offsets" to individuals who want
to minimize their footprint on the environment didn't exist 20 years
ago. Organizations that sell offsets promise to balance out household
and business contributions to climate change. However, the market is
chaotic and unregulated, and some researchers say offsets don't
always deliver what they promise...
While some trees have grown faster in other parts of the U.S....
(continued)
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Summer Programs, Courses, Internships, Meetings, Opportunities
(OPPORTUNITY 1) 2007-2008 Earth System Science Student Professional
Development Opportunity
The NSF and NASA funded initiative, entitled Minorities Striving
and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth System Science
Professional Development Program (MS PHD'S PDP)® is selecting its
fifth cohort!
The MS PHD'S PDP provides professional development experiences to
facilitate the advancement of undergraduate and graduate
underrepresented minority students who are committed to achieving
outstanding Earth system science careers.
Shortly, we will begin the process of selecting the 2007-2008 MS
PHD'S PDP participant cohort. The successful MS PHD'S PDP applicants
will engage in a series of science exposure, professional development
and virtual community building activities that include participation
in two professional society meetings, web-based discussions and
workshops, and a capstone event hosted by the National Academies,
NSF, NASA, NOAA and EPA!
Phase I of the Professional Development Program will be held
December 8th-14th in San Francisco, CA, in conjunction with the 2007
Fall American Geophysical Union meeting.
I would greatly appreciate your assistance in broadly
disseminating this year's program announcement.
Mentor and student participant applications for the MS PHD'S PDP
2007-2008 cohort are available at www.msphds.usf.edu . Please take a
few moments to complete the appropriate survey as well as to
encourage all qualified and interested individuals to submit the
completed forms by September 10, 2007.
Thanks in advance for your assistance in broadly disseminating
this information!
Sincerely,
Dr. Ashanti J. Pyrtle,
MS PHD'S Director
Assistant Professor
College of Marine Science, University of South Florida,
140 7th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
tel: 727.553.1301, fax: 727.553.1189, E-mail: apyrtle at marine.usf.edu
http://www.marine.usf.edu/faculty/ashanti-pyrtle.shtml
http://msphds.usf.edu
http://www.womenoceanographers.org/Default.aspx?
pid=E1E3254E-1C80-4e6d-ABBF-1EC5F5436C3E&id=AshantiPyrtle
********************
(OPPORTUNITY 2) Climate change policy conference - September 28, 2007
- Waterloo, Ontario (Canada)
http://www.wlu.ca/viessmann/html_pages/conferences.htm
The Viessmann European Research Centre http://www.wlu.ca/
viessmann/ at Wilfrid Laurier University invites you to attend a
conference focussing on comparing North American and European
approaches to climate change. The conference will be held on Friday,
September 28, 2007 at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario,
Canada. The university is about an hour's drive from the main
Toronto, Ontario airport.
Since the negotiation of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 the Canadian,
American, and European Union approaches to climate change have
diverged. This conference seeks to examine these approaches, the
reasons for and impact of divergence, and the possible future of
climate change policy in these countries.
A preliminary program and registration form may be found at
http://www.wlu.ca/viessmann/html_pages/conferences.htm
See Upcoming Events on the above web page to download a
registration form, which we ask all attendees to fill out and return.
Please return the form to Pierre Siklos, the Director of the
Viessmann Research Centre
psiklos at wlu.ca as soon as possible, but no later than September
14. Due to space and budget constraints we may have to limit attendance.
Please contact me if you have questions.
Frank Millerd
Professor Emeritus of Economics
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3C5 Canada
Phone: 519 576-3468
Email: fmillerd at wlu.ca
********************
(OPPORTUNITY 3) Early-career workshop - Environmental and Resource
Economics - 12-13 November 2007 - Bathurst, NSW (Australia)
www.ecrew.org.au
I would be grateful if you would pass on the attached information
to appropriate people in your school or department about E-CReW 2007,
which is a workshop for Early Career Researchers in the area of
Environmental and Resource Economics that is to be held on 12-13
November 2007, in Bathurst, NSW, Australia. The goal of the workshop
is to provide a forum for early career researchers to get feedback on
their research, interact with and receive advice from more
experienced academics, and to meet other researchers at a similar
stage in their research careers.
The workshop is targeted primarily at people who are currently
completing their PhD or Masters degrees, or early career researchers
who have up to 10 years post-doctoral experience.
We have seven mentors helping with the workshop, including:
· Professor Michael Hanemann who is the Director of the
California Climate Change Center at the University of California
· Professor Laura Taylor who is the Director of the Center for
Resource and Environmental Economics Policy at North Carolina State
University
· Professor Allan Curtis who until recently was the Director
of the Institute for Land, Water and Society at Charles Sturt University
· Dr David Godden who is the Manager of Economics Services at
the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change
· Dr Deborah Peterson who is a Deputy Secretary with the
Victorian Department of Primary Industries
· Professor John Rolfe who is a resource economist from
Central Queensland University
· Dr Don Gunsekera who is the Chief Economist at the
Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics
The workshop costs $150 to attend, which includes all meals.
Scholarships and transport subsidies are available for students who
would have difficulty attending without financial support.
Please see the workshop's website www.ecrew.org.au or contact Therese
Formosa at tformosa at ecrew.org.au or on (61 2) 6338 6129 for further
information.
***************************************************
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'
********************
(JOBS 1) Climate Adaptation Specialists (2) - Freshwater and
Terrestrial - World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – Washington DC (USA) or (UK)
www.worldwildlife.org/jobs http://www.worldwildlife.org/about/
jobs_iframe.cfm
World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the global conservation organization
seeks two Climate Adaptation Specialists, one to work on freshwater
ecosystems, the other on terrestrial ecosystems. This Senior Program
Officer position plans, manages, communicates, and implements project
as part of the EpiCenter of Climate Adaptaiton and Resilience
Building. Leads the development of successful adaptation field
projects and manages other strategic efforts to build WWF's profile
and knowledge around adaptation/resilience-building in order to
protect nature from the impacts of climate change. Works under the
supervision of the Chief Climate Change Scientist/Director of the
EpiCenter of Climate Adaptation and Resilience Building and is part
of the WWF Climate Change Global Program Unit.
Basic Requirements:
Basic requirements include a graduate degree in a relevant field.
Position requires a minimum of five years of work experience in
conservation biology, ecology or climate change science. Candidates
should be a strong persuasive communicator, in person and in writing
and have proven ability to work with scientists and funding agencies.
Demonstrated knowledge of fundraising and proposal development is a
plus. Excellent organizational and project management skills required.
********************
(JOBS 2) Post-Doc Research Associates (2) - Atmospheric chemistry –
University of Washington - Bothell, WA (USA)
Position #1-Mercury scientist
This position is primarily focused on mercury observations and
interpretation. The successful candidate will be within 6 years
after PhD completion. The selected scientist will lead our mercury
research program at Mt. Bachelor and assist in other mercury field
programs including possibly the NASA-ARCTAS experiment. Key
questions for the work at Mt. Bachelor focus on developing a better
understanding of (1) the global sources or mercury, and (2) the
oxidation processes that convert Hg(0) to Hg(II). For this position,
I am looking for an outstanding scientist who has the ability to
think creatively about global mercury pollution issues and who has
experience with mercury measurement systems. In addition, the
selected candidate must have a strong publication record and be
dedicated to outstanding communication of their scientific work in
both written and oral presentations. Finally, the selected candidate
must be a good team player and have the ability to work with other
students and scientists at a variety of levels.
Position #2: O3/NOx/PAN
This position is focused on understanding the implications of
increasing NOx emissions from Asia on global tropospheric ozone. The
successful candidate will be within 6 years after PhD completion. The
selected candidate will make measurements at Mt. Bachelor of one or
more relevant chemical species, integrate our observations with
global chemical transport models and utilize satellite data to
augment our understanding of this issue. This person may also play a
role in new aerosol studies at Mt. Bachelor. For this position, I am
looking for an outstanding scientist who has the ability to think
creatively about global pollution issues and who has experience with
relevant measurement systems. Experience integrating with global
models and satellite data is also highly desirable. In addition, the
selected candidate must have a strong publication record and be
dedicated to outstanding communication of their scientific work in
both written and oral presentations. Finally, the selected candidate
must be a good team player and have the ability to work with other
students and scientists at a variety of levels. The salary range for
this position is $3083-$3800 per month.
Further information on both positions:
Both positions are based at the University of Washington's
Bothell Campus (www.uwb.edu), located approximately 20 km from the
main UW Seattle campus. For both positions field work is required.
This will mainly include measurements at our Mt. Bachelor Observatory
(http://research.uwb.edu/jaffegroup), but may include other field
campaigns as opportunities arise. Both positions will also involve
extensive collaboration with scientists in Atmospheric Science at the
UW Seattle campus (www.atmos.washington.edu).
To apply for either position, please send a letter describing
your relevant experience and CV to Prof. Dan Jaffe, University of
Washington Bothell, 18115 Campus Way NE, Bothell, WA 98011-8246 or by
email (preferred) to djaffe at u.washington.edu and arrange for 3
reference letters to be sent directly. Priority will be given to
applications received by September 10th. Questions about either of
these positions can be addressed to D. Jaffe at the email address
given above. University of Washington faculty engage in teaching,
research, and service. For further information about our
research group please see http://research.uwb.edu/jaffegroup .
********************
(JOB 3) Post-Doc - Atmospheric chemistry - School of Environmental
Sciences - University of East Anglia (UK)
(Ref: RA415)
We are seeking an atmospheric scientist to work on data collected
over West Africa during 2006. These data were collected as part of
the international African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses (AMMA)
(http://www.amma-international.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=1 )
programme funded by the NERC AMMA-UK project (http://
www.env.leeds.ac.uk/research/ias/dynamics/amma/) and the AMMA-EU
Integrated Project ( https://www.amma-eu.org/). This post is in the
Atmospheric Chemistry Group (ACG) (http://www.uea.ac.uk/env/
tracegaslab/), and is to examine data collected on the FAAM (Facility
for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements) BAe-146 research aircraft,
primarily concentrations of isoprene. These data have been
qualitatively related to the surface vegetation and we wish to extend
this further through the use of the Model of Emissions of Gases and
Aerosols from Nature (MEGAN) developed at the National Center for
Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in the USA. We also wish to examine the
impact of the observed isoprene on the photochemical processing over
West Africa.
Applicants should have a PhD or equivalent research experience,
preferably in an atmospheric science discipline. They should have
experience in computer programming, preferably in FORTRAN, and
ideally have experience of one or more of the following software
packages: ArcGIS, IGOR and FACSIMILE.
Prof. Jonathan Foley, Director
Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE)
Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
University of Wisconsin - Madison
www.sage.wisc.edu
********************
(JOB 4) Post-Doc - Climate/Ecosystem Modeling - Effects of Land Use
Practices on the Earth System - Center for Sustainability and the
Global Environment (SAGE) - University of Wisconsin (USA)
The Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE)
at the University of Wisconsin is searching for a postdoctoral
scholar to help us better understand the role of global land use
practices, particularly within modern agricultural systems, on the
planetary cycles of water, energy, carbon and nutrients.
The postdoctoral scholar will work with a new generation of
coupled atmosphere-biosphere models (based on versions of the NCAR
CCSM climate model and the IBIS terrestrial biosphere model) to
explore the importance of land use practices – including irrigation,
fertilizer use, crop selection, fire management – on the whole earth
ystem. The work will particularly focus on changes in climate,
hydrology and biogeochemical processes resulting from changes in
global agricultural practices. The work will be done in coordination
with scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research
(NCAR) and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
Candidates with graduate training in climate and ecosystem
modeling will be strongly considered. Backgrounds in agricultural
systems, global ecosystem processes, hydrology, and biogeochemistry
would be extremely helpful. Excellent quantitative and modeling
skills are required; excellent communication and writing skills
desired. The ability to work within, and contribute to, an
interdisciplinary team is a must.
Please send a complete c.v., cover letter and the names of at
least three references to Prof. Jonathan Foley (email:
jfoley at wisc.edu), Director - Center for Sustainability and the Global
Environment (SAGE), University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA. Only
electronic applications will be considered. We will begin reviewing
applications on September 15, 2007.
********************
(JOB 5) Task Leader - Information Systems - NASA Global Change Master
Directory (USA)
Primary responsibilities:
Manage the professional aspects of the GCMD task, including
interactions with the NASA customer and contract management.
Represent the task at professional meetings, promote current
collaborations and identify others. Monitor all aspects of the task:
software development (with developer "lead") and all operations;
provide direction to contract staff, and perform staff evaluations.
Participate in the ongoing Earth science keyword upgrades and their
ontological evolution. Assess new technology and advise on
appropriate applications as needed, in conjunction with the NASA ATR.
Prepare monthly project reports and biannual assessments of
contract work to the government. Prepare metrics on system
population, web usage, and assist in the preparation of task
documents, such as the annual "State of the GCMD". Examine and
implement methods to decrease overhead for all tasks.
Qualifications:
Master's Degree in one or more of the Earth Sciences with
expertise in Meteorology, Climatology, Oceanography, Soil Science,
Remote Sensing, the Hydrosphere, the Cryosphere, Land Surface,
Paleoclimatology, or Sun-Earth Interactions. Knowledge and
experience with web-based information technology essential; three
years supervisory experience desirable.
Please submit cover letter and resume to: Larry Klein, Group
Manager, RS Information Systems, 301-352-4674 lklein at sesda2.com
********************
(JOB 6) Researcher - Climate Policy Project (CP) – IGES - Kanagawa
240-0115 (Japan)
http://www.iges.or.jp/en/news/saiyo/200708cp/index.html
The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) is
recruiting a researcher or a senior policy researcher for its Climate
Policy Project (CP), the mission of which is to evaluate and
recommend pragmatic climate policies for sustainable development in
Asia and the Pacific in an era of evolving global climate regime.
Masato Watanabe（Research Supporting Section)
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies(IGES)
2108-11 Kamiyamaguchi, Hayama, Kanagawa
240-0115 Japan
Tel：+81-46-855-3720 Fax：+81-46-855-3709
URL：http://www.iges.or.jp
Email：recruit-climatepolicy at iges.or.jp
********************
(JOB 7) Postdocs - Nat'l Resource Economics/Politics Economy -
University of California, Berkeley CA (USA)
http://research.chance.berkeley.edu/ciriacy/
Salary: Starting at 52,512.00
Type: Full Time
The University of California, Berkeley invites applications for
the 2008-2009 S.V. Ciriacy-Wantrup Postdoctoral Fellowships in
Natural Resource Economics and Political Economy.
The S.V. Ciriacy-Wantrup Postdoctoral Fellowships in Natural
Resource Economics and Political Economy will be awarded for the
2008-2009 academic year to support advanced research at the
University of California, Berkeley.
For the purposes of this fellowship, natural resources are
defined broadly to include environmental resources. The fellowship
encourages, but is not limited to, policy-oriented research.
Applications are open to scholars from any social science discipline,
and related professional fields such as law and planning, who will
make significant contributions to research on natural resource
economics broadly defined. Preference will be given to proposals
whose orientation is broadly institutional and/or historical, and
which are conceptually and theoretically innovative. Proposals with a
primarily statistical or econometric purpose are not eligible for
consideration.
Requirements: PhD Required Education: Doctorate NOTES: 5
openings. International Candidates Will Be Considered
Apply online at http://aaanet.jobcontrolcenter.com/jobdetail.cfm?
job=2639037.32
**************************************************
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://disccrs.org
DISCCRS poster http://disccrs.org
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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