[DIALOGnews] DISCCRS News 11/2/2007
Ruth Ladderud
ladderra at whitman.edu
Thu Nov 1 16:08:34 CDT 2007
DISCCRS News
11/2/2007
************************************
TABLE OF CONTENTS
RESOURCES and FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Preparing for a Climate Change Teach In with a social-science focus
(see RESOURCES 1 below)
Nobel Laureates Symposium on "Global Sustainability: A Nobel Cause -
PDF available on website:
www.nobel-cause.de.
NSF Postdoctoral Fellowships in Polar Regions Research
http://csd.tamu.edu/news/news_item.2007-10-29.7736086791
SCIENCE NEWS
Rise in atmospheric CO2 accelerates as economy grows, natural carbon
sinks weaken
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-10/ci-ria102207.php
Like it or not, uncertainty and climate change go hand-in-hand
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-10/uow-lio102207.php
(see NEWS 1 below)
White House in climate-censorship row
http://tinyurl.com/2nnk4y
(see NEWS 2 below)
Electronic 'vampires' suck energy, not blood
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2007-10-30-vampire-
electronics_N.htm?csp=34
(see NEWS 3 below)
IEA says oil prices will stay 'very high,' threatening global growth
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/31/business/oil.php
(see NEWS 4 below)
Wildfires, especially Southern California's, spew millions of tons of
global warming gas
http://climate.weather.com/articles/gases110107.html
(see NEWS 5 below)
Clean Coal Plant Tabled, Would Have Been a First
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_7324626 Or: http://tinyurl.com/2fzpyc
(see NEWS 6 below)
Scientists Document Deep-Water Coral Mortality Event
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2007/20071016_deepcoral.html
(see NEWS 7 below)
Warming Revives Flora and Fauna in Greenland
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/world/europe/28greenland.html
Or: http://tinyurl.com/2275xp
(see NEWS 8 below)
oal Use Grows Despite Warming Worries
http://www.examiner.com/
a-1015381~Coal_Use_Grows_Despite_Warming_Worries.html Or: http://
tinyurl.com/37jxyb
(see NEWS 9 below)
'Humanity's Very Survival' Is at Risk, Says UN
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/
article2739926.ece Or: http://tinyurl.com/25x4ty
(see NEWS 10 below)
SUMMER PROGRAMS, COURSES, INTERNSHIPS, MEETINGS, OPPORTUNITIES
A senior scientist at NCAR is looking for suggestions of qualified
women to serve on the US NOAA climate and global change post-doctoral
selection committee. At the moment, the committee has an
overrepresentation of atmospheric chemists. Please e-mail suggested
names, contact information and a few lines about qualifications to
Dr. Elisabeth Holland; eholland at ucar.edu; http://acd.ucar.edu/
~eholland/. Self-nominations are welcome.
Climate driving of marine ecosystem changes…Training for young marine
scientists. - 21-24 April 2008 - Brest, France
http://www.imber.info/CLIMECO_Application.html
(see WORKSHOP 1 below)
JOBS
Remote Sensing Scientist – National Institute of Water and
Atmospheric Research (NIWA) - Ocean Colour, Wellington (New Zealand)
www.niwa.co.nz/about/jobs
(see JOB 1 below)
Research Associate (Postdoctoral) - College of Oceanic and
Atmospheric Sciences – Oregon State University – Corvallis, OR (USA)
(see JOB 2 below)
Three research positions for 5-yr contracts - Marine Geology
Department of INETI - Portugal
http://www.ineti.pt
(see JOB 3 below)
Postdoc Fellowship - Global Change and Forest Dynamics - Colorado
State University- Fort Collins CO (USA)
(see JOB 4 below)
Asst Prof Tenure-track - Landscape Ecology - University of Illinois -
Chicago IL (USA)
(see JOB 5 below)
Asst Prof Tenure-track - Environmental Geology - Drake University -
Des Moines, Iowa
(see JOB 6 below)
***************************************************
Resources and Funding Opportunities
********************
********************
(RESOURCES 1) Preparing for a Climate Change Teach In with a social-
science focus
Submitted by Kari Norgaard, Whitman College
Hello Environmental Sociologists Everywhere! (well, especially
those of you in the U.S.)...
The Council for the Environment and Technology Section is
scheming to put together a nationwide teach in about climate change
in the coming months. We are currently working on a proposal to the
Executive Council for ASA. Meanwhile, if you are interested we could
use your help in one or more ways...
What's in the Works
A Nationwide Teach In on Climate Change for Sociologists. The
Environmental and Technology section would provide resources from
data, readings, films, discussion questions and lecture ideas on
global climate change for faculty teaching in a range of courses.
Courses such as Social Problems, Introduction to Sociology, Social
Movements, Social Stratification, Contemporary Theory, Race,
Political Sociology, Hazards and Disasters, Sociology of Technology
would be particularly well suited. Obviously some courses such as
Statistics or Sociology of the Family might be less suited, but even
in these cases motivated instructors would be welcome to address this
topic. We are proposing that our ETS section would provide teaching
resources in module form for a variety of topics for interested
faculty. This educational organizing strategy of a nationwide teach
in replicates efforts during the Vietnam War when folks across the
country taught about Vietnam in multiple disciplines for one day to
raise awareness (rather than calling for a strike against classes).
Ideally this event will correspond with the January 31st event being
coordinated by the Focus the Nation campaign, see website for more
information: www.focusthenation.org.
What We Need From You
We are looking for information that is packaged into a form for that
could be used by sociologists. We are hoping to get teaching
resources into the hands of non-experts who would be willing to teach
about climate change in their course
1) Do you have teaching resources on climate change to share that
are or can be fit into specific courses? We are interested in films
that you highly recommend with a set of discussion questions,
readings, lecture notes, etc.
2) Even better, are you interested in taking on the coordination
of a teaching module for a specific course? For example, preparing a
variety of teaching materials for the instructor of a Social Theory
or Social Problems course to select from?
If so please send me an email at norgaakm at whitman.edu
Much Thanks in Advance,
Kari
***************************************************
Science News
(NEWS 1) Like it or not, uncertainty and climate change go hand-in-hand
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-10/uow-lio102207.php
Despite decades of ever more-exacting science projecting Earth's
warming climate, there remains large uncertainty about just how much
warming will actually occur.
Two University of Washington scientists believe the uncertainty
remains so high because the climate system itself is very sensitive
to a variety of factors, such as increased greenhouse gases or a
higher concentration of atmospheric particles that reflect sunlight
back into space.
In essence, the scientists found that the more likely it is that
conditions will cause climate to warm, the more uncertainty exists
about how much warming there will be.
"Uncertainty and sensitivity have to go hand in hand. They're
inextricable," said Gerard Roe, a UW associate professor of Earth and
space sciences. "We're used to systems in which reducing the
uncertainty in the physics means reducing the uncertainty in the
response by about the same proportion. But that's not how climate
change works."
Roe and Marcia Baker, a UW professor emeritus of Earth and space
sciences and of atmospheric sciences, have devised and tested a
theory they believe can help climate modelers and observers
understand the range of probabilities from various factors, or
feedbacks, involved in climate change. The theory is contained in a
paper published in the Oct. 26 edition of Science.
In political polling, as the same questions are asked of more
and more people the uncertainty, expressed as margin of error,
declines substantially and the poll becomes a clearer snapshot of
public opinion at that time. But it turns out that with climate,
additional research does not substantially reduce the uncertainty.
The equation devised by Roe and Baker helps modelers understand
built-in uncertainties so that the researchers can get meaningful
results after running a climate model just a few times, rather than
having to run it several thousand times and adjust various climate
factors each time.
"It's a yardstick against which one can test climate models," Roe
said.
Scientists have projected that simply doubling carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere from pre-Industrial Revolution levels would increase
global mean temperature by about 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit. However,
that projection does not take into account climate feedbacks –
physical processes in the climate system that amplify or subdue the
response. Those feedbacks would raise temperature even more, as much
as another 5 degrees F according to the most likely projection. One
example of a feedback is that a warmer atmosphere holds more water
vapor, which in itself is a greenhouse gas. The increased water vapor
then amplifies the effect on temperature caused by the original
increase in carbon dioxide.
"Sensitivity to carbon dioxide concentration is just one measure
of climate change, but it is the standard measure," Roe said.
Before the Industrial Revolution began in the late 1700s,
atmospheric carbon dioxide was at a concentration of about 280 parts
per million. Today it is about 380 parts per million and estimates
are that it will reach 560 to 1,000 parts per million by the end of
the century.
The question is what all that added carbon dioxide will do to the
planet's temperature. The new equation can help provide an answer,
since it links the probability of warming with uncertainty about the
physical processes that affect how much warming will occur, Roe said.
"The kicker is that small uncertainties in the physical processes
are amplified into large uncertainties in the climate response, and
there is nothing we can do about that," he said.
While the new equation will help scientists quickly see the most
likely impacts, it also shows that far more extreme temperature
changes – perhaps 15 degrees or more in the global mean – are
possible, though not probable. That same result also was reported in
previous studies that used thousands of computer simulations, and the
new equation shows the extreme possibilities are fundamental to the
nature of the climate system.
Much will depend on what happens to emissions of carbon dioxide
and other greenhouse gases in the future. Since they can remain in
the atmosphere for decades, even a slight decrease in emissions is
unlikely to do more than stabilize overall concentrations, Roe said.
"If all we do is stabilize concentrations, then we will still be
risking the highest temperature change shown in the models," he said.
********************
(NEWS 2) White House in climate-censorship row
http://tinyurl.com/2nnk4y
The White House has already been accused of gagging the US
Environmental Protection Agency and NASA on the subject of global
warming. Now the US Centers for Disease Control may have suffered the
same fate.
On 23 October, CDC director Julie Gerberding addressed the US
Senate on the health effects of global warming. It has emerged that
her original speech was cut from 12 pages to six by the White House's
Office of Management and Budget, which is authorised to vet
presentations to the Senate by government agencies
Among the passages omitted from the final speech were details of
how global warming may affect millions of Americans through more
frequent heatwaves, increased air pollution and the spread of
waterborne diseases.
Although Gerberding and the CDC say there has been no censorship,
others disagree. Senator Barbara Boxer of California wrote to the
White House demanding that it release a copy of the original draft,
to reveal exactly what was left out. "This isn't a country that
should be censoring science," she says. The White House says that
some predictions were omitted because they were global rather than US-
specific.
continued...
********************
(NEWS 3) Electronic 'vampires' suck energy, not blood
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2007-10-30-vampire-
electronics_N.htm?csp=34
A force as insidious as Dracula is quietly sucking a nickel of
every dollar's worth of the electricity that seeps from your home's
outlets.
Insert the little fangs of your cellphone charger in the outlet
and leave it there, phone attached: That's vampire electronics.
Allow your computer to hide in the cloak of darkness known as
"standby mode" rather than shutting it off: That's vampire electronics.
The latest estimates show 5% of electricity used in the United
States goes to standby power, a phenomenon energy efficiency experts
find all the more terrifying as energy prices rise and the planet
warms. That amounts to about $4 billion a year.
The percentage could rise to 20% by 2010, according to the U.S.
Department of Energy.
In California, lawmakers passed a proposal last year — dubbed the
Vampire Slayers Act — to add vampire electronics labels to consumer
products, detailing how much energy a charger, computer, DVD player,
PlayStation, microwave or coffee maker uses when on, off or in
standby mode.
"It's something people don't know about," said Dave Walton, home
ideas director for Direct Energy, a utility and energy services
company that has one of its four main offices in Dublin, Ohio.
The issue is particularly pressing in Ohio, the nation's No. 1
emitter of toxic air emissions — mostly from electricity production
at the state's coal-fired power plants. Walton said skyrocketing
energy costs mean everyone should worry about the vampires in the house.
The International Energy Agency has estimated standby energy use
by vampire electronics at 200 to 400 terawatt-hours a year. The
entire country of Italy consumes about 300 terawatt-hours of
electricity each year, according to the agency.
...continued...
********************
(NEWS 4) IEA says oil prices will stay 'very high,' threatening
global growth
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/31/business/oil.php
The rapidly growing appetite for fossil fuels in China and India
is likely to help keep oil prices high for the foreseeable future -
threatening a global economic slowdown, a top energy expert said
Wednesday.
The unusually stark warning by Fatih Birol, chief economist of
the International Energy Agency, about the impact of Asia's emerging
giants comes as the agency prepares to issue its influential annual
report next week, which will focus on China and India.
In preparing the report, Birol said he had experienced "an
earthquake" in his thinking.
"China plus India are going to dominate growth in the oil
markets," Birol said during an interview at an oil industry
conference. During the past 18 months, he noted, more than two-thirds
of the growth in global oil demand came from China and India alone.
Demand for oil in China, he added, would eventually equal the
entire supply from Saudi Arabia.
Partly as a result, he added, the annual report would predict
that oil prices, now at about $93 a barrel, could remain at levels
much higher than thought possible in the past. This, he said,
heightened the risk of a serious global economic slowdown.
...continued...
********************
(NEWS 5) Wildfires, especially Southern California's, spew millions
of tons of global warming gas
http://climate.weather.com/articles/gases110107.html
WASHINGTON (AP) — In one week, Southern California's wildfires
spewed the same amount of carbon dioxide — the primary global warming
gas — as the state's power plants and vehicles did, scientists figure.
A new study by two Colorado researchers shows that U.S. wildfires
pump a significant amount of the greenhouse gas into the air each
year, more than the state of Pennsylvania does. It raises questions
about how useful it is to plant trees to offset rising carbon dioxide
emissions and soothe environmental consciences.
Because the California wildfires occurred just as the study was
about to be published, the researchers calculated how much carbon
dioxide was likely to come from the devastating blazes Oct. 19-26.
It's a lot: 8.7 million tons.
That's more than the state of Vermont produces in a year. And
it's also more than the 6 million tons estimated by California's air
control agency, which used a different calculation method.
On average, wildfires in the United States each year pump 322
million tons of carbon dioxide. That's about 5 percent of what the
country emits by burning fossil fuels, such as gasoline and coal,
according to the new research published online Thursday in the peer-
reviewed journal Carbon Balance and Management.
"It is quite a big chunk," said study co-author Jason Neff of the
University of Colorado at Boulder. But he adds: "It's nothing
compared to our fossil fuels burning."
Mostly when scientists look at carbon dioxide emissions, they spend
their time on the stuff that man adds to power industrial life. But
Neff and Christine Wiedinmyer at the National Center for Atmospheric
Research in Boulder, Colo., looked at forests, which act as a sponge
and absorb some of the carbon dioxide, but which also burn and
produce it.
"The problem is that what goes in, comes out," Neff said.
In recent years, some people who want to compensate for their
personal contributions to global warming (from driving gas-guzzling
cars or heating huge houses) have paid groups to plant trees to soak
up that extra carbon in the air. It's called a carbon offset.
Over several decades or centuries, replanted trees will capture
some of the gas, but the first few decades it will be at a reduced
rate, Wiedinmyer said.
"There's a real danger here that in the offsetting program you feel
you've done your bit," said University of Victoria climate scientist
Andrew Weaver, who wasn't part of the study. "You've got to be a
little bit more creative than to think that you're going to solve
global warming by planting trees."
In previous studies, scientists have shown that a general
increase in American wildfires — but no one event — is linked to
global warming. That raises the possibility of a self-feeding cycle,
Wiedinmyer said.
The scientists used satellite imagery, computer models and
combustion rates to determine how much carbon dioxide is released
during a fire, Wiedinmyer said.
Last week, the California Air Resources Board estimated that just
under 6 million tons of carbon dioxide were released by the recent
fires. The board estimates that for every acre burned, the carbon
dioxide emissions are equivalent to two cars driven for a year, said
board spokesman Stanley Young. More than half a million acres have
burned in Southern California.
Young and Wiedinmyer said estimates do vary widely on scientific
method.
The paper finds remarkable differences state by state and month by
month. August is the worst month for carbon dioxide emissions from
fires.
The Western continental United States is responsible for more
than one-third of the country's carbon dioxide from fires. But Alaska
is king. Alaskan fires produce twice as much of the greenhouse gas
than burning fossil fuels in that state. Alaskan fires make up 27
percent of the nation's yearly fire-related carbon dioxide emissions.
In the Lower 48, California, Oregon, Idaho, Washington,
Louisiana, Montana, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Texas are top 10
emitters of carbon dioxide through forest fires.
********************
(NEWS 6) Clean Coal Plant Tabled, Would Have Been a First
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_7324626 Or: http://tinyurl.com/2fzpyc
Denver Post - Xcel Energy is shelving for at least two years a
decision on building a widely hailed clean-coal power plant that
would have been the first in the nation to capture its carbon
emissions and inject them underground.
Although Xcel is convinced the technology will work, the $1
billion-plus plant would be too costly to build without a partner and
the utility doesn't need the extra power, chief executive Dick Kelly
said Tuesday in Denver.
Minneapolis-based Xcel, Colorado's largest electric and gas
supplier, proposed the plant last year as a symbol of its commitment
to lead the utility sector in addressing carbon dioxide emissions, a
major contributor to global warming. The news had been praised by
environmental groups and politicians.
********************
(NEWS 7) Scientists Document Deep-Water Coral Mortality Event
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2007/20071016_deepcoral.html
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 16 October 2007
- Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, in cooperation with researchers from the U.S.
Geological Survey and National Park Service, are reporting the first
description of coral loss on a deep U.S. Caribbean reef. Their
findings are reported in this month's issue of the journal
Continental Shelf Research. The coral mortality event on a deep reef
was detected off St. John in the U.S. Caribbean using a remotely
operated vehicle (ROV) deployed from the NOAA ship Nancy Foster noted
during a sea floor mapping mission in 2005. "Over the past 30 years
we have seen a tremendous decrease in live coral cover on shallow
reefs in the Caribbean,” said Mark Monaco, a marine biologist from
NOAA’s Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment. “The extensive
loss of coral on this deep reef is especially noteworthy since deep
reefs could serve as a source of future recruits for shallow reefs
during times of stress."
The well-documented degradation of shallower reefs that are often
closer to land and more vulnerable to pollution, sewage, and other
human-related stressors has led to the suggestion that deeper, more
remote offshore reefs were less vulnerable. Yet the distribution,
status, and ecological roles of Caribbean reefs deeper than 30 meters
are not well known. Using video and pictures taken from the ROV,
coral cover decline was estimated at 25 percent.
********************
(NEWS 8) Warming Revives Flora and Fauna in Greenland
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/world/europe/28greenland.html
Or: http://tinyurl.com/2275xp
New York Times (Registration Required) - NARSARSUAQ, Greenland -
A strange thing is happening at the edge of Poul Bjerge's forest, a
place so minute and unexpected that it brings to mind the teeny plot
of land Woody Allen's father carries around in the film "Love and
Death."
Its four oldest trees - in fact, the four oldest pine trees in
Greenland, named Rosenvinge's trees after the Dutch botanist who
planted them in a mad experiment in 1893 - are waking up. After
lapsing into stately, sleepy old age, they are exhibiting new
sprinklings of green at their tops, as if someone had glued on fresh
needles.
"The old ones, they're having a second youth," said Mr. Bjerge,
78, who has watched the forest, called Qanasiassat, come to life, in
fits and starts, since planting most of the trees in it 50 years ago.
He beamed like a proud grandson. "They're growing again."
********************
(NEWS 9) Coal Use Grows Despite Warming Worries
http://www.examiner.com/
a-1015381~Coal_Use_Grows_Despite_Warming_Worries.html Or: http://
tinyurl.com/37jxyb
San Francisco Examiner - JUNGAR QI, China - Almost nonstop,
gargantuan 145-ton trucks rumble through China's biggest open-pit
coal mine, sending up clouds of soot as they dump their loads into
mechanized sorters.
The black treasure has transformed this once-isolated crossroads
nestled in the sand-sculpted ravines of Inner Mongolia into a bleak
boomtown of nearly 300,000 people. Day and night, long and dusty
trains haul out coal to electric power plants and factories in the
east, fueling China's explosive growth.
Coal is big, and getting bigger. As oil and natural gas prices
soar, the world is relying ever more on the cheap, black-burning
mainstay of the Industrial Revolution. Mining companies are racing
into Africa. Workers are laying miles of new railroad track to haul
coal from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and Montana. And nowhere
is coal bigger than in China.
********************
(NEWS 10) 'Humanity's Very Survival' Is at Risk, Says UN
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/
article2739926.ece Or: http://tinyurl.com/25x4ty
Times (London) - The speed at which mankind is using and abusing
the Earth's resources is putting humanity's survival at risk,
scientists have said. The bleak assessment of the state of the
environment globally was issued as an "urgent call for action" amid
growing concerns of worldwide waste, neglect and governmental inertia.
Fundamental changes in political policy and individual lifestyles
were demanded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as
it gave warning that the "point of no return" for the environment is
fast being approached.
The damage being done was regarded by the UN programme as so
serious that it said the time had come for the environment to be a
central theme of policy-making instead of just a fringe issue, even
though it would damage the vested interests of powerful industries.
***************************************************
Summer Programs, Courses, Internships, Meetings, Opportunities
(WORKSHOP 1) Climate driving of marine ecosystem changes…Training for
young marine scientists. - 21-24 April 2008 - Brest, France
http://www.imber.info/CLIMECO_Application.html
IMBER (http://www.imber.info/ ) is very pleased to announce that
the workshop "Climate driving of marine ecosystems changes: Training
for young marine scientists" will be held on April 21-24 2008 at the
European Institute for Marine Studies (IUEM) in Brest, France.
This exploratory workshop intends to increase the interactions
between physical climate science and marine biogeochemistry and
ecosystems communities with focus on impacts of climate variability
on the marine environment. The workshop is aimed at young marine
scientists. The objectives are, to increase their knowledge on
existing climate data, to evaluate their relevance for biogeochemical
and ecosystem studies and to judge their quality (uncertainties).
The goals of this workshop are: 1) To increase the
interactions between physical climate science and marine
biogeochemistry/ecosystems communities with a focus on impacts of
climate variability on the marine environment; 2) To foster
cooperation between physical climate scientists and marine
scientists; 3) To take stock of IPCC 4AR results, ocean/atmosphere
reanalysis data and observational data, where relevant for impacts on
the marine environment.
This workshop is a combination of science presentations around
defined themes followed by discussions and "hands-on" sessions where
young scientists with a marine biogeochemistry/ecosystems background
learn how to use climate data. This includes finding relevant data,
scrutinising their quality and knowing how to make use of them. For
further details about the preliminary programme, themes and hands-on
session, please visit the workshop website ( http://www.imber.info/
CLIMECO_home.html).
We welcome applications from scientists early in their careers,
either working toward or having recently completed a doctorate on a
topic related to CLIVAR, IMBER, EUR-OCEANS or GLOBEC or showing
strong interest in those topics. Selection of candidates will be
based on the level and suitability of their qualifications, the
relevance to the science themes, and the quality of their motivation
statement. Application form is available from 1 November 2007 to 15
January 2008 at http://www.imber.info/CLIMECO_Application.html.
Partial financial support will be available for selected
participants and the level of support will depend on the funding
received.
For further information visit http://www.imber.info/
CLIMECO_home.html. For additional requests, please contact:
imber at univ-brest.fr
***************************************************
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) Remote Sensing Scientist – National Institute of Water and
Atmospheric Research (NIWA) - Ocean Colour, Wellington (New Zealand)
www.niwa.co.nz/about/jobs
NIWA is a leading environmental research institute and key
provider of atmospheric, freshwater and marine research and
consultancy services in New Zealand.
NIWA has an X-band satellite reception facility and are active in
research to develop, validate and apply remotely-sensed data products
in a wide range of atmospheric and oceanographic studies.
We are seeking an accomplished researcher with a research degree
in remote sensing to develop ocean colour research at NIWA. The
successful applicant will have a proven history of active research in
ocean colour with a high-level and broad understanding of satellite
observations and experience in the processing and application of
satellite data. A proven publication record is also expected.
The ability and experience to take a leading role in the
development and validation of remotely-sensed ocean colour products
in the coastal, inland and open-ocean areas around New Zealand is
required. As is, the skills to develop and test models for the
derivation of products from satellite remotely-sensed data.
Experience with writing funding proposals or pursuing consultancy
opportunities in related disciplines would be advantageous.
Applications close 5pm Friday 16 November 2007.
********************
(JOB 2) Research Associate (Postdoctoral) - College of Oceanic and
Atmospheric Sciences – Oregon State University – Corvallis, OR (USA)
To review posting and to apply electronically, go to http://
oregonstate.edu/jobs. See posting number 0001648
Position: The College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences (COAS)
at Oregon State University announces the availability of a full-time
position for a Research Associate (Postdoctoral). We seek a research
colleague who will join an interdisciplinary team of researchers
studying the impact of changes in Arctic sea ice on the marine
planktonic ecosystem.
Background Information: COAS is one of the world’s leading
oceanographic and atmospheric sciences graduate research
institutions, with more than 200 faculty and staff members, more than
90 graduate students, and a wide variety of assets including an
excellent computing infrastructure, state-of-the-art analytical
facilities, and two research vessels.
Appointment: Full-time (1.0 FTE), 12-month fixed-term
appointment. Annual salary range is $44,000-$46,000. Reappointment is
at the discretion of the principal investigator and the Dean.
Responsibilities and Duties: The successful applicant will engage
in a collaborative program aimed at qualitatively and quantitatively
examining the impact of a diminished ice cover on the structure and
functioning of the Arctic marine planktonic ecosystem. The applicant,
in collaboration with investigators from the Applied Physical
Laboratory (Seattle Washington), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
and University of Rhode Island, will participate in the development
and coupling of an ecosystem model as part of the coupled pan-arctic
Biology/Ice/Ocean Modeling and Assimilation System (BIOMAS). This
full coupled model is designed for synthesis and modeling of the
integrated arctic system of ice cover, ocean, and marine planktonic
ecosystem. The position requires publication of results in peer-
reviewed journals and participation in science team and oceanographic
research meetings.
Qualifications: Required qualifications include a PhD in
oceanography or other relevant Earth science, experience in numerical
ecosystem model development and coupling with circulation models.
Preference will be given to applicants with plankton process
experience and to those with excellent communication and presentation
skills. The successful candidate should be able to work independently
and integrate efforts with a larger research team, and should be
willing to travel. Preferred qualifications include a demonstrable
commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity.
University and Community: OSU is one of only two American
universities to hold the Land-, Sea-, Sun- and Space-Grant
designations and is the only Oregon institution recognized for its
“very high research activity” (RU/VH) by the Carnegie Foundation for
the Advancement of Teaching. OSU is comprised of 11 academic colleges
with strengths in natural resources, earth dynamics and
sustainability, life sciences, entrepreneurship and the arts and
sciences. OSU has facilities and/or programs in every county in the
state, including 12 regional experiment stations, 41 county extension
offices, a branch campus in Bend, a major marine science center in
Newport, and a range of programs and facilities in Portland. OSU is
Oregon’s largest public research university, conducting more than 60
percent of the research funded throughout the state’s university system.
Application Deadline: Closing date is 30 November 2007.
To Apply: To review posting and to apply electronically, go to
http://oregonstate.edu/jobs. See posting number 0001648. To review
position announcement go to http://www.coas.oregonstate.edu/.
Questions about the position may be directed to Yvette Spitz,
phone (541-737-3227), fax (541-737-2064), or email
(yvette at coas.oregonstate.edu).
********************
(JOB 3) Three research positions for 5-yr contracts - Marine Geology
Department of INETI - Portugal
http://www.ineti.pt
Application deadline: Nov.13th and applications should be sent by
mail to Joao.Ferreira at ineti.pt.
To check the announcements go to site eracareers, and in there
you need to go to Ciencia 2007. Look for the announcements under the
main research field of Earth and Atmosphere Sciences.
C2007- FCT/319/2006 -Model Development - INETI-DGM4 - Main research
field: Earth and Atmosphere Sciences
Job summary: The DGM looks for a candidate committed to
excellence in research open to work in one of the departments' main
research areas (paleoclimate, coastal research, natural hazards,
environmental pollution) and /or across those different areas of
research. Capacity to raise external funds for research and advice
for PhD students and technicians is also expected. On this basis, we
would like to contract an individual with a PhD in geology, physics
or any other relevant area, with at least 3-year related post-doc
experience.
Job description: Some of the currently running projects in our
department are focused on the reconstruction of the climatic and
oceanographic history from decadal to tectonic time scales, through
the investigation of geological records, The study of past climatic
and oceanographic conditions is a theme of major relevance for the
prediction of future climates, because the historical and/or
instrumental records are not long enough to allow the separation of
natural variability from the anthropogenic influence. Investigation
of the origin of different types of pollutants as well as their
relation with climate and human evolution since 9,000 years ago, the
time of the Neolithic explosion in population, is also underway
through the comparison of climatic records to the potentially toxic
substances found along short but high resolution sequences from
several areas. Regarding the coastal areas, and considering the
increasing probability to suffer from natural hazards and its ever-
increasing population, incorrect urban planning, port facilities and
recreational uses, it is urgent to understand its geological
evolution and determine its most fragile areas. The predicted
increase in storms intensity and periodicity due to climate change,
as well as geologic hazards such as tsunamis makes costal zones even
more prone to devastation. Coastal processes modeling would provide a
contribution towards the explanation of the coastline evolution and
the comprehension of the processes controlling it, which is
fundamental for a proper adaptation to future changes. All these
themes have significant implications on human society, but to get a
better picture mainly at the regional level, numeric modeling, which
assimilates observational data is essential. The successful candidate
will celebrate a contract with INETI-Instituto Nacional de
Engenharia, Tecnologia e Inovação, I.P., or with the entities that
will succeed in their atributions and competencies in the scope of
the extinction process of this Institution. Applicants should send
an application letter, CV with reference list, and a statement of
research interest, and the contact of three possible referees.
C2007-FCT/319/2006 - Natural hazards assessment and mitigation -
INETI-DGM5
Main research field: Earth and Atmosphere Sciences
Job summary: We are looking for an individual with a PhD in
geology or a closely related field with at least 3-year post-doc
experience to lead and develop research in the field of natural
hazards of geological causes and/or oceanographic origin (such as
mass wasting processes, earthquakes and tsunamis, coastal and sea
floor instabilities). Candidates should have the necessary skills for
the acquisition and interpretation of geological and/or geophysical
data, integrate existent project teams, readiness to cooperate in
research with the DGM group and other research groups within the
institution (LNEG), as well as foreign partners, seek external
research funds and advice PhD students and technicians and be free to
imbark on marine geology missions.
Job description: The candidate will be responsible for the
development of research projects, team gathering and evaluation of
natural hazards and their mitigation in the Portuguese territory as
well as in other parts of the world. The successful candidate will
celebrate a contract with INETI-Instituto Nacional de Engenharia,
Tecnologia e Inovação, I.P., or with the entities that will succeed
in their atributions and competencies in the scope of the extinction
process of this Institution. Applicants should send an application
letter, CV with reference list, and a statement of research interest,
and the contact of three possible referees.
C2007-FCT/319/2006-Paleoceanography, Stable Isotopic
Geochemistry / INETI-DGM1 Main research field: Earth and Atmosphere
Sciences
Job summary: DGM seeks a researcher, with a growing /
established international reputation in the fields of
Palaeoceanography/Palaeoclimatology. Preference will be given to
individuals with expertise on AMS 14C dating and stable isotopes
geochemistry. The candidate is expected to have a clear potential to
attract funding; undertake research of the highest international
quality and to nurture interdisciplinary research collaborations
within the department and other institute research groups; initiate a
stable isotope lab; be involved in the supervision and training of
postgraduate students.
Job description: High-resolution reconstruction of the climatic
and oceanographic history from decadal to millankovitch time scales,
through the investigation of geological records, forms the basis of
our late Quaternary projects. In such studies the chronology control
is very important. Applicants should have good knowledge on the two
main methods used for late Quaternary chronology, dating of the
sediment components (organics or carbonates) through the measurement
of radioactive carbon-14 by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and
stable isotope analysis of the O contained in carbonated micro
organism shells, is fundamental. The use of detailed stable isotopic
studies of other elements of biologic interest (C, H, N, and S), in
different materials, as well as organisms that live at different
depths in the ocean to reach a better knowledge of the carbon cycle
processes at the ecosystem, regional and global scale, is another
area of particular interest. The successful candidate will celebrate
a contract with INETI-Instituto Nacional de Engenharia, Tecnologia e
Inovação, I.P., or with the entities that will succeed in their
atributions and competencies in the scope of the extinction process
of this Institution. Applicants should send an application letter,
CV with reference list, and a statement of research interest, and the
contact of three possible referees.
********************
(JOB 4) Postdoc Fellowship - Global Change and Forest Dynamics -
Colorado State University- Fort Collins CO (USA)
A postdoctoral position is available at Colorado State University
to work with a team of plant ecologists on aspects of global change
and forest dynamics. The successful candidate will join a diverse
team of investigators that work in the Northeastern U.S., the Rocky
Mountain West, and the Neotropics.
The postdoc is based in Fort Collins, Colorado, with the lead
investigator, Patrick Martin, but will offer collaboration
opportunities with all project investigators. There are two years of
guaranteed funding for the position, with an additional year
possible. The start date is flexible, but preferred before May 1st,
2008.
Depending on the interests and strengths of the fellow, the
postdoc will focus on interactions between global change and forest
dynamics in one of three ongoing projects:
1. Invasion ecology and dynamics
2. Forest response to climate change in the Rocky Mountains
3. Historic and future landscape forest dynamics in subtropical
montane forests
Each project is thematically and methodologically linked with a
focus on generating useful predictions of forest dynamics in the face
of global change. The results of field research will be integrated in
a spatially-explicit, individual-based model (SORTIE-ND; http://
www.sortie-nd.org). A hallmark of this research and SORTIE is the
clear linkage between field research and modeling, and the
development and use of novel approaches to data analysis based on
likelihood methods and information theory.
QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS.
We seek recent PhD's with proficiency in at least some of the
following areas:
* Spatial/GIS techniques for analyzing ecological data.
* Interest and experience using quantitative models of forest
dynamics ( e.g. SORTIE).
* Statistical, quantitative, and programming skills (R, S-plus,
etc.). Areas include maximum likelihood analysis, experimental
design, general linear models, multivariate analysis, structural
equation modeling, and/or simulations (Monte Carlo, etc.).
* Knowledge of the relevant flora: Northeastern USA, Rocky Mtns, and/
or neotropical montane flora.
* Excellent writing and communication skills.
* Experience supervising students and technical staff in the field
and laboratory.
REQUIREMENTS.
A Ph.D. degree in plant ecology, forestry, or related field to be
completed before the start date. Research experience in forests is
essential, ideally focused on forest dynamics and/or natural
disturbances. Proficiency in Spanish is a must for those with
interests in tropical forests. Review of applications will begin
immediately and until the position is filled.
APPLICATION PROCESS.
Email an electronic application package including (1) a full CV, (2)
PDFs of relevant publications, (3) a cover letter addressing your
research interests, qualifications relevant to the position, and
which of our three project areas most interests you and why, and (4)
the names and contact information of 3 references.
Please send application materials or requests for further
information to:
Dr. Patrick H. Martin, Colorado State University
patrick.martin at colostate.edu
********************
(JOB 5) Asst Prof Tenure-track - Landscape Ecology - University of
Illinois - Chicago IL (USA)
The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) invites applications
for an Assistant Professor position in LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY.
Applications from outstanding individuals at more senior levels
(Associate, Full Professor) may also be considered.
This is a tenure-track faculty position, which includes a joint
appointment with The Department of Biological Sciences (http://
www.uic.edu/depts/bios/ ) and UIC's Institute for Environmental
Science and Policy ( http://www.iesp.uic.edu <http://www.uic.edu/
depts/ovcr/iesp/> ).
The position starts August 16, 2008.
Research areas of particular interest include, but are not
limited to, multi-scale approaches to the study of 1) patterns of
land use and the functioning, sustainability, or restoration of
ecosystems; 2) biogeochemical or hydrologic processes and their
relationship to ecological systems; and 3) invasive species ecology.
Relevant research areas are not limited to these topics, and
landscape ecologists with research accomplishments and interests in
other areas are encouraged to apply.
Candidates must have a Ph.D., significant postdoctoral experience
and a demonstrated record of research accomplishments. They will be
expected to establish a vigorous, externally-funded research program,
teach effectively in the Biological Science Department's
undergraduate and graduate programs, and actively participate in
UIC's new NSF-funded IGERT interdisciplinary doctoral training
program called LEAP (Landscape, Ecological, and Anthropogenic
Processes) ( http://www.leap.uic.edu <http://www.leap.uic.edu/> ).
For fullest consideration, please submit electronically at the
Biological Sciences web site (http://www.uic.edu/depts/bios/) by
December 15, 2007.
Questions about the position should be directed to the chair of
the search committee, Prof. David H. Wise ( dhwise at uic.edu
<mailto:dhwise at uic.edu>).
********************
(JOB 6) Asst Prof Tenure-track - Environmental Geology - Drake
University - Des Moines, Iowa
Pending final budgetary approval, the Environmental Science and
Policy Program at Drake University invites applications for a tenure-
track appointment in Environmental Geology at the Assistant Professor
level to begin August 2008.
The successful candidate will be a member of an innovative and
interdisciplinary undergraduate program in Environmental Science and
Policy within a liberal arts setting. Candidates must be committed to
excellence in undergraduate teaching and able to develop a successful
research program mentoring undergraduates. A PhD is preferred,
although advanced ABDs will be considered. Expertise in one or more
of the following areas is essential: geomorphology, hydrogeology,
watershed systems or soil genesis. Teaching assignments will include
Principles of Geology, Environmental Geology, and specialty courses.
Strong multidisciplinary experience is necessary with ability to
integrate environmental management and water resource issues into
research and teaching. Proficiency in Geographic Information Systems
is desirable.
Applicants should submit a letter of application, a curriculum
vita, evidence of teaching effectiveness, statements on teaching
philosophy and research agenda, and the contact information for three
references.
Review of applicants will begin December 1, 2007 and continue
until the position is filled.
Mail to: Thomas Rosburg, Director of Environmental Science and
Policy, Drake University, Des Moines, IA 50311. Email:
thomas.rosburg at drake.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://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/
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://aslo.org/pipermail/dialognews/attachments/20071101/46d9e040/attachment.htm
More information about the DIALOGnews
mailing list