Following are story ideas and tips about upcoming AMS meetings, papers in our peer-reviewed journals, and other happenings in the atmospheric and related sciences community.
Climate and Health Effects of Carbon Dioxide, Black Carbon and Other Air-Borne Particles. What are black carbon (BC) aerosols and Atmospheric Brown Clouds (ABC), and in what way to they exacerbate or add to air pollution and global and regional climate warming" What is the scale of the problem" Are there indirect affects of BC and ABC as well" Which regions of the U.S., Asia and rest of the world seem most affected by BC and ABC" What are these affects and how do these intersect and interact with greenhouse gases and global warming" Are there policy opportunities" Is there now a scientific basis for a direct causal link between CO2 emissions and health" From the perspective of air pollution, does controlling carbon dioxide have a robust scientific basis" These questions will be addressed at the next AMS Environmental Science Seminar on Friday, May 16 from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Russell Senate Office Building Room 253. The featured speakers are Dr. Mark Z. Jacobson, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University; and Dr. V. Ramanathan, Distinguished Professor of Climate and Atmospheric Sciences, at the University of California, San Diego. Media are invited. For details see http://www.ametsoc.org/atmospolicy/EnvironmentalScienceSeminarSeries.html
A New Class in Meteorology. After the 2005 hurricane season, several meteorology students at Texas A&M University became interested in understanding Hurricane Rita's forecasts and societal impacts in greater depth. In response to the students' interest, the university and the National Center for Atmospheric Research developed a collaborative student research study at Texas A&M University associated with an undergraduate course in the spring semester of 2006. The study included both a meteorological and an interdisciplinary component, in which students performed an in-person survey of Texas Gulf Coast residents. Students were involved in multiple phases of the research, from the design to implementation to dissemination of results. The study and class linked the students' classroom knowledge to reality while generating new knowledge about the societal aspects of Hurricane Rita and other hurricanes. A paper in the April issue of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society reviews key aspects of the study and class, presenting a prototype integrated research–education model for others interested in incorporating active learning, collaborative inquiry, and interdisciplinary study into undergraduate classrooms. View the paper at http://ams.allenpress.com/archive/1520-0477/89/4/pdf/i1520-0477-89-4-497.pdf
Space Weather Enterprise Forum. The 2nd Space Weather Enterprise Forum will be held on May 21, 2008 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The one-day forum focuses on the costs of space weather impacts and the benefits of improved space weather services with an emphasis on the anticipated needs of those that use the forecasts. Sessions include space weather effects on technology such as electric utilities and GPS and navigational systems, space weather and the satellite industry, homeland security and space weather, and space weather for the DoD warfighter. The program is online at http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/swef/program.html The forum is open to the media and is free, but pre-registration is required. Register online or contact Stephanie Kenitzer at Kenitzer@ametsoc.org
Space Weather Policy Statement. The AMS has issued a policy statement on the importance of space weather research and services, and the need to develop advanced forecasting and mitigation techniques next week. Because of our increasing reliance on technologies susceptible to space weather and the demonstrated importance of space weather to society, the AMS strongly endorses activities and investments that further our understanding of this cross-disciplinary science and its practical applications. The statement includes three recommendations: Improved Modeling and Stronger Ties Between Research and Operations; Continuity of Observations; and Research on Impacts & Cost-benefit Analyses. The complete statement is online at http://www.ametsoc.org/policy/2008spaceweather_amsstatement.html AMS Policy Fellow Dr. Genene Fisher will be at the Space Weather Enterprise Forum and can address any questions about the AMS statement. For more information, contact Stephanie Kenitzer.
Mountain Meteorology. The AMS 13th Conference on Mountain Meteorology and 17th Conference on Applied Climatology will be held 11-5 August 2008 at the Telus Conference Center in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. The program is still being finalized but check out preliminary details online at http://www.ametsoc.org/MEET/fainst/200813MontMet17AP.html
With more than 12,000 members, the AMS (http://www.ametsoc.org) is the nation's leading professional society for those involved in the atmospheric and related sciences.