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Leading Scientists and Policymakers to Address NCSE Conference on Environmental Forecasting
The devastating tsunami in the Indian Ocean has focused global attention on the need to improve environmental forecasting and decisionmaking. The 5th National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment: Forecasting Environmental Changes will serve as a forum to connect researchers who study environmental conditions and trends with decisionmakers who need that information. The conference will take place February 3-4, 2005 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC. James Gustave Speth, Dean of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, will deliver the opening keynote address. He will discuss opportunities for the United States to assert a leadership role in global environmental issues and change the way we understand the future of our planet. William D. Ruckelshaus, first and fifth Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will deliver the John H. Chafee Memorial Lecture on Science and the Environment - Choosing our Common Future: Democracy's True Test. Arden L. Bement, Jr., National Science Foundation Director, will deliver a plenary address expressing his vision of NSF's role in environmental science and forecasting for the first time since becoming Director of the agency on November 21, 2004. Jack Dangermond, ESRI President and Founder, will give a keynote address on the use of geospatial data to improve environmental forecasting and decisionmaking. Adm. Conrad Lautenbacher, Administrator of NOAA, will highlight the recent tsunami warning system announced by the United States and discuss how the Global Earth Observation System of Systems will "take the pulse of the planet." Other plenary speakers will include: - Ray Anderson, Founder and Chairman, Interface, Inc.
- D. James Baker, President and CEO, Academy of Natural Sciences
- Ann Bartuska, Deputy Chief for Research and Development, U.S. Forest Service
- Rita Colwell, Distinguished Professor, University of Maryland and John Hopkins University
- Charles Groat, Director, U.S. Geological Survey
- Bruce Hayden, Lead Investigator, NEON Design Consortium
- Charles Kennel, Director, Scripps Institution of Oceanography; Former Associate Administrator, Mission to Planet Earth, NASA
- Thomas E. Lovejoy, President, Heinz Center for Science
- Walter Reid, Director, Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
Concurrent symposia will provide input into major environmental forecasting systems in development, including the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) and the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). They will also examine emerging environmental challenges and strategies for engaging users in environmental forecasting. The conference will feature a robust set of breakout sessions (Table 1) designed to build connections among institutions, scientific fields, and users. In these interactive sessions, conference participants will develop recommendations for creating an integrated environmental forecasting capacity and for improving coordination among numerous existing environmental forecasting activities. Please visit www.NCSEonline.org/NCSEconference/2005conference to register online and view the conference agenda and other conference details. The last day to pre-register online is January 30, 2005. Please direct general conference questions to conference2005@NCSEonline.org. Table1. Breakout Sessions at NCSE Conference on Forecasting Environmental Changes Sessions on Linking Systems and Users
1. Connecting Forecasts with Policymakers
2. Engaging Users in Design and Implementation of Forecasting Systems
3. Sharing Forecasting Information with Users
4. Improving Academic Programs to Prepare the Next Generation of Forecasters
5. Providing Real Time Forecasts - How to Assess and Meet User Needs Sessions on Connecting Institutions
6. Integrating U.S. Efforts with International Initiatives
7. Linking Levels of Government: Federal-State-Tribal-Regional-County-Municipal
8. Cross-Sectoral Connections: Engaging the Private Sector as a Partner with
the Government Sessions on Scientific and Technological Connections
9. Linking Ocean, Atmospheric and Terrestrial Observation and Forecasting
Systems
10. Integrating Economic, Social and Environmental Forecasting
11. Working Across Spatial Scales - From Molecular to Global
12. Forecasting Environmental Change of the Landscape at a Regional Scale
13. Working Across Temporal Scales - Integrating Short-term and Long-term
Approaches
14. Facilitating the Development of Environmental Sensors and Sensor Networks
15. Fusion and Integration of Satellite Remote-Sensing and Ground-Based
Observations and Presentation for Environmental Policy
16. Informatics: Advances in Spatial Data/Information Processing
17. Cyberinfrastructure for All: Connectivity, Content, and Collaboration
18. Linking Environmental Indicators with Forecasting
19. Moving From Observation to Forecasting Systems: Linking Characterization,
Process, Research, Modeling, Prediction and Delivery |
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Craig Schiffries, Ph.D.
Conference Chair
National Council for Science and the Environment 1707 H Street, NW, Suite 200 Washington, DC 20006 Tel: 202-530-5810 Email: schiffries@NCSEonline.org
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