New Ways to Communicate & Collaborate within the Weather & Climate Enterprise

Veronica Johnson – AMS Board on Enterprise Communication NBC 4 Washington, DC & Eve Gruntfest - AMS Board on Societal Impacts University of Colorado-Colorado Springs,

Session 1: Communicating & Connecting Reports on Exciting Projects that

Integrate Meteorology & Social Science AUGUST 11, 2008

Societal Impacts Program

Jeff LazoNCAR

www.sip.ucar.edu

. . . improve the societal gains from weather forecasting by infusing social science and economic research, methods, and capabilities into the planning, execution, and analysis of weather information, applications, and research directions.

Societal Impacts Program

Private sector

Academics

US GovernmentInternational

Research OrganizationsWeather

Enterprise

Societal Impacts Program

Community Development and Support

• American Meteorological Society

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

• National Research Council

• World Meteorological Organization

• National Science Foundation

Information Resources

• Weather and Society Watch

• Extreme Weather Sourcebook

• Weather and Society Discussion GroupWeather and Society * Integrated Studies (WAS*IS)

Primary Research

• Overall US Sector Sensitivity Assessment

• Communicating Uncertainty

• Sources, Perceptions, Uses, and Values

• Hurricane Warning Communication and Valuation

• Storm Data

WAS* ISWAS* ISweather & society * integrated studies

www.sip.ucar.edu/wasis/

CULTURE CHANGE

Sponsored by the NCAR Societal Impacts Program

WAS* ISWAS* ISweather & society * integrated studies

www.sip.ucar.edu/wasis/

CULTURE CHANGE

Sponsored by the NCAR Societal Impacts Program

Weather and Society * Integrated Studies (WAS*IS)

Eve Gruntfest and Julie DemuthAMS Summer Community Meeting, Boulder, CO

August 11, 2008AMS Summer Community Meeting, Boulder, CO

August 11, 2008

WAS*IS addresses two persistent issues

– I don’t know how, and…– I don’t know anyone else

who does this kind of work”

“I want to do work that integrates meteorology & societal impacts BUT…

WAS*IS VisionTo change the weather enterprise by

comprehensively & sustainably integrating social science into meteorological research

& practice

WAS*IS Mission

1. Build an interdisciplinary community of practitioners, researchers, & stakeholders — from the grassroots up — who are dedicated to the integration of meteorology & social science

Capacity building -- creating a community for lifelong collaboration & support!

Capacity building -- creating a community for lifelong collaboration & support!

2. Provide opportunities to learn and examine ideas, methods, and examples related to integrated weather-society work• Tools – GIS, surveys, qualitative methods• Concepts – problem definition, speaking the

same language, end-to-end-to-end process• Topics – risk perception, vulnerability,

resilience

WAS*IS Mission

The WAS*IS Adventure • Began as 1 workshop … now 6 (so far)!

• Original 2-part Boulder WAS*IS (Nov 2005, Mar 2006)

• Condensed 3-day Norman WAS*IS (April 2006) • Summer WAS*IS (July 2006)• Australia WAS*IS (end of January 2007)• Summer WAS * IS (July 2007)

2008 Summer WAS*IS is in progress

As of August 15, 2008, 171 WAS*ISers!

.

.

.

Some of the WAS*IS accomplishments?TEACHING - New course offerings in Weather & Society U North Carolina Asheville

U of Oklahoma U of Colorado Denver

RESEARCH• Grants •Publications•Presentations at professional meetings

NEW JOBS

WAYS OF DOING BUSINESS STARTING TO CHANGE DIALOGUES WITHIN & BETWEEN AGENCIES – sensitivity to societal impacts

Chris Godfrey Sam Ng

Questions relevant to the Enterprise How do people use forecast and warning information to

make decisions? What weather forecast and warning information do

people want? How can we better understand varying levels of

impacts caused by weather events? How are people affected differently by the same

weather events due to their varying vulnerabilities and abilities to take action?

How can we more effectively communicate weather forecast uncertainty information?

How do we provide good weather forecast and warning information given the proliferation of information (sources, media, modes)?

CULTURE CHANGE IS UNDERWAY

Today’s presenters will show you some of the

WAS*IsWAS*Isers’ work

WAS*ISers are changing the culture to integrate societal impacts in sustainable ways

Thanks for the opportunities to develop WAS*IS concept & workshops

Most support from The National Center for Atmospheric

Research

The Societal Impacts Program (SIP)

US Weather Research Program National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Additional funding from University of Oklahoma, & Monash University Sustainability Institute, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Emergency Management Australia & others

Social science woven into Meteorology

(SSWIM)

New initiative @ The National Weather Center – Norman, OK

May 1, 2008- April 30, 2011

Funding ~50% NOAA & 50% U of OklahomaThree main goals

1. To recognize & develop the existing social science activities in Norman

2. To build a strong integrated community of practitioners, researchers, & others with particularly early career folks to coordinate new projects & proposals that weave social science into the fabric of the National Weather Center

3. To assess the viability & interest in a new interdisciplinary Ph.D. program at the University of Oklahoma focused on the societal impacts of weather & climate change

Focus on the willing – no one being dragged into these new projects

3 year effort - personnel

• Dr. Eve Gruntfest geographer with 30 years experience as social scientist working with meteorologists - .25 time

• 2 Ph.D. students working on interdisciplinary degrees - Dedicated to integrating social science into National Weather Center

• 1 full time Post-doc - Poised to take leadership of integrated social science activities

Heather Lazrus

• Environmental anthropologist• Extensive experience with NOAA

Fisheries – conducting interviews in Alaska & Pacific Northwest • How climate change & new policies

affecting livelihoods & outlooks• Dissertation research

•10 months living on TUVALU, small island nation in South Pacific – how are THEY dealing with sea level rise?

Kim Klockow

• Interdisciplinary Ph.D. - Meteorology & Economics

• Master’s work• Interviewing farmers about how

they value weather information from the Oklahoma mesonet

• Ph.D. to focus on new ways to verify warnings

Gina Eosco

• Pursuing Ph.D. in risk communication

• Master’s work• Interviewing forecasters & government

officials about their interpretation, objective, & desired behavioral responses to the cone of uncertainty, a hurricane track graphic tool