Dear AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologists and Sealholders,
In an effort to keep you informed of events and activities you might find newsworthy and of interest, we will be sending you news and updates around the 1st and 15th of each month. We will also post these items on the Station Scientist Webpage with all the appropriate links and contacts.
Earth Gauge Web Site Updated and Easier to Use
Getting free environmental news tips that you can use on the air just got easier. That’s because the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), the folks that bring you Earth Gauge™ have redesigned their Web site to make it simpler to find the facts and figures you need to deliver valuable environmental information to your viewers.
The Earth Gauge™ web site now includes:
- a searchable index of environmental and climate information developed for cities across the U.S.;
- Examples of how Earth Gauge™ information is being used by broadcast meteorologists, and quotes from meteorologists using the service;
- a resource center with fact sheets and free online courses
You know that most Americans believe they know more about the environment than they actually do. In fact just 12 percent can pass a basic quiz on energy awareness; about 80 percent are influenced by incorrect or outdated information; and only 41 percent can correctly define the term “watershed” in a multiple-choice format.
Your local weather reports present a unique opportunity to increase the public’s understanding of complex natural systems, while conveying important information that is relevant to people’s daily lives. And Earth Gauge,™ a free environmental information service for broadcast meteorologists based on the 3-5 day forecast, is designed to make it easy to talk about the links between weather and the environment on-air with simple “factoids” and viewer action tips.
That’s right – free! Any station in any market can sign up to receive Earth Gauge™ information that you can then use on the air. The topics include air quality, water quality, wildlife, public health, and more.
And in January 2007, NEEF added Climate Facts and Climate in the News features to the Earth Gauge™ e-newsletter, providing links to interesting articles and studies, as well as brief facts about the observed impacts of changing weather and climate patterns in the U.S. and abroad.
Here is what the Earth Gauge™ weekly newsletter will include:
- Brief, tailored environmental information and a viewer action tip based on the approaching 3-day forecast in your market. Earth Gauge™ information makes the link between current weather conditions and topics including water quality, air quality, energy efficiency, wildlife, public health, and more.
- A Climate Fact about observed changes in climate and weather patterns in the U.S. and abroad, and the implications of those changes.
- A Climate in the News link to a current article of scientific study of interest.
And you can use the information on blogs, radio broadcasts, newspaper articles, and community outreach visits. Currently, the Earth Gauge™ e-newsletter is distributed to 97 meteorologists in 64 cities. Check it out at http://www.earthgauge.net/wp/
Also a reminder that NEEF, in partnership with the Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education, and Training (COMET®), is developing a set of online courses with a strong relationship to ongoing weather reporting.
The first course, released in September 2006, focuses on watersheds and uses simple analogies and easy-to apply demonstrations to impart the skills needed to easily explain watershed concepts on the air. The course provides an understanding of a watershed as the local environment in which people’s actions and decisions play against the background of daily and seasonal weather.
The course is housed on COMET’s MetEd Web site along with other resources to help meteorologists move beyond the forecast, and is part of the AMS continuing education program for broadcast meteorologists. Visit http://www.meted.ucar.edu/broadcastmet.php
Transcript of Recent Teleconference on Global Warming and Its Impacts now Online
Both a transcript and an MP3 file of the recent Resource Media sponsored teleconference for broadcast meteorologists featuring leading U.S. climate scientists who participated in drafting the recent scientific consensus statements on the nature of global warming and its impact on weather are now online at http://www.ipccinfo.com/sciencebriefing.php
Or go to http://www.ipccinfo.com and follow the link on the left for the briefing.
It’s also accessible at http://www.climatescience.tv
The August 24, 2007 teleconference focused on the reports published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and approved by the U.S. government, including the latest scientific research and consensus statements on how climate change is affecting summer weather extremes, such as heat waves and hurricanes.
In addition to the science briefing, a web-based guide to the IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report, including information for broadcast meteorologists, is available at http://www.ipccinfo.com/meteorologists.html. Funding for the science briefing and website was provided by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The teleconference and website are a service of Resource Media, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization.
More Cool New Stamps Featuring the Polar Lights
The U.S. Postal Service is issuing another cool series of stamps next month that give us a chance to talk science with viewers and students. On October 1, the U.S. Postal Service will issue a pane of 20 41-cent stamps with two designs that feature photographs of the polar lights, often known as auroras.
As you know, the polar lights are a luminous glow seen in the night sky at high latitudes surrounding the north and south magnetic poles. These auroras are the result of a magnetic storm - when Earth's magnetic field is unusually active due to a dynamic interaction with the sun. During magnetic storms, energetic electrons descend from space and collide with molecules in the upper atmosphere, leading to the emission of green and sometimes red light. Auroras come in different visual forms, including arcs, curtains and rays, and are a relatively common sight in Alaska, Canada and northern Europe. During particularly intense magnetic storms, auroras can occasionally be seen in some of the lower 48 states as well.
The two designs on this pane of 20 stamps feature photographs of auroras. The photograph of the aurora borealis, or northern lights, was made by Fred Hirschmann of Wasilla, Alaska. It shows the northern lights over the Talkeetna Mountains in Alaska. The photograph of the aurora australis, a phenomenon of the southern polar region, was made by Per-Andre Hoffmann of Stuttgart, Germany. The header image on the pane of stamps is a photograph of aurora borealis by LeRoy Zimmerman of Ester, Alaska. Jeffrey Love of the U.S. Geological Survey served as a scientific consultant to the U.S. Postal Service for this project. He also wrote the text that appears on the back of the stamp pane.
The two stamps on this pane of 20 are also featured on the International Polar Year 2007-2008 souvenir sheet that was issued last winter. You can find the stamps online at http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2007stamps/ (scroll down to the International Polar Year)
20th Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol
September 16, 2007 marks the 20th Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of a number of substances believed to be responsible for ozone depletion.
In the 1980s, scientists observed that the ozone layer was thinning over Antarctica. People began thinking of this process as an “ozone hole.” The ozone layer blocks harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from reaching the Earth’s surface where it can harm people and ecosystems. In response, leaders from 24 countries came together in 1987 to sign the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the ambitious international treaty to freeze production of substances responsible for ozone depletion, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in aerosol sprays and in refrigeration products. Today, 191 countries have signed the Montreal Protocol, and each country has measurable goals and actions for achieving success.
The 20th Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol marks the first and most successful collaboration between governments, industry, and environmental organizations to protect the Earth’s ozone. The Montreal Protocol has also created a collaborative and successful framework for the future. This anniversary is a cause for celebration and a call to action to continue the world’s collaboration on this important issue. This is a great opportunity to celebrate success and emphasize the commitment to completing the worldwide phase-out of ozone-depleting substances.
This is a wonderful opportunity to let your viewers and listeners know about this important treaty and to commemorate the important achievements of the people and programs that work to protect the Earth’s ozone layer. The Environmental Protection Agency, along with numerous partners in government and industry, put together a comprehensive online toolkit to help you promote this anniversary celebration. See http://www.epa.gov/ozone/strathome.html The toolkit is on the right-hand side of the page beneath a heading that reads: "20th Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol." You will need to enter this user name: mp20 and this password: partners. Check out the "Fun Stuff" section (particularly the SunWise Meteorologist Tool Kit at http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/partnerships.html#meteor) for some great graphics and activities on ozone and sun safety to use during classroom visits and post on your website.
