Dear Colleague,

We are pleased to send you a brief update on activities the Global Carbon Project will be organizing and supporting during 2005. The year will be a busy one with a number of exciting conferences, workshops and research initiatives.

You can access the information from:Web: http://www.globalcarbonproject.org/top_bar/new/e-news_march_2005.htm

Additional information on carbon research activities can be found at www.globalcarbonproject.org

If you would like to submit carbon activities that may be of interest to the large research community, please send the details to this email address.

With kind regards,

Pep Canadell

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A BLUEPRINT FOR A GREENHOUSE GASES MONITOR SYSTEM IN EUROPE

4-5 April 2005, Amsterdam, Holland

The aim of the workshop is to assess the current monitoring capabilities, identify and quantify the uncertainties involved, and outline the direction to a pan-European GHG monitoring network.

Description: http://www.globalcarbonproject.org/meetings/2005/ghg/description.pdf (pdf, 49Kb)

Invitation: http://www.globalcarbonproject.org/meetings/2005/ghg/invitation.pdf (pdf, 220Kb)

Registration: http://www.globalcarbonproject.org/meetings/2005/ghg/registration.doc doc, 33Kb)

Contact: Han Dolman -  han.dolman@geo.falw.vu.nl

SOCIAL NETWORK THEORY AND METHODS: TOWARDS APPLICATIONS TO CARBON MANAGEMENT

5-7 April 2005, Tsukuba, Japan

The purpose of the workshop is to convene top minds in social network theory and analysis to construct a framework to guide future research relevant to carbon management.  In the workshop we will explore the current state of network theory and methods; explore directions for application of network theory & methods for regional carbon management; organize into subgroups around theoretical, methodological, and practical concerns; and, outline an article for co-authored publication: “Social Network Theory Applications for Regional Ecosystem Management.” Contact: Penelope Canan - penelope.canan@nies.go.jp

OPTIONS FOR INCLUDING LULUCF ACTIVITIES IN A POST-2012 INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE AGREEMENT

5-6 May 2005, Graz, Austria

The focus of the workshop is on the objectives of LULUCF activities - how LULUCF could be included in an international climate framework in order to move towards achieving these objectives, and an evaluation of the options. The objectives of the workshop are to:

·         Assess and discuss the benefits and difficulties of LULUCF within the Kyoto Protocol;

·         Discuss the objectives for LULUCF within a post-2012 international climate change agreement;

·         Discuss improvements to the current modalities, new activities for inclusion within a post-2012 international climate change agreement; and alternative architectures for consideration of LULUCF;

·         Document and evaluate the options identified.

Contact: Neil Bird - Neil.Bird@joanneum.at

CARBON FROM SPACE

6-10 June 2005, European Space Agency-ESRIN, Frascati, Italy

The workshop will focus on i) obtaining information on gaseous concentrations of carbon in the atmosphere from space-based observations and the development of new sensors and programmes to provide continuity, and ii) global provision of key parameters required to estimate surface-atmosphere exchange, particularly land cover status, disturbance extent and timing, vegetation activity, ocean colour and ancillary atmospheric ocean variables controlling the fluxes.

Contact: Stephen Plummer - Stephen.Plummer@esa.int

ATMOSPHERIC TRACES TRANSPORT MODEL INTERCOMPARSION (TRANSCOM)

13-17 June 2005, Paris, France

Contact: Peter Rayner - Peter.Rayner@csiro.au

VULNERABILITIES OF THE CARBON-CLIMATE-HUMAN SYSTEM         

15 June 2005, UNESCO, Paris, France

This is a one-day mini-conference associated with the GCP Scientific Steering Committee meeting. The Conference will focus on the vulnerabilities of the carbon-climate-human system. Speakers will cover a diverse number of topics including permafrost thawing, fires in tropical peatlands, unchecked logging in Russia, vulnerability of the biological pump, etc.

If you are interested in attending and/or presenting, please contact Pep Canadell - pep.canadell@csiro.au

MODEL-DATA FUSION FOR CARBON CYCLE MODELING:

INTERCOMPARISON OF OPTIMIZATION TECHNIQUES FOR PARAMETER ESTIMATION (Opt-IC)

Tbd, July 2005, Canberra, Australia

The aim is to evaluate comparatively several parameter estimation and data assimilation methods for the task of parameterising terrestrial carbon cycle and biogeochemical models from multiple data sources, particularly remotely sensed data. The approach is through an international intercomparison of data assimilation and parameter estimation methods by applying them to a simple but realistic test problem simulating a terrestrial carbon cycle model and remotely sensed data. For more information visit http://www.globalcarbonproject.org/ACTIVITIES/OptIC.htm

Contact: Mike Raupach - Michael.raupach@csiro.au

CARBON CYCLE AND CLIMATE

2-11 August 2005, Beijing, China

Symposium at the IAMAS Conference

The symposium on carbon cycle and climate invites contributions from studies of magnitudes and distributions of global carbon sources and sinks at various temporal and spatial scales and interactions between global carbon cycle and climate. The aim of this session is to encourage multiple-disciplinary approach in studying carbon cycles and its interactions with climate. Topics of relevance include: regional and national carbon inventories, CO₂ emissions from land use change and fires, measurements or modeling of net CO₂ exchange of terrestrial ecosystems, land surface models including carbon dynamics in global climate models, interactions between carbon cycle and climate in the past, present and future and applications of model-data fusion in regional and global carbon cycle studies. Papers are also welcome on studies of carbon cycling in an earth systems model and in the context of human dimensions. Conference website: www.iamas2005.com

Contact: Ying Ping Wang – Yingping.wang@csiro.au

DIDACTIC SEMINAR ON SOCIOLOGY, GLOBAL WARMING AND THE CARBON CYCLE AT THE AMERICAN SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

12 August 2005, Philadelphia, USA

The GCP will conduct a day-long didactic seminar at the ASA’s Annual Meetings to bring together sociological research relevant to GCP’s three themes and to promote the development of a new generation of junior and senior scientists trained in the highly interdisciplinary topics of the carbon-climate-human system. Contact: Penelope Canan - penelope.canan@nies.go.jp

7^th INTERNATIONAL CO₂ CONFERENCE

26-30 September 2005, Broomfield, CO, USA 

The purpose of this conference is to bring together scientists from different disciplines to communicate the most recent results pertinent to the global carbon cycle, with an emphasis on the contemporary increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Topics will include atmospheric and oceanic measurements and monitoring networks, terrestrial ecosystems and land use change, carbon cycle process models, source/sink inverse models, the ice core record, new observational techniques, long-term potentials and vulnerabilities of carbon sequestration, and more generally, the human impact on the carbon cycle.

For more information: http://www.cmdl.noaa.gov/info/icdc7/

OPEN MEETING OF THE HUMAN DIMENSIONS COMMUNITY

9-13 October 2005, Bonn, Germany

The GCP is organizing/sponsoring four sessions at the IHDP open meeting to further develop the activities on regional development and carbon management:

• Human Dimensions of the Carbon Cycle: Networks of Research and Policy Making. Contact: Ingrid Nestle - nestle@uni-flensburg.de.
• Urban Carbon Management Case Studies. Contact: Penelope Canan at penelope.canan@nies.gov.jp
• A two-way lane: Cities as drivers and targets of climate change. Contact: Patricia Romero at prlankao@correo.xoc.uam.mx
• Regional Perspectives on Sustainable Management – Penelope Canan – penelope.canan@nies.gov.jp

For more information visit the Web Conference: http://openmeeting.homelinux.org.

GREENHOUSE 2005: ACTION ON CLIMATE CONTROL

13-17 November, Melbourne, Australia

There is a clear need for industry, scientists and government at all levels to work closely together to tackle this significant environmental issue. Demand is strong for the latest information on the science, the likely impacts of climate change, adaptation strategies and approaches to reducing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. The Conference will cover these themes as well as international issues, policy development, communication and education.

For More information: http://www.greenhouse2005.com

Contact: Paul Holper - paul.holper@csiro.au

ADVANCE TRAINING WORKSHOP ON CARBON AND WATER ISSUES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

15-28 November, Taiwan

An international team of 20 natural and social scientists/policy makers will train 35 junior faculty or senior technician/staff with full support from the National Science Council of China-Taipei. The program will cover of a wide range of carbon and water issues relevant to the Southeast Asia region. The Workshop is organized by the Southeast Asia Regional Committee for START (SARCS) and sponsored by the GCP.

Contact: Chen-Tung Arthur Chen: ctchen@mail.nsysu.edu.tw

PERMAFROST AND CARBON EMISSIONS (PEACE) FOR IPY (2007-08)

A collaborative effort between the GCP, the Climate and the Cryosphere (CliC) of WCRP, and the International Permafrost Association (IPA) has resulted in the submissions of a proposal on the vulnerability of the permafrost-carbon-climate system for the International Polar Year (2007-08). If you are interested in contributing to this activity, please, contact Pep Canadell - pep.canadell@csiro.au. The submission can be downloaded from http://www.globalcarbonproject.org/ACTIVITIES/peace.doc

VULNERABILITIES OF CARBON IN PEATLANDS TO CLIMATE AND LAND USE CHANGE

Carbon pools in peatlands as positive feedbacks to global warming

An activity focusing on peatlands as vulnerable carbon pools is being developed under the GCP umbrella, with an initial interest (but not exclusive) on tropical peatlands. The activity will synthesize existing ground and remotely sensed data on peatland extension and carbon contents, develop new algorithms for carbon dynamics modeling, and couple biogeochemical models with hydrological and land use change processes. Future warming and land use change scenarios will be used to explore possible future C emission trajectories. If you are interested in participating, contact: Pep Canadell - pep.canadell@csiro.au.

TERRESTRIAL CARBON CYCLE MANAGEMENT PROJECT (TCCM-P)

The Biospheric Carbon Management - Project aims at broadening our understanding of how to manage terrestrial ecosystems under global change. In particular, the adoption of environmental technologies mitigating anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions via management of emissions, sequestration and offset processes in the agricultural and forestry sectors will be appraised in a context of various development scenarios. The project aims at developing a transparent toolbox that can be trusted, understood, and shared by stakeholders, as well as sharing scientifically validated data. Particular interest is in coupling ecosystem and economic models with a framework of sustainable development.

Contact: Michael Obersteiner - oberstei@iiasa.ac.at, Yoshi Yamagata, and Bruce McCarl.

GCP SCIENCE FRAMEWORK IN CHINESE-MANDARIN AND RUSSIAN

The ESSP Report No.1 was translated to Chinese Mandarin by scientists from the Institute of Botany in Beijing (lead by Guangsheng Zhou) and the Chinese National Science Foundation. The pdf can be downloaded from:

http://www.globalcarbonproject.org/science.htm

The Science Framework has also been translated to Russian for which a first order draft already exists. A polished executive summary is available at:

http://www.globalcarbonproject.org/science_plan_and_implementation.htm

Contact Georgii - g.alexandrov@nies.go.jp