Life Sciences members,
“SCAR is involved with several programs for which we would like your assistance.” Below call for experts that the Vice President for Sciences at SCAR. We would like to know if there are people in the Life Sciences community who would be interested in getting involved in these two initiatives, the SO decade and the Cryosphere pavillion at the COP26.
Southern Ocean United Nations Decade(SO Decade)
Thanks to those of you who helped get word out about the survey. This initiative is coordinated by SCAR and is part of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. We are working with SOOS, SCOR, ICED, Clivar, IODE, EPB, IAATO. There has already been one workshop (report can be accessed here) and a second workshop is planned for September in conjunction with the Polar Data Forum. We are in the process of putting together seven working groups (10 members each) that align with the UN-identified societal needs:
- A clean ocean where sources of pollution are identified and removed
- A healthy and resilient ocean where marine ecosystems are mapped and protected
- A predictable ocean where society has the capacity to understand current and future ocean conditions
- A safe ocean where people are protected from ocean hazards
- A sustainably harvested ocean ensuring the provision of food supply
- A transparent ocean with open access to data, information and technologies
- An inspiring and engaging ocean where society understands and values the ocean.
If you would have any suggestions for working group chairs or members, please let me know and I will contact them. There is an online kick-off event planned for July 9 that will be open to anyone interested in joining or learning more. Meeting details will follow, but if you have any people to suggest for working groups please send soon.
We have been invited to participate in the Cryosphere Pavilion at COP26 which will be in Glasgow Oct 31-Nov12, 2021. We should consider providing speakers and topics. There will be opportunities to be present in person and virtually. The concept note for the Pavilion is attached and there is also a link to the Cryosphere Pavillion at COP25 as an example.
There is also the possibility if having our own side event (likely with partners including the ICCI who are managing the Cryosphere Pavilion). This will be a good opportunity to increase visibility of the relevant SCAR climate science in the context of the UNFCCC.
This ISC portal can be used to highlight any climate-related publications, before and during COP26. It may also be a good venue for the ACCE report and other publications from the SRPs. Again, we would like to get a sense of your interest and please let us know if you post any material to the portal.
Contact:
Please get back to Ian, Marc and Yan very rapidly to coordinate Life Sciences interest in participating.
