1. 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

2. Societal Impacts Program Jeff Lazo NCAR www.sip.ucar.edu

3. ... 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 Government International Research Organizations Weather Enterprise

4. 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 Group Weather 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

6. Weather and Society * Integrated Studies (WAS*IS) Eve Gruntfest and Julie Demuth AMS Summer Community Meeting, Boulder, CO August 11, 2008 AMS Summer Community Meeting, Boulder, CO August 11, 2008

7. 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…

8. WAS*IS Vision To change the weather enterprise by comprehensively & sustainably integrating social science into meteorological research & practice

9. 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!

10. 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

11. 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!......

12. 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

13. 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)?

14. WAS*Is CULTURE CHANGE IS UNDERWAY Today’s presenters will show you some of the WAS*Isers’ work

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

16. 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

17. Social science woven into Meteorology (SSWIM) New initiative @ The National Weather Center – Norman, OK May 1, 2008- April 30, 2011

18. Funding ~50% NOAA & 50% U of Oklahoma Three 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

19. 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

20. 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?

21. 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

22. 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