Transcript AOPC

Climate Monitoring: What can a
small group of Expert Team
volunteers accomplish?
Thomas C. Peterson
Chair, CCl Open Programme Area
Group on Monitoring and Analysis of
Climate Variability and Change
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NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center
CCl Expert Team on Climate Monitoring Meeting
Tarragona, Spain, September 2006
What can a small group of
volunteers accomplish?
• It is a good question.
• I asked myself that at the first
meeting of a Working Group I chaired.
• Before I give the answer . . .
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NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center
CCl Expert Team on Climate Monitoring Meeting
Tarragona, Spain, September 2006
What is an Expert?
• “An Expert is someone who knows some
of the worst mistakes that can be made
in his subject, and how to avoid them.”
– Werner Heisenberg, 1971
• Was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, 1932
• Heisenberg uncertainty principle: “The more
precisely the position is determined, the less
precisely the momentum is known in this instant,
and vice versa.” --Heisenberg, 1927
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NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center
CCl Expert Team on Climate Monitoring Meeting
Tarragona, Spain, September 2006
What is a Goal?
• “Goals are dreams with deadlines.”
– Diana Scharf Hunt, author of a time
management book
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NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center
CCl Expert Team on Climate Monitoring Meeting
Tarragona, Spain, September 2006
Determining what is Important
• “Maturation as a scientist involves many
components, but a key one for me was the
development of taste, much as it is in the
enjoyment of art, music, food, or wine. One
needs to learn what problems are important.
I sensed myself developing taste,
distinguishing what was interesting from what
was not – and among the things that were
interesting, I also learned what was doable.”
– Eric R. Kandal, 2006
• Recipient of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physiology or
Medicine
• From his book In Search of Memory
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NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center
CCl Expert Team on Climate Monitoring Meeting
Tarragona, Spain, September 2006
What can a small group of
volunteers accomplish?
• What ever you want.
• So choose things that are:
–
–
–
–
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Important
Doable
Unlikely to be done without you
Beyond what any one of you acting alone
without the WMO banner could do
NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center
CCl Expert Team on Climate Monitoring Meeting
Tarragona, Spain, September 2006
What are your strong points?
• International recognition
– Global coordination
– Inspiration of local and regional activity
• Some remarkable individuals in this
room
– With energy and desire to contribute
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NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center
CCl Expert Team on Climate Monitoring Meeting
Tarragona, Spain, September 2006
What are your weak points?
• Some individuals may not follow through
with their agreed upon action
– Best intentions at a meeting can conflict
with a sudden new request from a boss
when you get home
• Team members who don’t contribute are seldom
asked to serve on a team again
• Remind your boss that agreeing to serve on the
team means having agreed to work with the
team
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NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center
CCl Expert Team on Climate Monitoring Meeting
Tarragona, Spain, September 2006
Optimal projects
• Tasks that are win/win
– Where they help the global climate
monitoring community (CCl goal)
– Help you accomplish your institution’s goals
– Help you accomplish your personal
professional goals
• Good opportunity to raise your international
visibility
• Good results lead to interesting new
opportunities
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NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center
CCl Expert Team on Climate Monitoring Meeting
Tarragona, Spain, September 2006
But the main thing is:
• Do something!
10 NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center
CCl Expert Team on Climate Monitoring Meeting
Tarragona, Spain, September 2006
• It is doubtful whether a man ever
brings his faculties to bear with their
full force on a subject until he writes
upon it.
– Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106 BC to 43 BC
11 NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center
CCl Expert Team on Climate Monitoring Meeting
Tarragona, Spain, September 2006