[Radix] US climate research center kills off social science after 35 years!!!

[Ben Wisner]

Hi, Tim and Ruth and Tim,

It was hard to get the US to agree to include climate change in the 
wording of the Hyogo Framework of Action.  But that happened.  
Nevertheless, recent rapid, high handed decisions at the US National 
Center for Atmospheric Research effectively gut social science research 
as a part of climate science.

For those of us who deal with livelihood impacts of climate change in, 
say, Africa, and how farmers and pastoralists are adapting, this is a 
great leap backwards.  Over 35 years the work of Mickey Glantz and his 
team have been pioneering and valuable all over the world.

I am hoping that this is a serious enough event -- and a harbinger of 
possibly worse things to come in the final days of the Bush 
administration -- that AlertNet would want to write about it for its NGO 
members.  These NGO members are the ones in the field actually seeing 
climate change and people's response.  They are the end users of the 
kind of research that, at the stroke of a pen, with with no consultation 
with experts, has abolished.

Perhaps ISDR should also write a story?

Tim, does this have legs for Guardian Science readers?

All the best, BEN

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	FYI on NCAR/CCB
Date: 	Thu, 7 Aug 2008 00:22:27 -0600
From: 	Roger Pielke, Jr. <pielke at cires.colorado.edu>



Lest there be any doubt, Cliff Jacobs quote in the NYT article clearly
indicates that this decision was based on disciplinary factors -- that
is, CCB was not "core" to NCAR -- even after 35 years.

Further, readily available info at the NSF site indicates that budgets
have actually been fairly robust in recent years, I am sure that the
commitments/expectations were the problem.

Further comments here (and links, including to the NYT):

http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheus/you-have-to-protect-your-core-4503

Please share as appropriate.


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