Past News from 2002
18.10.02
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine to commemorate 50th Anniversary of the "Big Smoke"
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30.09.02
Volunteers needed for University Challenge Specialists TV programme
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19.09.02
International Conference on Earth System Modelling - Call for Entries
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09.09.02
Free Offer - Quarterly Journal and Weather Publications available online
29.08.02
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22.08.02
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03.07.02
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30.05.02
21.02.02
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Weather Forecasting Specialist Group and West Midlands Centre revival
18.10.02 London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine to commemorate 50th Anniversary of the ‘Big Smoke’
December 2002 marks the 50th anniversary of the Great Smog of 1952 which caused the deaths of up to 12,000 Londoners, asphyxiated cattle in Spitalfields Market, and was one of the worst examples of the air pollution which earned London its nickname of "the Smoke".
To commemorate this hugely significant event, which led to vast improvements in our understanding of environmental and public health and to the subsequent passing of the Clean Air Act, LSHTM is holding a 2-day international conference bringing together leading names in public health and historical research.
The event will review the historical background to the Great Smog and the events leading up to it, examine what happened in its immediate aftermath and the broader impact on public consciousness and activism on air pollution. Speakers will examine modern smog events such as the Northern European episode of 1985 and explore current and future prospects for air quality in London and other world cities. At a specially convened Witness Seminar, scientists, doctors and others who lived and worked through the Smog will recall their experiences for the historical record.
Public health professionals, historians, policy analysts and anyone with an interest in the history and future of air pollution are invited to attend.
When: 9-10 December 2002 Where: Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre (across Malet Street from LSHTM). Cost: £40 per person. For inquiries and registration contact: Mike.Ahern@lshtm.ac.uk (020 7927 2934).
For more information visit the conference website on www.lshtm.ac.uk/smog/
A full copy of the programme can be found at: www.lshtm.ac.uk/smog/prog.html
30.09.02 Volunteers needed to take part in University Challenge
Following the recent success of the series University Challenge Reunited, presented by Jeremy Paxman, where champion teams from the past 40 years competed with each other for the title Champion of Champions, the TV Company (Granada) are proposing another spin-off UC series - “University Challenge - The Professionals”, in which teams comprise members of the same particular profession or institution eg doctors, nurses, journalists, the RAF, the Royal Society, the clergy, musicians etc.
The programme would work in the same way as University Challenge but instead of featuring students it would be an opportunity for professionals in completely different fields to compete against each other and display their general knowledge.
Each programme would start with a short film featuring members of each team on location at a venue which would best display the work and tradition of their institution.
19.09.02 International Conference on Earth System Modelling - Call for Entries
15-19 September 2003, Hamburg, Germany
Four years after the Fourth International Conference on Modelling of Global Climate Change and Variability, the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology are pleased to invite the scientific community involved in earth system research to meet in Hamburg. The conference addresses global, regional and reducted complexity modelling. It will provide an opportunity to present new results in this field and to discuss recent developments and plans for the future.
You'll get further information as pdf-files here:
09.09.02 Quarterly Journal and Weather - now available online
Access to online journals is free to members and non-members until the end of 2002!
The Royal Meteorological Society has teamed up with Ingenta.com to make the 'Quarterly Journal' (published eight times a year) and our monthly 'Weather' publications available online, giving you instant access to a wealth of information no matter where you are in the world.
The links below will take you through to the relevant online publications:
This free offer is only available until 31st December 2002, at which time Weather Online will continue to be available to subscribers or free to members of the Royal Meteorological Society, and Quarterly Journal Online will be available by subscription (reduced rates for members).
29.08.02 The Rolex Awards 2004 - Call for Entries
Rolex has issued its call for entries to the 2004 Rolex Awards for Enterprise. The Rolex Awards for Enterprise are presented to individuals from around the globe who are asked to submit innovative working projects in one of five areas of human endeavour:
science and medicine
technology and innovation
exploration and discovery
the environment
cultural heritage
An independent selection panel will judge these initiatives based on their originality, feasibility, potential impact and, above all, on whether the applicant demonstrates a spirit of enterprise. All projects must result in the betterment of humankind. The five entrants who present the most outstanding projects will each receive US$100,000 and a gold Rolex chronometer. As many as five runners-up may also be granted cash awards by the judging panel.
If you would like further details or an application form, visit the website at www.rolexawards.com. Applications from Europe must reach the Secretariat by September 30th, 2003
22.08.02 A New Look to www.royalmetsoc.org
As part of the Society's continuous approach to develop and improve the quality of information we deliver, the website has undergone some cosmetic changes to make the site more accessible.
The Royal Meteorological Society website can now be located at www.royalmetsoc.org in addition to the original www.royal-met-soc.org.uk. We shall be gradually changing all of our literature and email addresses over in due course to publicise this new domain although the original domain will remain available for some while yet. It may be advisable to update any bookmarks or address books now so that you are well prepared?
The forthcoming months will hopefully see many more improvements to the site along with some new web-based initiatives, so be sure to keep checking for information on these.
If you are experiencing any problems viewing any of the pages then please contact the webmaster with details of the nature of the problem, stating which operating system, browser type and version you are using and the page in question.
We hope you enjoy the new look!
03.07.02 RMS Conference 2003
RMS Conference 2003
The Royal Meteorological Society's Biennial Scientific Meeting
Building on the successes of the Reading meeting in 1998 and the UMIST meeting in 2001, the Royal Meteorological Society will hold its next major, biennial scientific meeting from 1st to 5th September 2003 at UEA, Norwich.
This will be a major conference covering the latest research and development in meteorology and related disciplines and hosting both the UWERN and the UGAMP meetings for 2003 aims to include most aspects of atmospheric science. Major, non-parallel Plenary Sessions and parallel symposia are planned covering the areas of:
Climate Processes
Weather and Small Scales
Atmospheric Composition
Earth Observation and Satellite Meteorology
Data Assimilation
Media Meteorology
Societal and Economic Impacts
All aspects of the subject including theoretical and experimental work, modelling, data management and assimilation, instrumentation and measurement will be included.
The Annual General Meeting of the Society (attendance at which will not require registration at the conference) will be held during the Conference and the Conference dinner in the mediaeval St Andrew's Hall in Norwich City Centre will be the occasion for the presentation of the Society's Awards and Prizes for the year.
Put these dates in your diaries now and watch for the formal call for papers which will appear in the Autumn 2002.
Further information can be found here, or contact the Executive Director at execdir@royalmetsoc.org
03.07.02 Walter Glenn
The Society was saddened to hear of the recent death of our longest serving Fellow. Walter Glenn, of Ipswich, Suffolk who was elected a Fellow of the Society on 16th January 1928, has died at the age of 95. Our condolences go to his wife and family.
30.05.02 'JHAR' (The Storm)
The following has recently been received:
At Indian Meteorological Society (IMS), Kolkata Chapter, India, it is our continuous endeavor to acquire the necessary and sufficient knowledge to understand various aspects of science, nature and atmosphere. We do not expect everyone of us to be scientist, but we care for scientific people - people who can think rationally over the events around them. Therefore, to pave its way, Indian Meteorological Society (IMS), Kolkata Chapter has been regularly publishing 'JHAR' (The Storm), a scientific magazine for its members and other interested scientific people. It is not a commercially run magazine - instead, with logistic support provided by India Meteorological Department at Kolkata, 'JHAR' is distributed free of cost among all the members of this chapter and other chapters of IMS, as well as eminent scientists and academic and scientific personalities in India and even abroad like several WMO members and associates.
In this regard, to maintain 'JHAR' as a magazine of high esteem, we invite you to forward your papers / articles / reports on popular topics from the subjects like Meteorology, Atmospheric Science, Astronomy, Astrophysics, Earth Science, Oceanography, Information Technology, Physical Science etc. etc. You can also write on the recent status or advancement (of meteorology and allied sciences), new models, machines and techniques being adopted in your part of the globe.
It is our keen and humble request to you Sir, to kindly extend your support to us and thereby send your paper / article / report on popular science, not exceeding 2000 (two thousand) words.
We welcome your write-up through email attachments alongwith your forwarding indicating your kind permission for the publication of attached write-up in 'JHAR'. We do not even request you at all to transfer us the copyright of your articles. Just your written or email permission will do.
Utpal Bhattacherjee
The Secretary (Publication)
Indian Meteorological Society - Kolkata Chapter
Indian Meteorological Department
Regional Meteorological Centre,
Research Unit, 3rd Floor,
4 Duel Avenue, Alipore, Kolkata 700027
INDIA.
Email: u_b@mantraonline.com
21.02.02 BA Media Fellowships
The BA Media Fellowships are intended to create greater awareness and understanding of the workings of the media among practising engineers and scientists.
Each year the BA offers practising scientists the chance to experience life as a journalist. The scheme enables fellows to undertake a secondment (on salary, from their employer) of up to 8 weeks with a media organisation, working alongside journalists to gain first hand experience of the news accumulation and selection process. Fellows learn to work within the conditions and constraints of the media to produce pieces for publication/broadcast in the national media, as well as becoming better equipped to communicate their expertise to the public and their colleagues.
In the past the BA have organised placements at print, broadcast and on-line news media as diverse as the BBC Radio Science Unit, New Scientist, Einstein.TV, Countryfile and The Guardian.
The scheme offers
* A 6-8 week placement with a media host
* Financial assistance with living costs incurred during the period of placements
* An accommodation and travel grant to attend the British Association's Annual
Festival of Science as a representative of the media host. (Leicester University
9-13 September 2002)
* Full briefing and debriefing sessions including a reception and presentation
of fellowships
Fellowships will be held in the second half of the year at a date to be mutually arranged with the media hosts. It is expected that most of the placements will begin in August and be completed by the end of October.
You are eligible to apply if you are a scientist or engineer:
* Resident in the UK
* With a minimum of 2 years experience - in any discipline
* Working in an academic or research institution, industry or the Civil Service
* In full time employment with your employer's consent to be released on full
pay
Further details and copies of the application forms are available from
Eluned Hughes at the BA, 23 Savile Row, London W1S 2EZ
Tel : 020 7973 3062. Email: eluned.hughes@the-ba.net
21.02.02 Weather Forecasting Specialist Group and West Midlands Centre revival
We have had some reaction from the publicity we have put out in recent months relating to these two topics.
Dr John Kings, from the University of Birmingham, has called to say that he is willing to get both activities going again from the start of the new term in October.
Any member interested in helping John to restart either of these activities is invited to contact John directly:
Dr J Kings, Department of Geography, University of Birmingham B15 2TT. Tel 0121 414 5552. Email j.kings@bham.ac.uk
Paul Hardaker
Chief Executive