Description

Over the past half-century, the atmospheric sciences have advanced rapidly. Society can now draw on a substantial body of rapidly expanding knowledge about the atmosphere and its behavior. There are more timely and accurate forecasts and warnings available to protect the safety and property of individuals and industry. Atmospheric issues have moved to the forefront of national attention, as in the case of weather hazard warnings, climate change, urban air pollution, stratospheric ozone depletion, and acid rain.

In spite of these advances and increased public awareness of atmospheric issues, no comprehensive approach to atmospheric policy studies exists today. A systematic body of scholarly work has yet to be developed. There are no institutions where students and professionals can be exposed to, and educated in, the complexities of atmospheric policy. The need to strengthen the Nation's research and education in the field of atmospheric policy is evident.

In response to that need, the American Meteorological Society is developing an AMS Policy Program (APP). The Program will conduct research and provide education on policies that shape atmospheric research and services in both the public and private sectors. It will also undertake research and education on policies that are affected by advances in atmospheric understanding and the provision of meteorological services.

It is the goal of the Program to conduct activities that will contribute to informed policy decisions by examining options and potential consequences of courses of action. A scholarly approach to atmospheric policy issues, combined with a practical view of the real world, and conducted with the participation of active and former policy officials, will characterize the research and educational work of the Program. Familiarity with the complexity of atmospheric policy issues will lead to a new generation of leaders who are better prepared to make informed decisions relating to the atmosphere. Those leaders will better serve human society, as a whole.

As the American Meteorological Society launches this program, it is useful to define the parameters within which the program will operate. Perhaps, the initial step is to define the fundamental terms.

The most basic question is:

In general, policy is a definite course or method of action, in light of given conditions, which guides and determines decisions that affect the nation, a region, a state or an institution. The course of action is an overall plan that responds to the goals and procedures of an institution or institutions.

Therefore, ATMOSPHERIC POLICY, in simplest terms, is a course of action that addresses an issue that relates to the atmosphere.

The next fundamental question is:

1. SCHOLARLY RESEARCH OF SPECIFIC ATMOSPHERIC ISSUES

The Program anticipates engaging scholars to conduct research on atmospheric policy issues and, ultimately, to educate new generations of atmospheric scientists and other environmental scientists for key policy and managerial posts in the government, private sector and academia.

2. COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL INVOLVEMENT IN RESEARCH

It is a very high priority for the APP to ensure broad involvement of students by pursuing research efforts that include educational activities. Therefore, the Program’s activities will be developed and conducted in close cooperation with the academic community (including the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research) and the private sector.

3. RESEARCH AND EDUCATION TO INFORM POLICY MAKERS

It is the objective of the Program to conduct research and educational activities that contribute to informed policy decisions by examining options and potential consequences.

Finally, to define the limitations of the program it is useful to answer this question:

1. DIRECT ADVOCACY EFFORTS

It is vital that the Program be widely seen as being objective in its research and educational activities. For that reason, it is important that the Program not engage in any direct advocacy efforts. Of course, the reports that the Program will prepare as a consequence of the scholarly studies of issues could be used by interested parties to advocate certain governmental actions, i.e., implementation of specific policies.

2. DEVELOPMENT OF "TIMELY" POLICY STATEMENTS

The Program will assist in the development of AMS policy statements that are based on completed APP studies of an issue that has gained high visibility for some reason. In view of the fact that the Program is committed to doing scholarly policy studies, however, it would be inappropriate for the Program to be directly involved in the development of policy statements that respond to particular issues that have not received a thorough study.

When one considers the universe of weather and climate policy issues that face the nation, it is clear that there is a broad range of studies that could be undertaken. The breadth encompasses issues concerning data access in the context of full and open national and international data exchange; intellectual property conflicts; public-private sector roles in the provision of weather and climate services; air quality regulations and incentives; and ranges through the spectrum of issues connected with the response to the uncertainties associated with climate variations and changes. Within each of these issues, there are manifold policy considerations, all of which have important consequences for the nation. Of these many potential policy studies, one or two will be initiated within the first year of the program.

Almost all of the issues to be studied will involve disciplines such as economics, engineering, and social science, leading to research that will be inherently interdisciplinary. The issues will be scientific, institutional, budgetary, economic or social in character. Moreover, they will be of regional, national and international interest.

In concert with these policy issue studies, the Program will undertake an effort to organize a history of efforts dealing with atmospheric policy issues. As part of that undertaking, case studies of some of those efforts will be developed for use in the Program’s educational activities.

It is important that atmospheric scientists and students, as well as non-meteorologist professionals be informed about significant atmospheric policy issues and the methodology used to analyze them. The result will be atmospheric professionals well prepared to move into policy-making positions in the public and private sectors. For non-scientific professionals, exposure to atmospheric policy scholarship will make them more understanding of atmospheric issues. In order to serve the needs of this broad audience, the Program will develop the following portfolio of educational activities.

1. Student education - The Program will provide opportunities for graduate students to become knowledgeable about atmospheric policy issues and the techniques used to analyze them. Many of these issues have dimensions that extend beyond the atmospheric sciences, to other scientific disciplines, as well as, economics, sociology, and/or political science. Different educational formats will be explored, including lecture or seminar courses offered in cooperation with universities as part of their graduate studies curricula, special symposia, or summer colloquia. Videoconference and Internet technologies are anticipated to be employed to reach students at universities around the country and in government and private sectors.
2. Education for mid-career professionals - The target for this facet of the Program will be selected atmospheric scientists in both public and commercial sectors who are near the midpoint of their careers and likely to move into decision making positions. To this end, the Program will organize seminars and workshops led by recognized experts, with the participation of invited guests active in the policy world.
3. Education of non-meteorological professionals - The involvement of professionals with policy influence, but without atmospheric science backgrounds, in scholarly discussions of atmospheric policy issues would be valuable. Such exchanges can develop mutual understanding for atmospheric issues and policy consequences. Congressional Members and staff, as well as Federal policy-level executives will be invited to participate. Seminars and workshops will be organized for this purpose.
4. Congressional involvement for early-career professionals - The Program will work with Congress and private foundations to establish AMS Congressional Fellowships to place atmospheric scientists, in the early stages of their careers, in congressional offices for one year. AMS Congressional Fellows will be selected based on a competitive process.

Staffing - The staff of the Program will be a mixture of full time AMS staff members and part time staff that will be engaged through individual limited-term consultative agreements or pro bono arrangements.

Multidisciplinary Activities - Atmospheric policy issues touch upon virtually every sector of the economy and upon daily life in this country. The Program will develop affiliations or working arrangements with experts with a variety of backgrounds, including economists, sociologists, political scientists, geographers, hydrologists, agriculturists, transportation specialists and public health specialists, and public administrators.

University Participation - The Program is visualized as the hub of a national atmospheric policy academic enterprise. Specifically, it is intended that the Program will forge partnerships or affiliations with universities and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Through these arrangements, it is anticipated that university faculty members and NCAR staff will participate in the Program's scholarly activities as part-time Fellows.

Private Sector Participation - It is anticipated that there will be policy studies and educational activities that will benefit from participation of individuals from the private sector. In those cases, through appropriate arrangements with either the individuals or their institution, they will participate as part-time Fellows.

Agency Participation - The Program requires substantial participation by any Federal agency engaged in atmospheric science activities. Therefore, mechanisms will be developed to ensure that agency interests are represented in the research and educational activities of the Program.

FUNDING - Initially, AMS funds, augmented by contributions from private sources, will support the Program’s activities until the APP has successfully undertaken sufficient educational and analytical studies to demonstrate credible capabilities. After one or two successful activities are conducted by the Program, it is anticipated that Government and/or private funds will be obtained to support individual activities out of a recognized or demonstrated need for the activity. The goal of the Program is to be successful at developing sufficient funding over the long term to be self-supporting.