GLIMS Update: ad hoc miniworkshop freeform discussion in San Francisco

[Jeffrey Kargel]

Georg and all,
I think we need to have a deliberate, focused, scheduled meeting during one evening of AGU week of the GLIMS people who will be in San Francisco.  This will likely occur after Monday's (Dec. 14 noontime) "sooty Himalayan/Tibetan glaciers" press conference, of which some of you are aware.  That topic will come up in our discussion, but more so, the meeting should be a freeform discussion about glaciology and the media.  A fire has been lit, and we are that fire, not the media scoundrels or the sensationalizers of science data.  We must redouble our efforts in multiple areas where science, peer review, and public communication intersect.  I would like to provide our members (and any other Cryosphere people) with an opportunity to voice their concerns and opinions, their success stories and horror stories, and have the group ponder ways where we can be more effective in dealing with both the "honest" media and bloggers and politicians, and those who may not be so honest or are simply poorly educated or poorly informed on matters about which they write and speak.  How can we do our share in communicating, and how can we avoid the pit of unwarranted sensationalism?  How can we get messages involving complexity and uncertainty out to the media in understandable, interesting, and accurate ways?  How can complexity be reduced to a simple message and still remain accurate and consistent with the original "complex" science?  How can we improve efforts to not give journalists total free reign to twist our comments, or how can we more effectively come back and correct the record?  When is it worth correcting the record, and when do we just simply accept that something was miscommunicated?  Which battles do we have to fight, and how can we avoid battles in the first place?  I've had my own successes and failures, and I want to become a better communicator.  Maybe you can help me, and I and we all can help some of you.  And then there is the matter of internet security...
We can have other discussion items, hopefully of an actual science nature; I'd suggest Himalayan glaciology, and especially temporal and large-scale spatial patterns and trends, since that has been a hot topic.   I am thinking we should make this a long dinner, perhaps with drinks afterward; perhaps a 6:30-9:30 PM dinner/discussion/festive event.  It could be in a private room of a restaurant, or a meeting room in a hotel, or a large private executive suite hotel room; if not held in a restaurant, we could order sandwiches or pizza (and drinks). 
One question: should we invite members of the media to listen in, or contribute their perspectives, and have them see science in action in the (not smoke-filled) back rooms?
The scheduling of this meeting is coming very late, so I need people who will likely attend let me know what evenings are available, and I will seek to minimize conflicts.  I need to get a rough count of participants to know what venue to reserve, and which day.  I cannot make Wednesday, owing to a Terra dinner/party/discussion that evening.
Likely participants will have to check glims email on Monday Dec. 14, because otherwise I'd probably miss informing some people of the final venue. 
FINALLY: An excellent source of late breaking news, blogs, tips on science articles, and media coverage of glaciers, cryospheric science, and climate change is provided by Jim Torson.  The items are on all sides, and include really bad articles (pseudoscience, unwarranted sensationalism, and such) as well as really good ones; sometimes the bad ones are as important to be aware about as the well-supported material.  He does a huge service for our community, though his mailing list is pretty small.  Mail volume varies between perhaps one a week to several a day, but might average a couple per week.  I find the mail volume more than I can fully process, so I am selective in what I read; but there are some essential items that otherwise I would miss, and which the Cryolist and glims site does not cover. If you want to try it out, send a notice to Jim Torson: jtorson at commspeed.net
--Jeff Kargel
 		 	   		  
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