Visualising climate information TEC Newsletter#11 - April 2017 Edito
Visualisation is a form of communication, and communication is essential for transforming scientific knowledge into action. After 15 years in the research and consulting fields, we are convinced that form and content are closely linked. This is especially true for climatology. Climatologists, for example, have become extremely imaginative, due to their dealings with climate sceptics, the huge amounts of data involved and growing expertise in statistical imaging. Maps, graphs and animations can contribute more to public awareness than long reports, whether these images depict planetary observations, evidence of past climate change or projections for future climate change. In addition, they help explain the issues of uncertainty, confidence intervals and heterogeneous data sources, which are central to climate sciences. These questions are also relevant in communications and other social sciences. TEC aims to make a modest contribution to this field, through its long-term involvement in future climate services (PROCLIM, PROSNOW and more). Respecting international best practices, including those established by the IPCC, we attempt to act as an interface between science and society. This newsletter presents a wide range of innovative visuals. Some of them are well known in climate circles; others have only recently been released by laboratories. Many have been produced by American partners – NOAA, NASA, NCAR, UCAR and others. Despite political upheavals, these organisations are key players when it comes to producing and visualising climate data, and this newsletter pays tribute to them. Many images are artistic, which is an excellent thing – it makes them powerful educational resources. Sustainably yours, the TEC team DossierVisualising CO2 Dancing Unlike other atmospheric pollutants, CO2 is colourless and odourless. Using satellite measurements and modelling software, NASA has produced this animated map showing how the gas is distributed throughout the atmosphere.
New York City after one day of greenhouse gas emissions CO2 concentrations Are you interested in finding out CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere in real time? The independent US organisation Climate Central, which brings together renowned scientists and journalists, has produced a magnificent time-lapse video showing this information. Simple but effective This simple but effective presentation shows what is really creating climate change. Definitely worth sharing!
Overflowing Back in 2012, the Environmental Defense Fund, an American NGO, produced a video showing New York’s emissions in the form of one-tonne spheres of CO2. The scale of the emissions produced is impressive.
In real time This interactive map shows the carbon intensity of electricity in Europe, as well as wind and solar power potential.
Watching the climate change Arctic sea ice formation This presentation showing changes in Arctic sea ice since 1990 is extremely powerful.
Air quality Air Visual, a collaborative startup, collects air quality data from contributors and uses it to create a global model. This promising initiative definitely breaks with old observational networks.
Sea currents This superb depiction of Mediterranean currents by NASA’s Goddard Institute could have been produced by Van Gogh.
Arctic sea ice loss This simple and effective video shows the extent of Arctic ice loss.
Climate spirals Ed Hawkins has produced many different versions of his climate spirals (including a 3D version in 2016).
Tropical storms This is a beautiful animated GIF of tropical storm Hermine, which threatened Florida in autumn 2016. Global temperature rises This comic strip timeline shows how global temperatures have changed over the past 20,000 years, from the last ice age to today. Showing the climate in the future Models This simple image by NCAR and UCAR shows the complexity of climate models (and uncertainty levels) since the 1980s. It is taken from the publication Demistifying climate models. Projections Sometimes, videos are extremely useful. This one shows temperature model projections produced in 1989. Photographs This stunning photography project by Terra Eco, Le Climat de vous à moi, gives maps and graphs a human perspective (only French). Paintings The scientist and artist Jill Pelto transforms graphs into beautiful works of art. Amazonian art While this forest street art is not strictly climate related, it is stunning (only French, but pictures do not need translation). Our projects... - SECTEUR This survey, part of the European climate service Copernicus Climate, seeks to identify requirements in terms of climate data. - Climate Information Portal for Copernicus (CLIPC) In October, TEC and its partners completed the CLIPC project, launching the first European climate data portal. It can be found here: www.clipc.eu - European Commission financing for PROSNOW TEC’s PROSNOW project, which was developed in coordination with Météo France and 12 other partners, has been selected for funding by the European Commission. PROSNOW involves partners from Austria, Switzerland, Italy and France, including high-tech SMEs. It is supported by eight ski resorts, which will be the pilot users of the services. PROSNOW (which stands for ‘provision of a prediction system for the management and optimization of snow in Alpine ski areas’) aims to build a prototype of a meteorological and climate forecasting system, and covers timescales ranging from one week to several months. It will apply to snow management and be specifically tailored to the needs of the ski industry. This innovative climate service could significantly increase the resilience of socio-economic stakeholders in mountain areas and support the real-time climate change adaptation potential of these resorts. TEC will manage the project jointly with Météo France. The official kick off is planned for September 2017. - PROCLIM in the Middle East PROCLIM, one of the rare private climate services to provide long-range climate forecasts (www.pro-clim.org), continues to be used by the UNDP and the EU to anticipate future water resources in Israel, Palestine and Jordan. ...our publications · Femke Stoverinck, Ghislain Dubois and Bas Amelung, Communiquer le changement climatique : un voyage dans les stratégies et plans d’adaptation. Pollution Atmosphérique, climate edition, 2013 · Ghislain Dubois, Jean Paul Ceron, Clotilde Dubois, Maria Dolores, Frias and Sixto Herrera, Reliability and usability of tourism climate indices. Earth Perspectives 3:2, 2016 · Ghislain Dubois co-authored « Climat et changement climatique en Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur » (climate and climate change in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur), a journal produced by the Regional Group of Experts on Climate Change (GREC-PACA). GREC-PACA is run by AIR, our Partner organisation. Upcoming eventsClub VITECC, Paris – France, 04 avril 2017 ALECM Ateliers COPRO, Marseille – France Assemblée Générale 2017 de l'Union Européenne des Géosciences, Vienne - Autriche, 24, 25 et 26 avril 2017. Assemblée Générale HOPE, Sogndal - Norvège, 6,7 et 8 juin 2017.
ECCA SECTEUR, Glasgow - Ecosse, du 5 au 9 juin 2017. "It's hot in Herre" When activists use American rap to make climate change a sexier and less catastrophic topic of discussion! "It's hot in here (bis)" Rappers are not the only ones to hold the mic': our director Ghislain Dubois is trying it for the monthly podcast "it's hot in here". TEC on social media You need more than a website to stay in touch. TEC is reinforcing its presence on social media to help people to think differently about energy and climate change. |