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Town Hall Meeting: Building a Stronger Weather and Climate Enterprise: Keeping the Economy Moving—A Status Report from the AMS 2011 Summer Community Meeting

Conference Program
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Monday, 23 January, 12:15–1:15 P.M.; Rioom 244

            In August 2011, the public, private, and academic sectors involved with providing weather services came together through the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and its Commission on the Weather and Climate Enterprise.  Nearly 200 participants convened to discuss areas of common and pressing interest with a particular focus this year on the critical data needs and the economic value of meteorological services to society.  The community recognizes that national and global economies have been reeling in recent times from major setbacks from various causes—not the least of which are those created by weather, water, and climate phenomena, from significant tornado outbreaks, to the fallout from the tsunami that brought devastation to Japan.  The entire weather, water, and climate enterprise has much to offer in recovering and building vibrant global economies. At stake are hundreds of billions of dollars in economic productivity, protection of valuable resources and the safety of countless lives.

Particular areas of interest in our community meeting this summer included:

  • Economic value of the public and private efforts on weather
  • Meteorological data
  • Transportation
  • Renewable energy with emphasis on offshore wind and solar energy
  • Environmental information services
  • Carbon and greenhouse gas information products
  • Human health
  • Water resources with emphasis on drought and floods.

This Town Hall Meeting will provide an overview of the highlights and crosscutting themes of the meeting, as well as the consensus recommendations from those convened.  The meeting provided insight toward the next steps of coordinated, effective action and cooperation across all sectors of the enterprise to address these issues.

For additional information, please contact George Frederick (e-mail: george.frederick@vaisala.com) or Betsy Weatherhead (e-mail: Betsy.Weatherhead@noaa.gov)