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Climate Monitoring:  What can a small group of Expert Team volunteers accomplish?

Climate Monitoring:  What can a small group of Expert Team volunteers accomplish?. Thomas C. Peterson Chair, CCl Open Programme Area Group on Monitoring and Analysis of Climate Variability and Change. What can a small group of volunteers accomplish?. It is a good question.

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Climate Monitoring:  What can a small group of Expert Team volunteers accomplish?

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  1. Climate Monitoring:  What can a small group of Expert Team volunteers accomplish? Thomas C. Peterson Chair, CCl Open Programme Area Group on Monitoring and Analysis of Climate Variability and Change

  2. What can a small group of volunteers accomplish? • It is a good question. • I asked myself that at the first meeting of a Working Group I chaired. • Before I give the answer . . .

  3. What is an Expert? • “An Expert is someone who knows some of the worst mistakes that can be made in his subject, and how to avoid them.” • Werner Heisenberg, 1971 • Was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, 1932 • Heisenberg uncertainty principle: “The more precisely the position is determined, the less precisely the momentum is known in this instant, and vice versa.” --Heisenberg, 1927

  4. What is a Goal? • “Goals are dreams with deadlines.” • Diana Scharf Hunt, author of a time management book

  5. Determining what is Important • “Maturation as a scientist involves many components, but a key one for me was the development of taste, much as it is in the enjoyment of art, music, food, or wine. One needs to learn what problems are important. I sensed myself developing taste, distinguishing what was interesting from what was not – and among the things that were interesting, I also learned what was doable.” • Eric R. Kandal, 2006 • Recipient of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine • From his book In Search of Memory

  6. What can a small group of volunteers accomplish? • What ever you want. • So choose things that are: • Important • Doable • Unlikely to be done without you • Beyond what any one of you acting alone without the WMO banner could do

  7. What are your strong points? • International recognition • Global coordination • Inspiration of local and regional activity • Some remarkable individuals in this room • With energy and desire to contribute

  8. What are your weak points? • Some individuals may not follow through with their agreed upon action • Best intentions at a meeting can conflict with a sudden new request from a boss when you get home • Team members who don’t contribute are seldom asked to serve on a team again • Remind your boss that agreeing to serve on the team means having agreed to work with the team

  9. Optimal projects • Tasks that are win/win • Where they help the global climate monitoring community (CCl goal) • Help you accomplish your institution’s goals • Help you accomplish your personal professional goals • Good opportunity to raise your international visibility • Good results lead to interesting new opportunities

  10. But the main thing is: • Do something!

  11. It is doubtful whether a man ever brings his faculties to bear with their full force on a subject until he writes upon it. • Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106 BC to 43 BC

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