24-05-04 The US-IPY Committee has published it's White Paper on IPY 2007-2008

The report ?A Vision for the International Polar Year 2007-2008," outlines the US-IPY Committee?s vision of key science challenges, enabling technologies, and public outreach opportunities. The report will be published in hard copy in July/August 2004, but is available online at http://books.nap.edu/catalog/11013.html. A four page summary is available here.


The report recommends that IPY 2007-2008 should:

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• initiate a sustained effort aimed at assessing large-scale environmental change and variability in the polar regions;
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• include studies of coupled polar human-natural systems critical to societal, economic, and strategic interests in the International Polar Year;
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• explore new scientific frontiers from the molecular to the planetary scale;
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• design and implement multidisciplinary polar observing networks that will provide a long-term perspective;
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• invest in critical infrastructure (both physical and human) and technology to guarantee that the International Polar Year 2007-2008 leaves enduring benefits for the nation and for the residents of northern regions; and
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• excite and engage the public, with the goals of increasing understanding of the importance of polar regions in the global system and, at the same time, advancing general science literacy in the nation.
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  For more information, please contact Cynan Ellis-Evans email jcel@bas.ac.uk .