Friday, December 31, 2010

International Conference Sustainable Remediation 2011: State of the Practice

The International Conference Sustainable Remediation 2011: State of the Practice, 1-3 June 2011, will address the themes of green chemistry, human health, and environmental and emergency response. Session presentations by scientists, practitioners, and regulators will feature new research, field applications, and lessons learned. The three-day conference will kick off with a Plenary Session with keynote presentations from leading researchers and regulatory experts who will provide an overview of the sustainable remediation landscape and address research needs, policy and regulatory challenges moving forward. The conference will feature more than 70 platform presentations, posters (featuring a special student poster competition) and many exhibitors, offering ample opportunities for networking. The 2010 Green Remediation Conference attracted hundreds of attendees (academia, government, non-profit, and private sector) from 16 countries and 31 States. The conference co-hosts are EPA's Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation and The Environmental Institute at UMass Amherst.

Please note that presentations must contain a sustainable remediation component.


Abstracts are encouraged in the areas listed below.

  • Sustainable and innovative technologies for green remediation
  • Green chemistry principles, processes and programs
  • Predictive toxicology and high throughput approaches to identify greener chemicals
  • Development and evaluation of new green, non-toxic chemicals
  • Human health effects of contaminants at waste sites
  • Human health implications of site reuse
  • Health assessment tools, guidance, and resources
  • Emergency response, cleanup strategies, and new technologies
  • State and federal environmental response programs
  • Integration of sustainable principles, practices, and metrics
  • Contaminated land ecological revitalization
  • Brownfield land reuse and development tools
  • Urban gardening on contaminated lands
  • Groundwater long-term monitoring optimization systems
  • Waste site response actions
  • Renewable energy and conservation applications
  • Optimization and best management practices
  • State programs, strategies, and initiatives
  • Federal agency initiatives, policies and regulatory issues
  • International programs and initiatives
  • Public health awareness, training, and support
  • Community engagement and outreach
  • Project case studies, field applications, and lessons learned

PDF of Call for Abstracts, please broadcast in your circles!


Deadline for Posters: May 2, 2011


Abstracts accepted online at www.RemediationConference.com

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Resilient Cities 2011 congress: Call for contributions now open!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Alice Balbo <alice.balbo@iclei.org>

Dear colleagues,


ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, the World Mayors Council on Climate Change and the City of Bonn are pleased to announce that the Resilient Cities 2011 congress will be held on 3-5 June 2011 in Bonn, Germany, immediately preceding the UN Climate talks.


Resilient Cities, the annual world congress on cities and adaptation to climate change, was launched in 2010 with the objective of becoming the definitive global platform for exchange, learning, networking, debating and policy making on approaches and solutions to climate change and resilience-building in the urban environment.
The photo gallery and program from Resilient Cities 2010 will give you an overview of the proactive spirit that enlivened the first instalment of the congress.

Resilient Cities 2011 will continue to cast light on the challenges posed by climate change and support the rising momentum of local adaptation and resilience strategies worldwide.

Building on the success of last year and elaborating on top of the technical discussions, local decision-makers will back the congress with their political leadership at the Mayors Adaptation Forum 2011, the Mayors' segment of the event, convened by the World Mayors Council on Climate Change

The call for contributions is officially open and we welcome proposals for presentations, panels, workshops, posters and co-events that will build the structure of the congress program!

Adaptation and resilience experts who would like to share their knowledge during Resilient Cities 2011 are warmly invited to submit contributions using the online submission system available on the congress website www.iclei.org/bonn2011.

Please consult the call for contributions brochure and guidelines before submitting your contribution. The submission deadline is 18 January 2011.

We look forward to receiving your contributions!

For
additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us.


Best regards,
Alice Balbo
for the Resilient Cities congress team
bonn2011@iclei.org

Preparing Next Generation Leadership in Sustainable Mountain Development in the Context of a Changing Climate


Preparing Next Generation Leadership in Sustainable Mountain Development in the Context of a Changing Climate - Tek Jung Mahat

Climate change is becoming one of the most influential environmental pressures on the sustainability of human life. A discussion started by a small group of people in the 1960s about increasing CO2 emissions, is now the centre of global attention. Serious action has to be taken to curb emission of substances causing climate change, mitigate their impacts, prepare people to cope with possible disasters, and adapt to unavoidable changes. Scientific estimations have shown that it will be impossible to stop impacts of extreme climate change, most importantly the effects of greenhouse gases (GHGs) which are already being emitted into the atmosphere and have impacts lasting many decades. Considering all this, climate change is now seen as a concern spanning many generations; and decades, even centuries, will be needed to bring the situation into its previous state.


According to the Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI), prepared by a global risks advisory firm (Maplecroft) in October 2010 after calculating the vulnerability of 170 countries to the impacts of climate change over the last three decades, developing countries will suffer most. Out of sixteen countries at ‘extreme risk’, five are from South Asia, meaning this part of the world is among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Africa is another hotspot for climate change impacts. Most developing mountain countries are high up on the list, meaning they are comparatively more vulnerable to climate change, as they are limited in terms of infrastructure and income, have geophysically fragile landscapes, often have large indigenous communities highly dependent on natural resources, and have poor adaptive capacities.




Citation: Mahat, T. J. (November 2010), ‘Preparing Next Generation Leadership in Sustainable Mountain Development in the Context of a Changing Climate’ in the Asia Pacific Mountain Courier’s special issue on ‘youth and climate change’, Vol. 11, No. 1. ICIMOD, Kathmandu, NEPAL. Read online: http://www.icimod.org/publications/index.php/search/publication/727 .

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

PhD Programme in Science and Management of Climate Change (3 years)

The PhD Programme in Science and Management of Climate Change is jointly organized by  the Ca' Foscari University of Venice and the Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Climate Change (CMCC), an integrated, multi-disciplinary frontier research center for understanding, controlling and adapting to Climate Change. The programme, taught in English, lasts for three years. Twelve courses are planned for the first academic year (available at the programme website http://venus.unive.it/phd-climate-change/), in order to provide students with the state of the art of the scientific findings related to the two disciplinary streams.


The Call for Applications for the academic year 2011/2012 will be opened on the 31st of January and closed on the 22nd of March 2011.

BGSS International Doctoral Program in Social Sciences 2011

The Berlin Graduate School of Social Sciences (BGSS) is calling for applications to its international Doctoral Program starting in October 2011. Applicants may submit their applications via the BGSS online platform at www.bgss.hu-berlin.de/docpro/admissions from January 3 to February 16, 2011. The BGSS is a Graduate School of the Excellence Initiative funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

For further information please visit www.bgss.hu-berlin.de or contact the BGSS via bgss@sowi.hu-berlin.de.


Save the date - WASH conference 2011 in Brisbane, Australia, from 16-20 May

There is a global crisis in sanitation and water: almost two fifths of the world’s population (2.6 billion people) do not have access to improved sanitation; roughly one in eight people (884 million people) do not have access to safe water.  An essential element in tackling this crisis is to build the knowledge and skills of people working in this sector. In 2011 practitioners and professionals from governments, donors and NGOs, students and academics, will come together at the WASH 2011 conference to discuss one of the greatest challenges to the water, sanitation and hygiene sector: sustainability. The WASH conference and training program will focus primarily, but not exclusively, on WASH services provision in developing countries, including: water supply systems (in villages, towns and cities); household scale toilets and sanitation facilities in public and shared areas (such as schools, clinics and markets); and hygiene promotion from community-based to campaign approaches.

Abstract submissions are currently open. For full information visit www.watercentre.org/wash2011. Abstracts are due by 9 February 2011.

Call for Paper: International Symposium on Global Climate Change, Environment and Energy

 International Symposium on Global Climate Change, Environment and Energy

GLOBAL CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES TO GLOBAL STABILITY

  • Abstract Submission Deadline: January 24, 2011
  • Announcements of Accepted Abstract Submissions: February 7, 2011 
  • (Accepted submitters will be notified via e-mail)
  • Full Paper Submission Deadline: March 28, 2011
  • Symposium Date: April 25, 2011
  • Fee: €100
  • Venue: Istanbul Aydin University, Florya Campus - Istanbul, TURKEY

Istanbul Ayd&#305;n University Energy Politics and Markets Research Center (EPPAM) aims to contribute energy policy making and development process in Turkey through conducting researches on energy politics and markets, following developments and researches on energy politics and markets, and also training experts in this area. Main areas are energy politics, energy economy and energy law.

In this context, we believe that with this international symposium focused on global climate change, environment and energy, discussing these areas in multidimensional perspective elaborating their interdependence, we will take an important step to fulfill our responsibility owned for the century and the society we belong, and we are looking for the contribution of the academia on topics related to issues given below.

MAIN THEMES

1- Global Climate Change
a. Main Problems
b. Measures
c. Climate Change and Millenium Goals
d. Legal Issues
e. Economic Dimension (Carbon credit, non-carbon based economy etc)
2- Environment
a. Main Problems
b. Measures
c. Legal Issues
d. Economic Dimension
3- Energy 
a. Impacts of Climate Change on Energy Policies
b. Impacts of Environmental Considerations on Energy Policies
c. Legal Issues
d. Economic Dimension
• Academics to join I. International Symposium on Global Climate Change, Environment and Energy with paper should send abstract to ces@aydin.edu.tr with a short bio by January 24, 2011.
• Working language of symposium is Turkish and English, and abstracts and papers should be in Turkish or English.
• Abstracts should be between 150-300 words and it is kindly requested to send short bio with abstract.
• Abstracts should be typed in PC Word for Windows, in The Times New Roman 12 font and 1.5 space.
• Full papers should not exceed 15 pages. Papers should include Turkish and English abstracts, Turkish and English keywords, and Bibliography.
• In references and bibliography, APA style should be used.
• In sessions, paper presentations will be limited to 15 minutes.
Dr. Filiz Katman 
Energy Politics and Markets Research Center 
Istanbul Aydin University 
Besyol Mah. Inonu Cad. No: 38 Sefakoy-Kucukcekmece/Istanbul-TURKEY 
Tel: +90 212 425 61 51 Ext. 1270 
Fax: +90 212 425 57 59 
E-mail: ces@aydin.edu.tr 
Web Page: http://eppam.weebly.com/programs.html 

Email: filizkatman@aydin.edu.tr
Visit the website at http://eppam.weebly.com/programs.html

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

NCCR Climate Summer School, Sep. 2011, Switzerland: New grants available

10th International NCCR Climate Summer School "Climate Change, Extremes and Ecosystem Services"

4 - 9 September 2011, Grindelwald, Switzerland


The NCCR Climate, Switzerland's centre of excellence in climate and climate impact research, invites young scientists to join leading climate researchers in a scenic Swiss Alpine setting for keynote lectures, workshops and poster sessions on the occasion of the 10th International NCCR Climate Summer School 2011.

The topics covered at the NCCR Climate Summer School 2011 will include:
* Ecological implications of climate change and weather extremes
* Ecosystem services and climate change: forests, grasslands and croplands
* Food security: coping with climate change in agriculture
* Global land and water use in a changing climate

The Summer School invites young researchers from all fields of climate research. The courses cover a broad spectrum of climate and climate impact research issues and foster cross-disciplinary links. Each topic includes keynote plenary lectures and workshops with in-depth discussion in smaller groups. All summer school participants present a poster of their research and there will be ample opportunity for discussion.

Lecturers for keynotes and workshops (confirmed):
N. Buchmann (ETHZ, CH); H. Bugmann (ETHZ, CH); P. Calanca (ART Zurich, CH); P. Ciais (LSCE Paris, F); U. Feller (U Bern, CH); R. Finger (ETHZ, CH); J. Fuhrer (ART Zurich, CH); C. Körner (U Basel, CH); D. Lobell (Carnegie Institution Stanford, USA); H. Lotze-Campen (PIK, GER); J. Morgan (USDA/ARS Fort Collins, USA), M. Parry (Rothamsted, UK); S. Seneviratne (ETHZ, CH); W. Tinner (U Bern, CH); M. WĂŒest (SwissRE, CH)

The Summer School is open to young researchers (PhD students and Post-Docs) worldwide. Participation is highly competitive and will be limited to a maximum of 70. The registration fee (1200 CHF) includes half board accommodation, excursion and teaching material.

ThinkSwiss, an initiative promoting exchanges between the U.S. and Switzerland, offers grants covering the registration fee (1200 CHF) of the NCCR Climate Summer School. These grants are only available for U.S. citizens or students at U.S. universities.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 31 JANUARY 2011

Successful applicants will be notified in February 2011.

Detailed information and the application form are available at <http://www.nccr-climate.unibe.ch/summer_school/2011/>

Contact:
University of Bern, NCCR Climate Management Centre
ZĂ€hringerstrasse 25, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
<mailto:nccr-climate@oeschger.unibe.ch>
Telephone +41 31 631 31 45, Telefax +41 31 631 43 38

European Geosciences Union, General Assembly, 03 – 08 April 2011, Vienna | Austria |

Aims & Scope

The EGU General Assembly 2011 will bring together geoscientists from all over the world into one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences. Especially for young scientists the EGU appeals to provide a forum to present their work and discuss their ideas with experts in all fields of geosciences. The EGU is looking forward to cordially welcome you in Vienna!

Important Links

Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program

Summer certificate course: SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, June 24–July 16, 2011

Apply by 18 January for a June-July course in Sustainable Environmental Management.

Shared with CEC by Gillian Martin Mehers, CEC Specialty Group Leader for Learning and Leadership.
The Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) at the University of California, Berkeley, provides state-of-the art training in environmental and natural resource science, policy, and leadership to strengthen the capacities of environmental practitioners worldwide. It is based at the Center for Sustainable Resource Development within the College of Natural Resources and draws on faculty from UC Berkeley and the greater Bay Area.

The core component of the ELP is an intensive summer certificate course in Sustainable Environmental Management. Since 2001, the ELP has graduated 383 environmental leaders from ninety countries.

Course participants continue their learning and peer support through the Berkeley ELP Alumni Network, with collaborative research and educational opportunities within the Network and with UC Berkeley faculty, staff and students. The website has detailed information on all aspects of the ELP, including four short videos: ‘Program’, ‘Participants’, ‘Alumni’ and ‘Future’.
Applications must be received by Tuesday, January 18, 2011. Online applications strongly preferred.

Online application available at http://beahrselp.berkeley.edu

Monday, December 27, 2010

Provide input on International Environmental Governance to the UNEP (process leading to the Rio+20 conference)

Here comes a request for you and your organization to provide input on the lead to the major Rio+20 conference. The timeframe is rather short, so please do read what follows and let me know if you think that you can contribute to these discussions.

As some of you already know, the UNEP has supported the establishment of a Civil Society Advisory Group on the issue of International Environmental Governance (AG-IEG), and Sara (as alternate) and I (as full member) will serve as representatives of the youth caucus. The AG-IEG will function as an expert body to provide input from all major groups of civil society and from representatives from all the UN regions to the UNEP in the coming three years.

The upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) will focus on two main issues: Green Economy and International Environmental Governance. The AG-IEG represent a major opportunity for civil society (us) to provide input to the process through the discussions taking place in the UNEP and in relation to the second theme of the conference.

The next major intergovernmental event in the process will be the February 2011 Governing Council of UNEP, taking place in Nairobi, and Achim Steiner, UNEP's Executive Director, has tasked the AG-IEG to come up with a document presenting views and suggestions in relation to 4 main questions. 

If you provide me some input on those questionsv (see below), or the additional three questions which the AG-IEG also considers discussing, I will consolidate those into a document and work to ensure that the main points are reflected in the document produced collectively by the AG-IEG and which will be provided to the negotiators during the preparation of the Governing Council. You do not have to send me input related to each question, you can address only a few/one of them (if so, please precise). I would need the inputs by the 8th of January, although I might still be able to use those provided in the following week. You can also send me some policy document or resolutions that your organization might have adopted. In any case, please precise if what you send is a personal feedback (which is perfectly fine as well)/something discussed with others/an official position of your NGO.

If the timeframe is too short for you (I am sorry about this), you can still send me a message back so that I know that I should keep you in the loop in relation to future developments taking place on issues related to IEG discussions.

Please copy Sara to your answers.

I would be happy to respond to any question that you might have, please just get back to me.

Seasonal Greetings,

Seb

4 main questions addressed by the AG-IEG prior to the UNEP 26th Governing Council (please address rather those ones)
1. Why is IEG of interest to developing countries? Can we articulate clearly the outcomes relevant to developing nations?
2.  Why is incremental reform not enough? Why do we need fundamental reform in IEG?
3. Why should the world believe in the United Nations, when multilateralism is not delivering results?
4. Why should we strengthen the Environment Programme, when the environment should be everyone's responsibility and integrated into all other programmes?

And additional issues that the AG-IEG might also considers...
5: Innovative proposals for civil society involvement in IEG
6. IEG beyond national jurisdictions.
7. Governance issues related to Sustainable Consumption and Production (see the existing UN process on this issue)

---
duycks@gmail.com

Kuntotie 3 C 381
FIN-96400 Rovaniemi, Finland
+358 (0) 41743 5523

Skype/CS/twitter: duyck

Georg Forster Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Researchers

Submit an application if you are a researcher from abroad with above
average qualifications, at the beginning of your academic career and
only completed your doctorate in the last four years. A Georg Forster
Research Fellowship for postdoctoral researchers allows you to carry
out a long-term research project (6-24 months) you have selected
yourself in cooperation with an academic host you have selected
yourself at a research institution in Germany.

Scientists and scholars from all disciplines from developing and
threshold countries (excluding People's Republic of China and India)
may apply to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation directly at any
time. The research proposal must address issues of significant
relevance to the future development of your country of origin and, in
this context, promise to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and
methods to developing and threshold countries.

The Humboldt Foundation grants up to 60 Georg Forster Research
Fellowships for postdoctoral researchers and experienced researchers
annually. Short-term study visits, participation in congresses and
training courses cannot be financed.
For more information, visit
http://www.humboldt-foundation.de/web/georg-forster-fellowship-postdoc.html

Anneliese Maier Research Award in the fields of humanities and social sciences:

The Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation is accepting nominations for the
Anneliese Maier Research Award for researchers from the fields of
humanities and social sciences whose scientific achievements have been
internationally recognised in their research area and from whose
research collaboration with specialist colleagues in Germany a
sustainable contribution is expected towards the further
internationalisation of the humanities and social sciences in Germany.

Award winners are expected to spend a period of up to five years
cooperating on a long-term research project with the nominator and /
or specialist colleagues at a research institution in Germany.
The Humboldt Foundation grants up to five Anneliese Maier Research
Awards annually. An award is valued at 250,000 EUR.
Nominations may be submitted by established academics in Germany.
Direct applications are not accepted.
Full nominations should be submitted by 31 May 2011 at the latest to
the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

More information at this
http://www.humboldt-foundation.de/web/anneliese-maier-award.html

Best wishes!
--
Otieno Nickson Otieno
...........................................................
B. Arch. (Hons.) - University of Nairobi,
P.O. Box 30197-00100, Nairobi.
Tel.: (254)722612841,
Skype: otienonickson
Web/Email:

President, World Student Community for Sustainable Development (
www.wscsd.org), nickson.otieno@wscsd.org
Yes Braunwald 2009 Alumni

Master's and PhD grants at Austrian Partnership Programme in Higher Education & Research for Development

he consortium Austrian Agency for International Cooperation in Education and Research (OeAD-GmbH) and Latin-America Institute (LAI) implements the new programme of Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) for the promotion of academic partnerships between 'South and North'.

According to the development policy trend in Europe and the ADC ‘Strategy on Higher Education and Scientific Cooperation’ the new 'Austrian Partnership Programme in Higher Education and Research for Development - appear' for the period 2010-2014 supports partnerships between higher education institutions in Austria and ADC key regions. The objectives are to improve the quality in teaching and research, to make the management and the administration at the involved institutions more effective and to strengthen the scientific dialogue nationally and internationally.

Under the superordinate goal of poverty reduction appear also contributes to a discourse in society about quality and orientation of development in general. The institutional partnerships are based on a cooperative collaboration and mutual respect for different cultural contexts and approaches. It is also based on issues that are of high relevance particularly for the partners in the 'South'. The exploitation of the results also follows a participatory approach – for example through mutual exchange of teaching staff or joint publications and presentations.

Students and professionals from the eligible countries are invited to apply to the Master's and PhD programme of appear. Their studies are expected to be in line with the development priorities of their home countries and the thematic focus of the programme. The objective is to contribute to institutional capacity development and poverty reduction in their home countries by completing their specific Master’s or PhD studies or parts thereof at an Austrian university. The studies enable them to contribute to the improvement of higher education and research in their home countries and institutions. They are involved in academic partnerships and/or will contribute to further establishment of academic partnerships.

The age limits for applicants take the specific needs and living conditions of women in the South into account:

- Master's: not older than 30 years (for women not older than 35)
- PhD: not older than 35 years (for women not older than 40)

Original post by http://www.appear.at


Seminars and Journalism Fellowships - Spring 2011 Jefferson Fellowships

Now Accepting Applications for the Spring 2011 Program!
Deadline is January 26, 2011


The Jefferson Fellowships program was launched in 1967 to enhance public understanding through the news media of cultures, issues and trends in the Asia Pacific region, broadly defined as Asia, the Pacific Islands and the United States. The Fellowships provide U.S. and Asia Pacific journalists with an opportunity to broaden their understanding of Asia Pacific issues and build a professional network through one week of dialogue with professional colleagues and experts at the East-West Center, followed by a two-week study tour to cities in Asia or the U.S. Funding for the program is provided through a grant from the Freeman Foundation of Stowe, Vermont.

Please click here to join our mailing list and receive application announcements for this and other East-West Center media programs.

SPRING 2011 JEFFERSON FELLOWSHIPS

Program Dates:  June 5 - 26, 2011

Study Tour Destinations: Honolulu, Hawaii; Okinawa and Tokyo, Japan; Seoul, Korea; and Beijing, China
Theme:  New Challenges for Asia Pacific Security

Recent events in East Asia like the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan, another Japan-China row over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, renewed conflicts over resources in the South China Sea and the most recent North Korean shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, have highlighted the challenges posed by long-standing tensions in the region and the ability of the major countries to manage those tensions. These events come at the same time that relationships within the region are shifting: China-US relations strained by the rise of China, a resurgent Russia, serious discussion within Japan under a new ruling party about the future of the US military presence in Okinawa, and the beginning of a leadership succession in North Korea.

The U.S. has long played a significant role in Asia Pacific security, including the basing of U.S. military forces in Japan and South Korea. Five of the seven U.S. mutual defense treaties are in Asia and many analysts in the region would argue that U.S. naval forces have contributed to regional security and stability across the Pacific since the end of World War II. But economic, political and security dynamics are changing and countries such as Japan and South Korea are revisiting U.S. alliance arrangements as they assess the future roles of the United States and an emerging China.

The Spring 2011 Jefferson Fellowships provide a unique opportunity to explore these shifting security dynamics in the Asia Pacific region and to discuss the future of the U.S. role. Visits to Okinawa and Tokyo will offer insight into the sensitivities surrounding the physical presence of U.S. troops and Japan’s renewed debates about its defense strategy given the perceived threat from North Korea and territorial disagreements with both China and Russia. In Seoul participants will see the realities of tensions along the Korean Demilitarized Zone and the discussions within South Korea about how to deal with the North. Finally, the Beijing program will provide a chance to talk with leaders, analysts, young people and others about how China sees these regional security challenges and its role in dealing with them. The program will begin with a week at the East-West Center to discuss these issues with Honolulu-based analysts, military officials at U.S. Pacific Command and with one another.

Who Can Apply:  Working print, broadcast, and online journalists in the United States, the Pacific Islands, and Asia with a minimum of five years of professional experience.  Applicants must have the ability to communicate in English in a professional, multi-cultural environment. 

Funding:  The Jefferson Fellowships are supported from a grant from The Freeman Foundation.  The grant funds economy class, roundtrip airfare to and from Honolulu, Hawaii as well as program-related air and ground transportation, lodging, and meals for participating journalists.  A modest per diem is also provided.


Participants are responsible for all applicable visa fees and any additional visa-related expenses. 
Application Deadline: Wednesday, January 26, 2011

News organizations are also asked to support their employees' participation by cost-sharing whenever possible.  An "Employers Statement of Support" is a required part of the application. While financial assistance from the employer is not required, employers are encouraged to provide support to their Jefferson Fellows as a demonstration of their commitment to the program.
For full program information, please download the Program Announcement

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants must submit the Jefferson Fellowships application form and
·         A maximum three-page letter outlining your issues of interest, a brief description of your news organization, what you expect to accomplish if an award is granted and topics you propose to address in your paper and presentation at the East-West Center. It should be a topic that represents a perspective from your country/community related to the program theme.

·         A letter of recommendation on official letterhead from your supervisor describing your suitability for the Fellowship and the benefit the organization hopes to derive from your participation in the program.
·         Names, addresses, phone/fax numbers and e-mail of three people who may be contacted by the Center as references. Two of these references should be people outside your news organization. 
·         The “Employer’s Statement of Support” form completed by your employer (form is included in the 3-page application).

NOTE: Samples of your work are not required. If you wish to include samples, please do so via web links to articles.

Program and Application Downloads:


Application deadline is Wednesday, January 26, 2011.  Incomplete or late applicants will not be considered. 
Applications may be sent by e-mail, fax or post as follows:
Fax:  1-808-944-7600 (ATTN:  Jefferson Fellowships)


Post:
Jefferson Fellowships Program
East-West Seminars
East-West Center
1601 East-West Road
Honolulu, Hawai‘i  96848-1601, U.S.A.
If you have questions about the application process, please contact us at: jefferson@eastwestcenter.org or 1-808-944-7682

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Call for Application - Master of Science in Economics, University of Gothenburg


Invitation to apply to the Master of Science in Economics with a track in environmental economics at the Graduate School, University of Gothenburg, School of Business, Economics, and Law - Application period for students with an international degree: 1 December (2010) - 17 January 2011. Find out more about the admission process at www.handels.gu.se/gs

General information The faculty at the Department of Economics is recognized for their research and education on important policy areas such as the energy sector, the environment and developing countries. Training in Economics improves the analytical skill and logical reasoning and it also improves the understanding of how society works. These skills are useful in a wide variety of occupational fields, including general business, government, law, banking and insurance, as well as future graduate studies.
The programme offers five specialisations (tracks), one of them a specialisation in environmental economics. The tracks contains a number of core courses aimed to provide the student with a deep understanding of the specific field. Moreover, there is also considerable individual freedom to choose courses in order to obtain a tailor-made and unique education within each track.

Environmental Economics Environmental economics is a subfield of economics concerned with environmental and natural resource issues, and its importance has increased rapidly within the last few decades. Topics in environmental economics consider consequences for society of environmental problems, how society should address environmental problems, technology adoption, and links between development and the environment. The Environmental Economics Unit at the Department of Economics at the University of Gothenburg is the largest research unit in environmental economics within Sweden and one of the largest in Europe. The work of the group focuses primarily on two distinct areas: firstly, experimental and valuation studies and their behavioural foundations, and secondly, with the selection and design of policy instruments for transport, industrial environmental problems and welfare-related issues. A large share of the research focuses on developing countries (see www.efdinitiative.org for more information). The environmental economics track emphasizes analytical and decision-making skills and provides graduates with many career alternatives in the private as well as in the public sector. Also, given the faculties expertise in the area, students have the possibility to attend research seminars on timely topics as well as professional supervision of their Masters thesis.


Read more about the Environmental Economics Unit at http://www.hgu.gu.se/item.aspx?id=2496 .
Information regarding the Graduate School and general information regarding the Master of Science in Economics are attached.

Programme coordinator: Associate professor Dick Durevall, dick.durevall@economics.gu.se

Friday, December 24, 2010

Global warming cause of glacial melting and glacial floods


People in the Himalayas and other mountain areas must prepare for a tough and unpredictable future due to the rapid melting of glaciers caused by climate change, according to a new UN report.

Glaciers in Patagonia and in Alaska have been losing mass faster and for longer than glaciers in other parts of the world, according to the new report compiled by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in partnership with scientists world-wide including at the Norwegian Polar Institute and Norut Alta.

The third fastest rate of loss is among glaciers in the North West United States and South West Canada followed by ones in the high mountains of Asia including the Hindu Kush of the Himalayas, the Arctic and the Andes.

Overall Europe’s glaciers have been putting on mass since the mid-1970s but this trend switched in around the year 2000.


Glacier cumulative mass balance. Most mountain glaciers are losing mass, and the overall rate of mass loss has increased in the last decade. For the last decade the highest mass loss per unit area has been observed in the European Alps, Patagonia, Alaska, and north-western USA/south-western Canada.


Announcement: Earth Care Awards for Excellence in Mitigation and Adaptation


The 3rd edition of the Earth Care Award
JSW – The Times of India Award for Excellence in Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation



India has reflected significant leadership both through initiating on domestic commitments as part of its National Action Plan and through its willingness towards extending the Kyoto Protocol. The national mission action plan on climate change has initiated on institutional strengthening activities and increased activity at local level to tackle problems arising out of Climate Change. Indian Network for Climate Change Assessment released a major new report that provides an assessment of impact of climate change in 2030s on four key sectors in four climate sensitive regions of India.

The present initiative of JSW and TOI is a reflection of its commitment to recognize, strengthen and foster initiatives on mitigation & adaptation, both at organization and individual level. The award in its third year reflects a long term commitment towards this objective. The award recognizes the need to strengthen initiatives for the benefit of our country.

One of the most encouraging aspects of the earlier editions of the award was the response from diverse sectors of industries, NGOs, community based organizations, Government institutes, showcasing their
significant work on avoiding emissions and improving adaptation towards climate change. The present edition seeks to identify projects under its categories basically built on the technical framework indicated therein.

The categories are:

1.      Greenhouse gas mitigation, in
o       Small and Medium enterprises
o       large scale industries

2.      Community based mitigation and adaptation to climate change in Land use, Land use change & Forestry and Water resources sector

3.      Innovations for climate protection

Last Date for receiving application: March 31st, 2011

To apply, logon to www.earthcareawards.com, or email
mukund.gorakshkar@jsw.in or gaurav.bansal@timesgroup.com

Call for Research Papers/Articles to edited book on ‘Groundwater of Kathmandu Valley: Challenges and Opportunities’

With pleasure we cordially invite you to contribute research paper/an article to "Groundwater of the Kathmandu Valley: Challenges and Opportunities" an edited book that will contain findings of scientific researches, experiences and opinions of concerned authorities and experts on groundwater of the Kathmandu Valley. The aim of this book is to document and disseminate the knowledge about the groundwater among the policy makers, academicians, researchers, practitioners, and professionals from diverse domains of quantity, quality and management aspects of groundwater of the Kathmandu Valley. This book will contain original research papers, conceptual articles, case studies and opinion of experts on related field. The book is targeted to a wide range from high level policy-makers in governments, affiliates of INGOs, NGOs and Civil societies, researchers to graduate students from universities and academic institutions, and other concerned stakeholders. We are looking for scholars interested in contributing approx. 5000 words articles on, but are not limited to:
  • Importance of water and groundwater in religious and cultural, historical perspectives
  • State and use of groundwater and the rate of water demand for those sectors like industrial, hotel, domestic, and irrigation purposes
  • Distribution and rate of extraction of groundwater through stone spouts, tube wells, wells, deep borings, borings etc
  • Quantity of groundwater i.e. groundwater reservoir in the Kathmandu Valley and potential recharge areas and future possibilities for its management
  • Quality of groundwater in connection with drinking and other purpose
  • Groundwater supply in the Kathmandu Valley for drinking purpose
  • Groundwater management practices from ancient to present
  • Groundwater related policies
Important dates:
  • Letter of interest submission: 04 January, 2011
  • Notification of acceptance: 07 January, 2011
  • Full article submission: If the letter of interest is accepted, the first complete draft of article would be expected by 28 February, 2011
  • Review result returned: 15 March, 2011
  • Final full revised article submission: 30 March, 2011
All submitted article will be reviewed by experts. Contributors may also be requested to serve as reviewers for this book. Additional suggestions are also welcome.


You may send your letter of interest in the form of MS Word file attached to an e-mail to smallearth@wlink.com.np


Dhiraj Pradhananga
President
The Small Earth - Nepal
626 Bhakti Thapa Sadak
Naya Baneshwor

P O Box 20533, Kathmandu
Nepal
Tel: +977-1-4782738
Mob: +977-9841218296
Email: smallearth@wlink.com.np
URL: http://www.smallearth.org.np

Potential of online social networks in promoting the mountain agenda



Potential of online social networks in promoting the mountain agenda - Tek Jung Mahat

Social networking is a process of clustering individuals, creating social relations among them, and, eventually, forming groups through the identification of commonalities including common objectives. The history of social networking is as old as the history of mankind itself. Since the hunting and gathering age we have seen different forms of social networks changing, redefining, and constantly improving. A big shift in this process can be seen after the industrial revolution, especially after the invention of audio-visual and Internet technologies. It is said that radio took 35 years to find its market, television 15 years, the Internet 5 years, and Google (search) 3 years. The race doesn’t stop there. Recent estimates show that Facebook, an online social network site (SNS) launched on 4 February 2004, caught on in only 2 years.




Citation: Mahat, T. J. (2010), ‘Potential of online social networks in promoting the mountain agenda’ in ICIMOD e-news, Feb/Mar '10 (Issue:34). International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu, Nepal.  Read online: 

Call for contribution: Asia Pacific Mountain Courier's special issue on 'Youth and Climate Change'

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you very much for encouraging response to the Asia Pacific Mountain Courier’s special issue on ‘Youth and Climate Change’ (download from http://bit.ly/icimodyouth), released on 29 November 2010, coinciding with the United Nations Climate Change Conference, CancĂșn (COP-16). This issue of the Mountain Courier was prepared in the context of International Year of Youth (IYY) 2010-2011, CoP 16 to UNFCCC, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development - ICIMOD’s special effort to reach youth groups and alumni through its Asia Pacific Mountain Network (APMN) project, and increasing interest in youth to take part in climate actions.

In this series we are now preparing for the next issue, which will again be on ‘Youth and Climate Change’. Planned for March 2011, this issue will contain more artistic means of expressions, eg. photo essays, posters, cartoons, Illustrations, and other art works. We are partnering with the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization’s (SEAMEO’s) SPAFA project who is organizing ‘Asia-Pacific Forum: Youth Action on Climate Change; Exploration through Cultural Expression’, from 24-27 January 2011, and Activating Talent in Sustainability (ACTIS), an official spin off organisation of the ETH Zurich, who runs Youth Encounter on Sustainability (YES) course since 2000 in Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America, among others to make next issue more diverse and interesting.

If you wish to feature your work in this issue, please send your work to us (at tmahat@icimod.org) with 200 words long description latest by 31 January 2011.

Please feel free to write to me in case you need any support.

Best,
Tek

Tek Jung Mahat, Node Manager

Asia Pacific Mountain Network (APMN)
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
GPO Box 3226, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Tel +977-1-5003222 Direct Line 5003310 Ext 104
Fax +977-1-5003277
Web www.icimod.org AND www.icimod.org/apmn/
E-mail: tmahat@icimod.org