[Radix] How to Kill Disaster-Related Social Science

[Ilan Kelman]

To Radix,

See the email below announcing that the Center for Capacity Building http://www.ccb.ucar.edu at the National Center for Atmospheric Research http://www.ncar.ucar.edu in Boulder, Colorado has been disbanded and that its director, Michael H. Glantz http://www.ccb.ucar.edu/staff/glantz has been let go.  Glantz gave NCAR 34 years, producing cutting edge science and a string of top-level highly-influential scientific publications that would put anyone to shame.  He fostered young scholars, made connections around the world to assist science and its application in less affluent countries, and inspired numerous scientists and non-scientists of all ages and all cultures.

This is scandalous.  It contradicts NCAR's strategic plan and exposes the hypocrisy of NCAR's and UCAR's leaders in stating their interest in the application of science to humanity.  Their excuse is the budget.  But what is the cost of this action?

The email addresses of NCAR's director, the UCAR Board, and the NSF manager are barron at ucar.edu, tkilleen at nsf.gov, cjacobs at nsf.gov, Rfine at rsmas.miami.edu, anthes at ucar.edu, khc6 at cornell.edu, 
stevea at ssec.wisc.edu, robted at eas.gatech.edu, efi at umn.edu, 
smalcom at aaas.org, rpa711 at yahoo.com, rutledge at atmos.colostate.edu, anne at met.psu.edu, mmcclell at ucar.edu, 
richard.truly at comcast.net, hemant.shah at rms.com, len_pietrafesa at ncsu.edu, 
nutter at reinsurance.org, dennis at atmos.washington.edu, 
barbara.a.feiner at wustl.edu, kkd at ou.edu, rbierbau at umich.edu

If you care about people, if you care about this planet, if you care about science, and if you care about science saving lives and contributing to humanity, then write to these people expressing your feelings.  If not, then we have only ourselves to blame for letting such appalling and destructive actions go unopposed.

The tragedy is us and we do not deserve the tears that are owed to those whom we cannot, or refuse to, help.

Ilan
(CCB member from July 2005 to November 2007 who was one of the young scientists who owes a good proportion of his career success to Mickey.)

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Subject: 	message to staff
Date: 	Mon, 4 Aug 2008 15:03:14 -0600
From: 	Eric Barron 
To: 	local-users at ucar.edu (All UCAR Staff)

To All Staff,

The two of us travelled to Washington, DC on July 23 to discuss and 
review NCAR budget scenarios for FY09 with NSF.  NSF and NCAR continue 
to face significant financial challenges.  FY09 budget projections 
remain at 0% level over FY08 on top of 2004-2008 subinflationary NCAR 
base increments and NSF priority program requirements.  There is also a 
high probability of a continuing resolution well into FY09, which begins 
October 1, 2008.  In this budget environment, NCAR and UCAR management 
must continue to take measures to plan for budgets based on NCAR and NSF 
strategic priorities.  The dissolution of the Societal-Environmental 
Research and Education Laboratory (SERE) was part of our effort to 
reduce costs in this very difficult funding environment.   
Unfortunately, based on our most recent analysis, additional actions 
must be taken, and thus we are eliminating the NCAR Center for Capacity 
Building (CCB) program.  This will save immediate and recurring direct 
and indirect costs.  We very much regret the impacts this has on staff.

We have scheduled NCAR town meetings later this month so that we can 
discuss the financial, programmatic and scientific challenges and 
opportunities we will face together in the coming year.  We welcome your 
ideas and contributions.

Eric Barron and Rick Anthes
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