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Project Plans

Project Plans: 1998

This year people are talking about the weather, here in New York City and in other parts of the world. El Niño is becoming a part of our vocabulary, blamed as the culprit for nearly every weather extreme, sudden and erratic weather changes, catastrophic storms, spring-like weather in winter, and shortages of strawberries. There was even a meeting held at the White House with weather forecasters to discuss how weather is communicated to the public.

Beyond the obvious and immediate impact this year's weather has had on our daily lives, the other part to this short story is the story of Earth's climate. This story is complex with new chapters constantly being written and old ones revised to reflect the state of our understanding of past, present and future weather and climate. One can find people from every academic discipline who contribute. This list includes poets, writers, scientists, mathematicians, educators, policy-makers, historians, computer scientists, architects, economists, business people and journalists.

ICP students, educators and scientists are all contributors to this story by working together on research projects we aim to enrich what is known about climate. Results from our summer research are expected to enhance many chapters, adding new insights into our understanding of the physical, chemical and biological processes underlying important areas of interest such as storms, clouds, water resources, aerosols, methane, oceans, pollen, energy and agriculture. The interdisciplinary nature of this research allows participants to use their talents in math, science, technology, English, and social studies, as well as to develop them through teamwork.

Also related to ICP research projects is the potential knowledge we will gain about one of the most controversial scientific and political climate debates dealing with the impact of human activities versus natural climate fluctuations. Several of our research projects focus on calculating the statistical significance of changes in strong climate forcings, such as the ocean phenomenon of El Niño and the North Atlantic Oscillation and atmospheric gas concentrations of methane and aerosols. The emphasis on mathematical calculations and scientific reasoning to explain climate impacts allows us to deal with the important relationships between ICP science and society with the kind of objectivity that is required by scientists.

In 1990, the AAA's National Council on Science and Technology Education stated that "the world depends largely on the wisdom with which humans use science and technology." It is our hope that ICP students, educators and scientists will continue to evaluate and refine ICP's role in developing students' scientific and technical talents, and to implement these educational strategies in a growing number of science classes.

1998 Projects