date: Tue Feb 24 16:57:05 2009 from: Phil Jones subject: Re: Input to 5th National Communication to: "Sarah Winne" Sarah, Should be able to look through next week. I only think you'll need the email contacts if someone on the UK challenges what is there. By the way - when I did the Oct 08 report, I had no idea the 2005 report existed. DEFRA/DECC didn't enlighten me about it! Cheers Phil At 16:45 24/02/2009, you wrote: Phil, Thanks for the additional information. That's all really useful for feeding back to DECC. I think at this stage I won't ask for the emails from the GCOS report - if there are any gaps when we start putting this together next week I will certainly get back to you on this. If I were to attempt some kind of synopsis of the GCOS report (only if DECC insist on this), do you think you would be willing to review it next week? Many thanks, Sarah >>> Phil Jones 24/02/2009 15:21 >>> Sarah, What you suggests sounds reasonable. The other option would be to paraphrase what was in the Oct 08 Report, but you've not got the time for that. As for changes in he numbers in the Tables - I wouldn't expect any as it was only done 4 months ago. There are words in the Oct08 report about the Met Office not being able to guarantee the continued operation of some sites (RAF airfields, for example) which might be worth discussing with DEFRA. The whole aim of GCOS is that these networks are maintained by national organizations (like the Met Office) but no other country went into such detail as why this might not be possible. One of the reasons for these reports is to get national governments to realise that it is they who are paying for the observations through their Met Services. So they should be funding their Met Service adequately. Ours is through MoD which is the problem. I can dig you out emails of those I contacted for the report. There were many, made worse by devolution! I'm not sure you want these at the moment - maybe you won't at all. One other thing - when you contact places like NERC, Met Office, Tyndall etc it would be worth sending them the Oct 2008 Report to see what they are down for. Other organizations include the EA (and Welsh, Scottish and NI counterparts) and places like POL, BODC, BADC etc. If you can get through to the right people, you might find you find out we're doing more! Cheers Phil At 15:01 24/02/2009, you wrote: >Dear Phil, > >Thanks very much for the quick response. I agree with the points you >make (especially the one about the timetable!). We are seeking >input from a number of stakeholders including NERC, Met Office, >Tyndall, etc. so we do hope to improve section 7.4. > >It is basically section 7.5 that I'm after and I'm trying to >determine how this could be done most easily and accurately in light >of the GCOS report. I'm keen not to re-invent the wheel seeing as >you just put the GCOS report together. What I was thinking of >suggesting to DECC is that we include a very short synopsis of the >report for section 7.5 plus any very recent developments since the >report (if any), and then include the whole of the GCOS report as an >appendix. Do you think this would be a suitable approach? This >would mean 7.5 in the 5th NC is shorter than in the 4th but given >the incredibly short amount of time that we have it might be a good >way forward. > >Many thanks, > >Sarah > > > > >>> Phil Jones 24/02/2009 14:32 >>> > > Sarah, > I'm off to Exeter tomorrow to the Hadley Centre and won't get >back till Friday, > so I can't be of any help at this time. > > I'm attaching the document I helped produce in October - the one >you refer to. > If you look at this you'll see it is impossible to summarize, as it >is essentially what you > want to complete section 7.5! There is probably slightly more >detail than you > require. Most of the Tables in your Ch 7 version are there in the >attached - and the > numbers agree as well! > > I can send the attached in word as well - but DEFRA did tidy it >up before submission to GCOS. > > Being involved with GCOS (member of their Atmospheric >Observation Panel for GCOS) > it is important that the Tables agree between the various national >reports. GCOS have > already combined the information in the Tables from the 2008 >submissions. The point > I'm trying to make is that GCOS wants Tables as in the attached and >not as in your Ch 7 > unless they have changed their minds. > > It was impossible for me to find the other national reports from >2008 using google, > but this link - which I got from GCOS - is where they are. > > >[1]http://unfccc.int/methods_and_science/research_and_systematic_observation/items/4499 .php > > > An intriguing thing in looking through these is that in the UK >report I helped put together, > there was mention of joint initiatives with Germany and other >countries. None of these > got picked up in the other countries reports! Also I recall >noticing the opposite as well. > > Minor aside - section 7.4 could be better than the 2005 version. >There is a lot of work going > on in the UK - other than that funded by DEFRA and done at the Met >Office. I presume you'll > be contacting NERC. The problem I had last October (apart from the >ridiculous timetable > that you have) was finding who to contact and getting them to >respond. It is clear that > few people know what GCOS is about. > > Cheers > Phil > > > > >At 13:29 24/02/2009, you wrote: > >** High Priority ** > > > >Dear Phil, > > > >AEA has been tasked by the Department of Energy and Climate Change > >(DECC) to prepare the "Research and Systematic Observations" chapter > >of the UK's Fifth National Communications under the UN Framework > >Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Please find attached a letter > >from David Warrilow - head of Climate Science and Adaptation in DECC > >- providing a little bit of background to this work. > > > >The last National Communication - the UK 4th NC - was submitted in > >2005 and the UK government is in the process of updating the > >National Communication for the new submission due in 2010. AEA is > >coordinating the preparation of chapter 7 - "Research and Systematic > >Observations". I have attached the UK's 4th National Communication > >to this email so you can refer to the previous version of Chapter 7. > > > >I would be most grateful for your contribution in the update of this > >chapter. You'll see in chapter 7 that there is a section called > >"Systematic Observations" - I believe the recent report which you > >and your colleagues put together called "UK Report on national > >activities with respect to the GCOS Implementation Plan" is highly > >relevant to this section. Do you think you would be able to write a > >brief (1 - 2 page) synopsis of this report for us to include in the > >Systematic Observations section of Chapter 7? > > > >Although the UNFCCC's deadline for the National Communication is not > >until January 2010, the deadline for this update is much sooner due > >to the need to prepare for the EU's package of climate change > >measures to be announced this coming summer. As a result, AEA has > >been tasked by DECC to prepare a draft of this chapter by the 28 > >February. This means that we would really appreciate your responses > >with updated text by this coming Friday, the 27th of February. I > >realise that this is not very much time at all so I appreciate any > >help you can provide in the time available. > > > >Please let me know if you have any questions on the information we > >require and I will try to help. > > > >Kind regards > > > >Sarah > > > > > >Sarah Winne > >AEA > >The Gemini Building > >Harwell > >Didcot > >OX11 0QR > > > >Tel 44 (0)870 190 3891 > >Fax 44 (0)870 190 6318 > >Email sarah.winne@aeat.co.uk > > > > > > > > > >*********************************************************************** > >This transmission contains information which may be confidential and which > >may also be privileged. It is intended for the named addressee only. > >Unless you are the named addressee, or authorised to receive it on behalf of > >the addressee you may not copy or use it, or disclose it to anyone else. If > >you have received this transmission in error please contact the sender. > >Thank you for your cooperation. > >*********************************************************************** > > > >For more information about AEA please visit our Web site at > >[2]http://www.aeat.co.uk ( [3]http://www.aeat.co.uk/ ) > > > >AEA Technology plc registered office 329 Harwell, Didcot, > >Oxfordshire OX11 0QJ. > >Registered in England and Wales, number 3095862. > > > > > >Prof. Phil Jones >Climatic Research Unit Telephone +44 (0) 1603 592090 >School of Environmental Sciences Fax +44 (0) 1603 507784 >University of East Anglia >Norwich Email p.jones@uea.ac.uk >NR4 7TJ >UK >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prof. Phil Jones Climatic Research Unit Telephone +44 (0) 1603 592090 School of Environmental Sciences Fax +44 (0) 1603 507784 University of East Anglia Norwich Email p.jones@uea.ac.uk NR4 7TJ UK ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prof. Phil Jones Climatic Research Unit Telephone +44 (0) 1603 592090 School of Environmental Sciences Fax +44 (0) 1603 507784 University of East Anglia Norwich Email p.jones@uea.ac.uk NR4 7TJ UK ----------------------------------------------------------------------------