date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:07:09 +0100 from: "Alastair Grant" subject: RE: UNcertainty to: "'Tim Jickells'" , , "'J Andrews'" , "'Burgess Jacquelin Prof \(ENV\)'" , "'Andrew Watkinson'" , "'Turner Kerry Prof \(ENV\)'" This is a great vision. Would it be helpful to supplement it with some concrete examples to show that we can root this down in reality? For example, it would be straightforward to write a few sentences linking together the brief for biodiversity and agricultural transitions pillars of ELSA with Carlos' forests and stronger links to ENV's climate science. The outline bid to Leverhulme on Earth System Science could provide another example. I'm sure that others could propose examples in their areas. Yours, Alastair _______________________________________________ Alastair Grant Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation (CEEC) Deputy Head of School, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK Phone 01603 592 537 Fax 01603 591327 Mobile/Voicemail 07941579036 Home page: [1]http://www.uea.ac.uk/~e130 CEEC web page: [2]http://www.uea.ac.uk/ceec MSc programme in Applied Ecology and Conservation: [3]http://www1.uea.ac.uk/cm/home/schools/sci/bio/courses/postgraduates/Taught%2BCourses/aec -----Original Message----- From: Tim Jickells [mailto:t.jickells@uea.ac.uk] Sent: 26 September 2008 12:34 To: k.briffa@uea.ac.uk; 'J Andrews'; 'Alastair Grant'; 'Burgess Jacquelin Prof (ENV)'; 'Andrew Watkinson'; 'Turner Kerry Prof (ENV)' Subject: UNcertainty I attach an attempt at trying to write up the discussion we had on Wednesday about a big idea for the VC for ENV. I have called it Uncertainty but given the possible resultant strap line of "we don't know what we're doing" I think we need a better title!. I have tried to imagine something that could stretch across much of ENV and in the process I have strayed into areas so far beyond my knowledge that there are heresies in here of considerable scale I suspect. I beg your indulgence and invite you to correct these and also consider if you still think this idea has merit in the cold light of day. I have aimed to keep this short and of course the devil is in the detail, but any pitch for the funding will initially deal with the idea not the detail. If there is a consensus to move this forward then we'll need to think how to do that. Tim Professor Tim Jickells School of Environmental Sciences University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ UK tel 01603593117, fax 01603 591327