Friday, December 9, No. 16 Week no. 49 Bj Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research Allégaten 55, 5007 Bergen

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1 Friday, December 9, 2011 No. 16 Week no. 49 Bj Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research Allégaten 55, 5007 Bergen DIRECTOR S NOTE What s cooking? COP-17 report I am writing this piece from Durban, South Africa, where Tore, Gudrun and I have taken refuge from the Bergen snow we hear rumours of. Hard to imagine in the Durban sun and summer... Another reason for being here is of course the climate summit COP-17 (Conference Of the Parties to the climate convention). About 15,000 people are here to negotiate, influence and get their messages out. The conference is in a huge conference centre with additional big tents, exhibitions, demonstrations, media running around a real anthill. Somehow it is encouraging to see all this energy and commitment for an issue brought to the forefront by scientific evidence. On the other hand it is discomforting to see the slow pace, intricacies and complexities of negotiations in a matter which requires urgent actions. Sadly we are far from such. At the time of writing, 1½ days away from the closure of the conference, there are only small elements in place: The organisation of a green fund to pay for climate adaptation and climate incitements in developing countries seems to be agreed upon. The mechanism of how to finance the fund seems still to be in the air, however. It is possible that we will have no legally binding agreement on commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the developed end emerging economies, and that there will not be any continuation of the commitments under the Kyoto protocol. Such an outcome will be detrimental to relations between developed and developing countries. It seems that at best a roadmap on how to get there may be one of the products. This is of course a reflection of how the world is put together where it is very difficult to obtain agreements on issues that are longterm in a situation where the global economy is in a state of crisis. But the need for real leadership is clear. Yesterday Tore and I presented the outcome of the new NorESM simulations to the Norwegian minister for the environment, Erik Solheim and a large group of media, NGOs and politicians. We will do a similar presentation later today to a more international audience. Our message was concentrated on identifying the IPCC emission pathways that will keep us below the 2 degree target of global warming that almost all countries have agreed should be a target of climate policies. In 2010 emissions rose to a record high and are now well above the maximum of the pathway that might give less than 2 degrees warming. This pathway also has a dramatic downward trend in emissions already happening in As negotiations go, and with the time it will take to have the transformation to renewable energy sources that eventually will take place, it seems very unlikely that the world will be able to reach a temperature rise of less than 2 degrees. We also documented how even with a 2 degree rise in global mean temperature, major land areas in both high and low latitudes will reach a much higher temperature. We are very satisfied with the media coverage our presentation got, and we believe this increased the visibility of the Bjerknes Centre and our collaborators in the NorESM development, both in the media and towards policymakers. In Durban we also signed collaboration agreements with the ACCESS Centre of Excellence in South Africa, which I am very hopeful will give us an exciting partnership with world-class scientists in a very interesting area for the climate system, as well as being able to assist in training a new generation of African scientists in Earth System Science. We also got our contract with the Vietnamese in place, so these were also very useful side events for us. Although we are here in Durban far from snowy Bergen in Christmas preparations and mood, we still enjoy fun memories from last week s Christmas party. It was a lot of fun with surprising new elements and a great experience! Many thanks to the committee for doing such a great job! Eystein OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE SKD SENTER FOR KLIMADYNAMIKK Last week marked the official opening of the Center for Climate Dynamics (SKD) at the Bjerknes Centre. The projects under SKD started already in the spring, but the opening of the center was commemorated Thursday and Friday, December 1 2. At the university on Thursday, there was the official opening with the Minister of Research and Higher Education, Tora Aasland. Two years ago Aasland announced that the climate research environment in Bergen would get a new grant of 20 million NOK for 12 years starting in The new funds are not an extension of the SFF grant from the Research Council but for a new center with the Bjerknes Centre and its organization under the University of Bergen. The SKD includes the same partners that are part of the Bjerknes collaboration. Therefore the SKD will in many ways replace the SFF funding as the most important mechanism for the Bjerknes Centre. (continued on the next page) 1

2 On Thursday, Bjerknes scientists presented science highlights and an overview of the seven SKD research projects. This was followed by a dinner at Fløien Restaurant. On Friday at the Scandic Hotel, there were parallel scientific sessions on several themes: Climate sensitivity and thresholds, Regional climate scenarios and extremes, Natural and anthropogenic climate changes, Sea level changes, Climate predictions at interannual to decadal scales, and Carbon cycle and the marine ecosystem. The sessions were excellent and so was the food. THE PORTRAIT Name: Kim Andreas Herøy Position: Senior Secretary How long have you worked at BCCR? About 6 months Education: Besides the "School of life", I have a Legal secretary education Background: Born and raised in Bergen, Norway. I have a big family and most of them come from Fedje, a small isle one hour from Bergen. During my childhood I spent a lot of time here fishing, swimming and helping out at the farm. What is it you do exactly at work? As a secretary I do all sorts of stuff. My main responsibilities are to file papers, answer telephones, schedule appointments, handle mail, perform various office tasks, help with accommodations for travellers, and booking tickets for scientific cruises. Why the Bjerknes Centre? At first climate research wasn t really important for me. My main goal was to be a secretary in a well-established and professional organization. Then I got an assignment at the Bjerknes Centre from my temp agency earlier this year. Not only was it a good experience and an enjoyable environment to work in, but I really loved what the Bjerknes Centre stood for. It is important for me to work in a place I can grow, so when I heard a position opened up later this year I immediately applied for it. What extra curricular activities do you have? I have trained in capoeira for a long time. This Brazilian martial art is very unique since it does not only involve around fighting and defending. Among many things, it has a musical aspect as well. We learn songs in Portuguese and play various instruments. The community in a capoeira group is also very unique since many people start training for various reasons. I also love to sing. I am currently in a choir called Safir blandet kor, which has people from I also play a little guitar. Do you have a favourite song, band or artist? There is so many, hmmm. I love Rihanna, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Pussycat Dolls, Flo Rida, Timbaland, Missy Elliot, Kelis, Ke$ha, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Pink, Outcast, BEP, the list goes on and on. Your favourite food? Sushi! OMG I love it. I highly recommend Nama Sushi. The best and worst about Bergen? Hmmm, that s kinda obvious, isn t it? :) BJERKNES GFI COLLOQUIUM The Bjerknes GFI colloquium, which takes place every Monday at 11:15 in the GFI East wing auditorium, is a weekly forum for the presentation of research at BCCR and GFI. The seminar format has 45-min. talks with 15 min. for questions. A few of these slots will be reserved for visitors like the invited lecturers, but the majority is meant for Bjerknes folk. The organizers are Anders Sirevaag (anders.sirevaag@gfi.uib.no), Mirjam Glessmer (Mirjam.Glessmer@gfi.uib.no) and Mathias Trachsel (mathias.trachsel@uni.no). The next scheduled talks are: December 12, 11:15-12:00, GFI east wing auditorium Speaker: Thomas Spengler Title: How does rain affect surface pressure? December 19, 11:15-12:00, GFI east wing auditorium Speaker: Lars Henrik Smedsrud Title: Why the 'Norwegian' bit of Antarctica remains cool and melts slowly. More details about the Bjerknes GFI Colloquium can be found here: 2

3 NERSC SEMINARS A list of the Nansen Center in-house seminars can be found at: PUBLICATIONS Årthun, Marius, Ingvaldsen, Randi, Smedsrud, Lars H., Schrum, C. (2011): Dense Water formation and circulation in the Barents Sea. Deep Sea Research I, 58, PRESENTATIONS Kleiven, Helga F. (2011): Havets rolle i naturlig klimavariabilitet - hva skal til for at Golfstrømmen stopper? Havforskermøtet 2011, Royal Garden Hotel, Trondheim, November 16 17, Kleiven, Helga F. (2011): Klimautfordringene sett i et global tog regional perspektiv. Natur 2011, Artsdatabankens konferanse om biologisk mangfold, Royal Garden Hotel, Trondheim, November 15, Nøst, O. A., Biuw, M., Tverberg, V., Lydersen, C., Hattermann, T., Zhou, Q., Smedsrud, Lars H., Kovacs, K. M. (2011): Eddy overturning of the Antarctic Slope Front controls glacial melting in the Eastern Weddell Sea, J. Geophys. Res., 116, C11014, doi: /2011jc Mesquita, Michel d. S., Bader, J., Hodges, K.I., Sobolowski, S. and Keay, K. (2011): Northern Hemisphere extra-tropical storm tracks: Observations and projected changes. Météo- France, Toulouse, December 8, 2011 Smedsrud, Lars H. (2011): Klimaendringer: Globalt, lokalt, Antarktis og Arktis, Lærerkurs, Hordaland, Fylkeskommune, Bergen, November 11, BJERKNES IN THE NEWS Forsuring truer havet Fiskeribladet Fiskaren, , Richard Bellerby Nytt klimasenter åpnet På Høyden, Små forhåpninger til klimatoppmøte På Høyden, , Eystein Jansen og Helge Drange Skitten industri bremser global oppvarming Aftenbladet, , Helge Drange Gass neppe bedre enn kull Bergens Tidende, , Helge Drange Two degrees global warming P2 Ekko, , Kerim H. Nisancioglu nrk_ekko_-_et_aktuelt_samfunnsprogram_ _ mp3 Kullkraftverk-rensing er dumt Aftenposten, , Helge Drange Spor etter tsunami i Oppstrynsvatnet Fjordingen (pdf) Kristian Vasskog Vi kommer til å vasse inn i fremtiden Bergensavisen (pdf), Eystein Jansen Vi har fortsatt tid NRK.no, , Tore Furevik Vi har fortsatt tid Forskning.no, , Tore Furevik Alarmerende Adresseavisen, , Helge Drange Miljøfokuserte seniorar Midtsiden.no, , Helge Drange Mer ekstremvær i vente Dagens Næringsliv, , Asgeir Sorteberg Varsler mer ekstremvær Teknisk Ukeblad, , Asgeir Sorteberg Blant de beste i verden Forskerforum, , Eystein Jansen NRK: Her og nå Intervju med Asgeir Sorteberg i Her og nå. Innslag ca 50 min. ut i programmet. NRK Radio, bnJrLXAxpHN0YXJ0PTIwMTEtMTEtMThUMTUlM0Ew NSUzQTAwpGVuZD0yMDExLTExLTE4VDE2JTNBMDAl M0EwMKR0aXRsZT1TR1Z5SUc5bklHN2ykaW5uPTCkdX Q9MKRiaXRyYXRlPQ NRK Førkveld Intervju med Eystein Jansen. Innslag ca ti minutter ut i sending. NRK1, , Eystein Jansen Meir ekstremver UiB Aktuelt, , Asgeir Sorteberg Kraftig advarsel om mer ekstremvær Avisen Agder, , Asgeir Sorteberg

4 Vent deg våtere vintre Fædrelandsvennen, , Asgeir Sorteberg Blant de beste i verden På Høyden, , Eystein Jansen Størst tilbaketrekking av brear i Stryn Fjordingen , Atle Nesje Eurokrisen truer klimaet Dagens Næringsliv , Eystein Jansen Norwegian Tourist Attractions are Melting The Norway Post, , Helge Drange Tvil på helsa løs På Høyden, , Tore Furevik POST@BJERKNES.UIB.NO Unsure of who should be sent what? Send an for all registering of lectures, posters, final publications, meetings, and other tips to post@bjerknes.uib.no. These will find their way to the right person. MAKE YOUR MEDIA ACTIVITY COUNT! Please remember to send an about your media and outreach activity to Gudrun (gudrun.sylte@uni.no). If possible, send a direct link to the article or program (or pdf file, mp3 file or the like). If the article is not published online you can login to A-tekst (a digital news archive) via UB at: or you can buy a copy of the paper for only 12 NOK at: UPCOMING EVENTS 30th Nordic Geological Winter Meeting 2012 Reykjavik, Iceland, January More information: Bjerknes CoE and SKD Getaway Seminar 2012 January 16 18, 2012 at Dr. Holms Hotel, Geilo. Invitation has been sent to all Bjerknes CoE and SKD personnel. Registration deadline: November 25, European Research Course on Atmospheres ERCA 2012 January 9 to February 10, 2012 in Grenoble, France More information: EAAERE 2012: 2nd Congress of the East Asian Association of Environmental and Resource Economics February 2 4, 2012 in Bandung, Indonesia More information: Ocean Sciences Meeting February 20 24, 2012 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA More information: The 42nd Annual International Arctic Workshop March 7 9, 2012 in Winter Park, Colorado, USA. Abstract deadline: February 15, 2012 More information: Planet under Pressure 2012: New knowledge towards solutions March in London. More information: The 10th international Conference on Southern Hemisphere Meteorology and Oceanography: Changing southern climates April 23 27, 2012 in Noumea, New Caledonia. Early registration deadline: January 18, 2012 Conference homepage: SOLAS - Open Science Conference May 7 10, 2012 in Cle Elum, WA, USA. Deadline for abstract submission: January 11, More information: 4

5 Bjerknes Centre 10-year anniversary conference: "Climate Change in High Latitudes" September 3 6, 2012 in Bergen. Abstract submission deadline: April 13, 2012 Visit the conference web site and download first announcement flyer here: The Third International Symposium on the Ocean in a High CO 2 World September 24 27, 2012 in Monterey, California. Abstract submission deadline: April 1, More information: CALLS FOR PROPOSALS Calls for proposals for ERC Synergy Grant More information: FP7: Marie Curie Initial Training Networks (ITN): deadline January 12, Call for grant applications for INTIMATE Short Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) A number of grants for Short Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) are available for (partial) funding of research visits (1 week 6 months) between collaborating institutions. Deadline: March 1 and September 15. Read more at NFR: Stipendbasen NFR har bygget opp en nye stipendbase som gir muligheter for å søke fram mobilitetsstipend fra NFR og andre aktører. NFR: Internasjonale stipend (IS) IS tilbyr stipender til studenter og forskere som ønsker et faglig opphold i utlandet. Våre aktiviteter omfatter både personlige stipender og støtte til mobilitet av forskere og nettverksbygging mellom Norge og andre land. 5