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October 2013 (upcoming event)

Workshop on Human-Carbon Interactions in Urban Systems at NCAR OEL atrium in Boulder, Colorado, from October 16 to 18, 2013: The U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program/CCIWG is sponsoring a workshop to examine the state of the science and gaps in knowledge related to the societal and physical factors affecting carbon dynamics in urban systems and decision-making feedbacks. The focus will be on urban systems and their surrounding land transformation as a rich subset of the broader human-carbon interactions in an effort to simplify this first attempt at building and socializing an interdisciplinary research community. The outcome of the workshop will be a foundational paper that will serve as an input for a truly integrated research solicitation or program on Human-Carbon Interactions in Urban Systems. For more details, please contact the workshop Coordinators: Paty Romero-Lankao (NCAR), Kevin Gurney (ASU) and/or Karen Seto (Yale).

August 2013 (upcoming event)

"Key Uncertainties in the Global Carbon-Cycle: Perspectives across terkevirestrial and ocean ecosystems" The workshop will be August 6-10, 2013 at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, CO. The workshop seeks to develop a multi-disciplinary approach to global carbon cycle science by integrating knowledge from both land and ocean communities. We are bringing in a great group of leading carbon-cycle scientists from both the marine and terrestrial communities during the middle week of the three-week ASP summer graduate student colloquium. The sessions and discussions will focus on key challenges facing both communities and the innovative approaches being taken to address these challenges. Topics include nutrient cycle controls on carbon cycling, remineralization pathways and controls, the role of individuals in ecosystem dynamics, the role of physical climate variability in carbon cycling, and the use of data to constrain climate feedbacks. Additional information can be found on the ASP site: http://www.asp.ucar.edu/colloquium/2013/index.php. The U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program is co-sponsoring this workshop with NCAR ASP, U.S. CLIVAR and OCB.

May 2013

EOS article published: An article summarizing the major outcomes of the 4th biennial NACP All Investigators' Meeting held in February 2013 was published in Eos, Vol. 94, No. 20 on May 14, 2013. Scientists from the NACP community and US Carbon Program Office Director are among the lead authors.

CCIWG Retreat: The CCIWG met for an all-day strategic review and discussion of recent and upcoming activities at NASA HQ on May 28, 2013.

April 2013

Global Carbon Project (GCP) meeting at IIASA: The U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program Office presented the Program’s short and long-term USGCRP aligned priorities and discussed potential future actvities with the GCP. The GCP Scientific Steering Group (SSG) discussed the newly developed Global Carbon Atlas and the newly formulated goals of 'Future Earth' to which the GCP belongs. The GCP-IIASA workshop on 'negative emissions'immediately preceded the SSG meeting, which will yield a series of international papers on this emission reduction option's science, technology and policy aspects.

26th meeting of the CCSSG, NACP SSG meeting and First joint meeting of the CCSSG and the NACP SSG: The US Carbon Program Office and the CCIWG organized the historically first joint meeting of the CCSSG and the NACP SSG on April 23, 2013. Both SSGs reflected upon their existing strengths and missions and brainstormed paths for the future, including scientific questions, issues and possible new initiatives to address them. The individual 26th CCSSG meeting and the NACP SSG meeting were organized respectively before and after this meeting. The outcomes of all 3 meetings will aid the CCIWG in its strategic planning for future prioritization activities for the benefit of the carbon cycle science community. 

February 2013

NASA-ROSES Solicitation released on 2/14/2013 NEW!!!

NASA Carbon Cycle Science Solicitation, produced in collaboration with members of the Carbon Cycle Interagency Working Group (CCIWG), can be accessed via this link http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId={2EBEDEA0-817D-D318-55C3-BC5086A4AB70}&path=open

4th North American Carbon Program (NACP) All-Investigators Meeting

The Carbon Cycle Science Interagency Working Group (CCIWG) and the U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program Office staff from USGCRP, Gyami Shrestha, helped organize the 4th North American Carbon Program (NACP) All-Investigators Meeting (AIM4) in Albuquerque, NM, from February 4 to 7, 2013. Over 400 carbon cycle scientists from the US, Canada, Mexico and other nations attended the meeting. CCIWG co-chair Nancy Cavallaro (USDA) summarized the structure, functions, and priorities the CCIWG and US Carbon Program within the USGCRP framework. A CCIWG and U.S. Carbon Program Office panel discussion followed the CCIWG talk. Other sessions encompassed the current and future carbon budget for North America, approaches for communicating the science of climate change and science information needs for decision makers and international negotiations, including talks by NOAA’s Ko Barrett, and the National Climate Assessment’s Kathy Jacobs. The NACP was established in 2002 in response to Goal 1 of the 1999 Carbon Cycle Science Plan (i.e. quantify and understand the Northern Hemisphere terrestrial carbon sink). Its design addresses strategic research question 7.1 in the U.S. Climate Change Science Program Strategic Plan (2003) regarding the magnitudes and distributions of North American carbon sources and sinks on seasonal to centennial time scales, and the processes controlling their dynamics. For more information about the meeting: http://www.nacarbon.org/meeting_2013/index.htm

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U.S. Scientists call for integrated study of carbon cycle

In Sepetmber 2011, the carbon cycle science community in the United States finished its planning process for carbon cycle research for the upcoming decade. This reassessment of the U.S. carbon cycle science priorities was initiated by the U.S. Carbon Cycle Interagency Working Group (CCIWG) and the Carbon Cycle Science Steering Group (CCSSG) in 2008. This planning process culminated in the publication of the new U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Plan. The new Plan is intended to provide guidance for U.S. research efforts on the global carbon cycle for the next decade. The Plan outlines priorities for research in carbon cycle science, including a substantial expansion in the scope of the field. In addition to reaffirming the need for basic research and for continuing the current areas of research in carbon cycle science, the Plan outlines specific recommendations for new priorities....Read entire summary of recommendations here or see 2011 Carbon Cycle Science Plan summary flier (1 page, PDF )

Printed copiesand CD of 'A U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Plan (2011): A Report of the Carbon Cycle Science Steering Group and Subcommittee, Anna Michalak, Rob Jackson, Gregg Marland, Chris Sabine, Co-Chairs' [PDF] can be requested from the U.S Carbon Cycle Science Program Office, Dr. Gyami Shrestha at gshrestha[at]usgcrp.gov.

Background on Carbon Cycle Science Planning: The new 2011 Plan outlines a strategy for refocusing U.S. carbon cycle research based on the current state of the science. The development of this Plan was led by a committee of 25 active members of the carbon cycle research community, and the result is intended to provide U.S. funding agencies with information on community-based research priorities for carbon cycle science over the next decade. Please follow this link for further background information on the 2011 Carbon Cycle Science Plan.

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