Steven Pawson attends the COP-21 Meeting in Paris, France
12.6-12.11.2015
Running in parallel with the negotiating sessions at COP-21 (Conference of Parties 21), the U.S. State Department organized a series of activities at the U.S. Center. The U.S. Center is the public outreach space the United States organizes to engage audiences around the world about the U.S. actions on climate change, whether they are in Paris or viewing programs through the web. Along with a series of panel debates and presentations, as well as other presentations, NOAA and NASA were represented. NOAA staff gave three "Science on a Sphere" presentations each day, while NASA staff gave three presentations on the hyperwall. In the first week of COP-21, NASA were represented by Jack Kaye (HQ) and Michele Gierach (JPL). For the second week, Steven Pawson (GSFC) and Patrick Taylor (LaRC) took on the responsibility.
Steven gave multiple showings of each of three hyperwall presentations. The first, "Earth from Space" gave an overview of NASA's past, present and future satellite missions. The second, "Atmospheric Composition and Aerosols" took a look at how NASA can observe air pollution from space and represent in in numerical models. Finally, "Observations of Forests and Biodiversity" showed how NASA can monitor the extent and health of plant life on the planet.
Steven gave a focused presentation entitled "Satellite Observations, Models and Policy: Informing the Path from Knowledge to Action" — this presentation highlighted how NASA observations and models have been used to contribute to the understanding of the impacts of major national and international decisions on the state of the planet. Issues addressed included the detection of the ozone hole and the monitoring of the impacts of the Montreal Protocol on global ozone levels. The detection from space of reductions in air pollution because of strict emissions limitations was used as an example of the power of space-agency observations in national and international decision making. These ideas were used to suggest a future role for NASA in detecting changes in carbon dioxide emissions and uptake and monitoring the global carbon cycle.
Along with Philippe Ciais, Bernard Pinty, and PascaleUltré-Guerard, Steven participated in a panel discussion "Interactions du CO2 avec le système terrestre : systèmes d'observation des flux de CO2 à l'échelle du globe" in the French Pavilion. This discussion was moderated by French journalist, Fabienne Chauvière.
