February18, 2009 | The Community Climate System Model has received a 2009 Colorado Governor's Award for its research impact on climate science. Governor Bill Ritter presented the award to Peter Gent (ESSL/CGD) on behalf of the CCSM community during a reception at the Governor's Residence in Denver on February 17.

 Run on NCAR’s powerful supercomputers, CCSM experiments provide insights into many aspects of the Earth's climate system by simulating the complex influences of the oceans, atmosphere, land surface, and sea ice on global climate. The simulations allow scientists to project how temperatures and precipitation are likely to change in response to continued increases in greenhouse gas concentrations.

The CCSM has been developed over the past decade at NCAR through a large collaboration of scientists from across the research community. The model uses open source code and data, making it freely available for use by a variety of entities. CCSM projections are among those used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

 Peter, who serves as CCSM principal investigator at NCAR, notes that "This award not only recognizes the significance of climate models to our understanding of climate science, but also the work done by scientists and support staff at NCAR and in the community to improve the accuracy of the CCSM climate projections."

 Other Colorado-based federal research laboratories receiving the 2009 Governor’s Award are: the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder; JILA, Boulder; the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden; the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, Boulder; and the USDA National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins.

February 9, 2009 | Several GLOBE staff traveled to Geneva, Switzerland in late January for the Global Climate Change Research and Education Workshop, held at the offices of the World Meteorological Organization.

 The goal of the workshop was to begin planning for the GLOBE Student Research Campaign on Climate Change, which kicks off in 2011 and culminates with an international student research conference in 2013. Representatives from the climate science and climate education communities met to identify research questions and shape the campaign’s focus.

 As part of the campaign, millions of students around the world will have the chance to participate in research activities designed to enhance climate literacy and understanding for themselves and their communities. GLOBE leaders hope the campaign will empower students, teachers, and community members to take action on climate-related environmental issues, and expect it to create a model for 21st century environmental science education. The program is enlisting the support of some of the world's leading climate change scientists, education experts, businesses, foundations, and policymakers.

January 14, 2009 | The 2009 UCAR Health and Benefits Fair takes place March 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Center Green. The fair, sponsored by the Wellness Advisory Committee, is free and open to UCAR employees, retirees, spouses/partners, and dependent children 18-25 years old.

 A sample of some of the fair’s attractions includes blood screening results and private consultations; screenings for osteoporosis, skin cancer, vision and hearing, and lung capacity; body mass analysis; chiropractic assessments and resources; organ donor information; chair massage; acupuncture; nutritional resources; fitness demonstrations; health and wellness information booths; refreshments; and prizes and giveaways. This year’s fair will also feature new vendors, services, and resources.

 Staff and others who wish to participate in the blood screening must register for blood draw sessions, which are held prior to the fair at each of UCAR’s main facilities. A 12-hour fast is required, and light refreshments are provided. For information on scheduling blood draw appointments and claiming screening results, check Today@UCAR or visit Health Promotions Management's registration site.

December 15, 2008 | About two dozen staff toured the Boulder County Recycling Center on December 4 to learn more about the life cycles of milk cartons, newspapers, soda cans, and other discarded items. The facility, located in east Boulder near Arapahoe and 63rd Street, is owned by the county but run by Eco-Cycle. Sustainable UCAR planned the visit and, in the spirit of conservation, arranged for the UCAR shuttles to provide rides.

 After watching an introductory video, participants headed up to the factory floor, where they watched people and machines hard at work sorting giant streams of recyclables. The facility installed new machines last year that can sort single-stream recycling based on weight, shape, and material, but there’s still a need for a watchful human eye and quick hands. Last month, Boulder launched a curbside composting program that is currently being implemented.

One of the interesting tidbits revealed during the tour is that all glass that leaves the facility finds a second life at Coors Brewing Company. Participants also learned a great deal about recycling etiquette: Rinse all milk cartons, don’t recycle shredded paper (it’s too small for the machines), throw bottle lids and caps into the trash rather than recycling them, and don’t place recyclables in the bin inside plastic bags. The fluorescent “stickie” notes ubiquitous in offices are not recyclable, nor are frozen food boxes, which have a petroleum-based plastic coating. Clean, dry plastic bags can be recycled at Eco-Cycle, which is a pleasant walk from Foothills and Center Green.