The American Meteorological Society has decided to do something about the weather--or at least what it claims is the government's relative inattention to atmospheric policy. The society has put up $400,000 to address the problem and has recruited two prominent National Science Foundation officials--former atmospheric division director Richard Greenfield and outgoing geosciences chief Robert Corell--to lead the effort from its Washington, D.C., office.
The Atmospheric Policy Program represents a "considerable investment" for the 12,000-member Boston-based organization, says executive director Ronald McPherson. The idea, he says, is to self-fund a few studies on hot topics--such as the growing commercialization of weather data--then persuade agencies and other funders to pick up the tab for future activities. Although the program won't lobby the government on legislation, Greenfield says he hopes to provide graduate students and professionals with a better understanding of atmospheric research. "I can't name anybody at the top levels of government with a strong background in atmospheric sciences," McPherson says.
