While we are polar opposites, and Dr. Schmidt can’t find it within himself to respond to any of my emails or to allow my comments and many others to appear on RealClimate, let me offer congratulations anyway.
New Award from the American Geophysical Union Recognizes Excellence in Climate Communications
AGU Release No. 11–34 18 October 2011
WASHINGTON, DC — In recognition of his exceptional work as a climate communicator, the American Geophysical Union (AGU) has selected Gavin Schmidt as the recipient of its inaugural Climate Communications Prize.
Schmidt is a climate scientist at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and co-founder of the RealClimate.org, a blog that covers areas of science related to climate-from present-day measurements to paleoclimate proxies, from natural climate variation to anthropogenic change. Schmidt has also worked with photographers on a popular science book, on museum exhibits, and on online courses and has often appeared on TV and radio and in print.
The award, which was established by AGU earlier this year, recognizes excellence in climate communication as well as the promotion of scientific literacy, clarity of messaging, and efforts to foster respect and understanding for science-based values related to climate change.
“AGU created this award to raise the visibility of climate change as a critical issue facing the world today, to demonstrate our support for scientists who commit themselves to the effective communication of climate change science, and to encourage more scientists to engage with the public and policy makers on how climate research can contribute to the sustainability of our planet,” said AGU president Michael McPhaden. “That’s why we are so pleased to recognize Gavin for his dedicated leadership and outstanding scientific achievements. We hope that his work will serve as an inspiration for others.”
Schmidt said, “Talking to the public and the media is often neglected in assessing people’s contributions, and yet, as taxpayer-funded scientists we have a collective responsibility to share the expertise we have with the broader public. I’m very happy that the efforts I’ve made-in collaboration with many colleagues-have been recognized by this new award. I hope that this can serve as an encouragement for more scientists to dip their toe into the public discussions.”
The prize, which comes with a $25,000 cash award, is sponsored by Nature’s Own, a Boulder, Colo.-based company specializing in the sale of minerals, fossils, and decorative stone specimens.
“This award will help increase communication of our scientific understanding of climate change and its consequences, and I congratulate Gavin for all that he has accomplished and what it means for the scientific community,” said Nature’s Own president and founder Roy Young, an AGU member. “Gavin has worked tirelessly to bring the work of scientists in understanding our changing world to both the public debate as well as to the broader scientific community.”
The award will be presented to Schmidt in December during the honors celebration at AGU’s Fall Meeting in San Francisco.
The American Geophysical Union is a not-for-profit, professional, scientific organization with more than 60,000 members representing over 148 countries. AGU advances the Earth and space sciences through its scholarly publications, conferences, and outreach programs.
h/t to Dr. Leif Svalgaard
the appeal to authority. The basis for the entire CAGW movement apparently needed more authority.
According to Dr. Gavin Schmidt, the recipient of the 2011 Excellence in Climate Communications Award, blah blah blah blah blah….
ooh, impressive, it must be true….
see how it works.
Well, the establishment showers its most favoured servants with special honours, for being good little servants.
Good on ya Anthony. You did the right thing.
Congrats Gavin.
As a U.S. taxpayer, I pay Schmidt’s salary. But he doesn’t respond to my e-mails, either.
It is to my eternal shame that I am a member of the same Oxford College as Gavin Schmidt. As the Bible has it ‘Jesus Wept’
It is time to fess up that John Houghton was also a fellow. And John Krebs of the UK Climate Change Committee is the current Principal.
Sorry!
Deadpan mockery. Very subtle touch. Let’s call it the “Cool Hand Luke” award.
So this is the AGU’s idea of science communication.
Speaking of the AGU; here’s something from Chris Mooney’s photo album:
“Gavin and I”
http://www.myspace.com/chrismooney/photos/3520879#%7B%22ImageId%22%3A3520879%7D
dougsherman says:
October 20, 2011 at 10:45 am
ooh, impressive, it must be true….
————————————————-
Or the “I saw it on the telly so it must be true” syndrome. How to influence (with a view to subsequently manipulating) public opinion, lesson 101. The mainstream media reports these examples of institutional and corporate self-pleasuring, because that’s what the MSM does. It is completely owned and directed by corporate or institutional interests, who are all part of the same ruthless, murderous, mafia-style global gang.
When I saw the post the other day about the award on RC I couldn’t help but worry they were at risk of dislocating their collective shoulders.
My congratulations are extended to Dr. Schmidt. He stands above the other nominees and joins prior recipients of this disinguished award.
You can see the prior notables and the rigorous criteria applied by the AGU at their press release page here:
http://www.agu.org/news/press/pr_archives/2011/2011-34.shtml
Long overdue recognition for Gavin who works selflessly, in his spare time, to educate the Public
about the catastrophic consequences of Climate Change and combat the well-funded “Denier Machine” (sarc).
“AGU created this award to raise the visibility of climate change as a critical issue facing the world today, to demonstrate our support for scientists who commit themselves to the effective communication of climate change science, and to encourage more scientists to engage with the public and policy makers on how climate research can contribute to the sustainability of our planet,” said AGU president Michael McPhaden.
IN other words, they created it specifically to give to Gavin! I have just created an award “Head of Household of the year in my Household,” with the only problem being i don’t have $25,000 to give to myself. Sigh.
I had no idea that he was British. I would like to apologise on behalf of the UK for this person of ours who has not the courtesy to reply to Anthony’s mails.
I find it odd that he has the same beard style as Mann, and Richard Black (the eminent pseudo-climate scientist-cum-global-warming-alarmist-reporter on the BBC). Have they all been seen in the same room together?
Please note, Brits. Gavin is speaking on 3rd April in the 6th of a series of 10 lectures from now until next June at Cardiff University UK. Contact me if you’ve a mind to go.
http://www.severnestuary.net/sep/pdfs/enews/Climate.pdf
Now I’ve done a presentation myself. I think it’s a brilliant presentation and firstrate science. I adapted and enlarged Warren Meyer’s work. But, er, will Cardiff let me present this in their series??? No, no, of course not. Conflicting science doesn’t exist, of course. As Gavin explains, in U-tube above,
Clearly my presentation is not science but religion and politics.
When NASA is finally forced to cough up the records and we can determine how much public time goes into realclimate, I expect the taxpayers can file for a piece of that $25,000.
Don’t go spending it all, Gavin.
Al Gore, the non-scientist fraud, got a half million dollars (half a Nobel prize) and all Gavin got was a lousy twenty-five grand. Ouch. That must hurt.
uh huh. “Inaugural”. How many other yearly awards for communications regarding science does AGU offer?
Bosses favourite gets “salesman of the month” award.
I congratulated him, and in a response to a critical comment I posted this: I am disappointed that a few of my posts were deleted or boreholed, but that’s no more important than stubbing my toe while hiking in the forest.
He is getting the award for what is in fact a good blog. that I might identify some imperfections hardly matters. Every responsible blogmaster “snips” some entries.
Considering that none of the reasons given for awarding it to him is true, this is pretty hard to choke down. Like observing incest; amusement for the twisted.
Well-deserved, but not in the way they intended. I credit Gavin, more than any other individual, with redirecting my initial positive interest in AGW towards skepticsm.
RealClimate was the first place I went to when I became concerned about this AGW thing. If it hadn’t been for Gavin, I might have been happily reading RealClimate all along.
After I realized, from his offensive (in multiple meanings) style and they strange way that comment threads seemed to end when Gavin had the last sarcastic word, that RealClimate was a propaganda site, I went to other sites, such as this one, the Bishop’s, and of course Climateaudit, and realized that AGW wasn’t science as I understood science at all, but rather politics, and of a particularly dirty kind.
I have since then read many others who said the same thing.
To be recognized by one’s peers is to be expected in the case of G. Schmidt. Some may not respect him and his team as professionals, others do. In the science of the Earth’s climate system, I think he is not a net positive influence.
Congratulations to Gavin on your award.
John
Who is that Anthony about who people talk more than about Gavin?
AGU’s credibility: plouf!