Responses to regional incidents, whether caused by natural disaster, catastrophic accident, or terrorist events call for unprecedented levels of collaboration between federal, state, and local government agencies. Maps, images, and other types of information can provide a common "geospatial canvas" to support collaboration among these agencies in analysis and planning phases, and execution of multi-agency responses. This geospatial canvas serves as a backdrop for accurate and timely location awareness, ensuring that coordinated operations are being carried out safely and efficiently. Additional technology, such as sensors and video systems can add a much needed dynamic aspect to the geospatial canvas by providing early warnings, visual cues, and other vital information that make for execution of more efficient operations.

Abstract: Climate has evolved from a topic dealt with by a few bookish, pocket-protector scientists to a multi-billion dollar industry that has begun to drive legislative policy on Capitol Hill, to embolden high-profile environmental activists, to capture academy awards, to produce legal action in federal courts and to create anxiety among the largest industries (and thus people) of the world. Once out of the scientific standards of hypothesis testing, the subject has taken on a life of its own with parallels to fervent religious movements (... believing is easier than calculus). However, as Lord Kelvin said, "All Science is Numbers."
The University of Alabama-Huntsville has one of the few research centers which actually builds from scratch the types of datasets which describe variations and trends in climate. These may come from digital counts of satellite sensors, to individual balloon ascents to long-dormant dusty files of African weather data in a British library. What do these data sets reveal? Changes we have published and will show here are very often at odds with the scary projections from climate model simulations. We do not see the alarming changes in the climate system so often promoted in the media today. I will also touch on my recent testimony in Federal Court on "reality vs. perception" in a real-world case involving climate change which has the potential to make every part of your life more expensive for no measurable outcome.

Each member will wrap up conference results (City Applications, State GIS Committee, Military Applications, etc.) - Directions Media will present awards for poster session; Cash Drawing for registered attendees only from Directions Media