Day: September 25, 2009

There’s Still Time to Submit an Abstract for the 2010 ESRI International User Conference

/ Matt Artz

uc“Whatever your field, position, or GIS experience, be part of the knowledge-sharing and submit an abstract for possible presentation at the event. Communicate to your peers about your best practices, successes, and innovative GIS applications. User presentations enrich the experience of both attendees and presenters. The sharing of insights, tips, and lessons learned, as well as the networking these sessions lead to, is unbeatable. We can’t wait to hear your GIS story.  Join us July 12–16, 2010, at the San Diego Convention Center in California.”

Deadline for submission: October 16, 2009

US and Vietnam Step Up Scientific Cooperation Efforts, Including GIS

/ Matt Artz

…from VietNamNet Bridge…

“International co-operation in science and research is essential for economic growth and higher living standards, an official said at a US-Viet Nam conference on scientific co-operation held yesterday, September 24, in HCM City.

“Phan Minh Tan, associate professor and director of the city’s Science and Technology Department, said scientists must co-operate to find ways to commercialise research products and apply those results in practice to serve demand.

“”We are focusing on information technology research, GIS application, new materials, bio-technology, automation, environmental resources protection, urban management, energy, computer science and industrial technology,” Tan said.”

Map of the Day: City of Portland 3D Land Use Model

/ Matt Artz

…from the ESRI Map Book, Volume 24…

Click to Enlarge City of Portland

“The City of Portland Bureau of Planning has developed a “3D land-use inventory” analytical GIS model that estimates the square footage of land use by building floor in Portland’s central city. The model, developed in ArcInfo Workstation using ARC Macro Language (AML), produces a single GIS dataset that is used to visualize the land-use information in 3D (in Google SketchUp, ArcScene, or Google Earth).

“The results are also used to generate total square footage statistics by land use for any geographic area within the central city. The two main inputs to the model are a database containing the percentage of land use by individual building floor and a GIS-based 3D model of the city, both of which were created and are maintained by the Bureau of Planning.

“Courtesy of City of Portland Bureau of Planning.”

The FullCAM Carbon Accounting Model: Development, Calibration, and Implementation for the National Carbon Accounting System

/ Matt Artz

aus_greenhouse“The Australian National Carbon Accounting System (NCAS) : supports Australia’s position in the international development of policy and guidelines on sinks activity and greenhouse gas emissions mitigation from land based systems; reduces the scientific uncertainties that surround estimates of land based greenhouse gas emissions and sequestration in the Australian context; provides monitoring capabilities for existing land based emissions and sinks, and scenario development and modelling capabilities that support greenhouse gas mitigation and the sinks development agenda through to 2012 and beyond; and provides the scientific and technical basis for international negotiations and promotes Australia’s national interests in international flora.

“Subsequent to the development of the Excel based CAMFor model for the Australian Greenhouse Office, work commenced on the development of an integrated model which combined the CAMFor model with the 3PG forest growth model, the GENDEC litter decomposition model and the Rothamsted soil carbon model (Roth C). A parallel version of the CAMFor model (CAMAg) was developed for agricultural systems and is also integrated with GENDEC and the Roth C model.

“The model developed, known as FullCAM, integrates the CAMFor and CAMAg based routines to a single C code model capable of carbon accounting in transitional (afforestation, reforestation and deforestation) and mixed (e.g. agroforestry) systems.

“The FullCAM model can be run in a spatial mode which will integrate information drawn from the remotely sensed land-cover-change program, productivity surfaces and other ancillary data to perform various accounting routines.”

Ethics Education and Scientific and Engineering Research: What’s Been Learned? What Should Be Done?

/ Matt Artz / 1 Comment

edsc…new Workshop Summary from the National Academy of Engineering…

“Increasing complexity and competitiveness in research environments, the prevalence of interdisciplinary and international involvement in research projects, and the close coupling of commerce and academia have created an ethically challenging environment for young scientists and engineers. For the past several decades, federal research agencies have supported projects to meet the need for mentoring and ethics training in graduate education in research, often called training in the responsible conduct of research. Recently, these agencies have supported projects to identify ethically problematic behaviors and assess the efficacy of ethics education in addressing them.

“With support from the National Science Foundation, the National Academy of Engineering Center for Engineering, Ethics, and Society held the workshop “Ethics Education and Scientific and Engineering Research: What’s Been Learned? What Should Be Done?” on August 25 and 26, 2008.

“The workshop, summarized in this volume, discussed the social environment of science and engineering education; the need for ethics education for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in science and engineering; models for effective programs; and assessment of approaches to ethics education, among other topics.

Hydrographers and Oceanographers from across Europe Meet to Discuss Implementing a Centralized Hydrographic Database

/ Matt Artz

hydro1…from ArcWatch…

“More than two dozen hydrographers and oceanographers from across Europe converged on Copenhagen, Denmark, earlier this year to talk about implementing a centralized hydrographic database and familiarize themselves with ArcGIS software.

“ESRI’s ArcGIS is starting to be adopted by hydrographic agencies, commercial chart producers, and naval commands for authoring and serving nautical data and products. The software supports nautical organizations in their main mission of ensuring safe sea navigation through better management of hydrographic data.

“The gathering last spring at the Naval Museum in the Danish Maritime Safety Administration (DaMSA) was ESRI’s first hydrographic and data management production seminar. Representatives from hydrographic offices and agencies from six European nations charged with producing, managing, and serving nautical charts and other maritime information attended the three-day event. ESRI plans to host similar seminars in other locations within the next year. Visit http://www.esri.com/nautical to watch for upcoming events.”

GIS Recruited in Fight against a Disease That’s Killing Bats

/ Matt Artz / 1 Comment

feature4…from ArcWatch…

“Caves have become graveyards for what biologists estimate as more than one million bats, the victims of a devastating disease known as white-nose syndrome (WNS).

“Building on the work of its partners, Bat Conservation International (BCI) is using ESRI’s ArcGIS software, provided through an ESRI conservation grant, to create a geodatabase of critical hibernation sites and map the probable spread of the disease. Understanding how WNS has spread and is expected to spread in the future will help biologists respond to the disease using surveillance and conservation actions.

“The first case of WNS in hibernating bats was discovered in a cave near Albany, New York, in February 2006. Since then, the disease is known to have killed bats in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.”

Norway Lauds Guyana’s Forestry Initiative

/ Matt Artz

logo…from Kaieteur News Online…

“Guyana is venturing into new territory with its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and it is a model-building exercise that will have challenges.

“Addressing a key workshop comprising of local and foreign experts from climate and forestry fields, the official acknowledged that the road will not be easy since “we are in a sense, charting a new course, there is no formula or blue-print to follow, rather we are developing this to suit our needs and conditions….”

“Present in Guyana from overseas for the workshop were representatives from the Clinton Foundation, US Forestry Service, Canadian Forestry Service, Winrock International, Food and Agricultural Organisation, Australia Department of Climate Change, UNDP, World Resources Institute, ESRI and the Meridien Institute.”

ESRI Commits to Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy

/ Matt Artz / 2 Comments

President in New York- September 23, 2009“U.S.-based software company, ESRI, regarded as the world leader in GIS (geographic information system) modelling and mapping software and technology, yesterday firmed-up its commitment to Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy by committing to provide the necessary software to this country, as well as the requisite training to Guyanese in the usage of the hi-tech equipment, so that the world can see first hand the imagery of Guyana’s vast tropical rainforest.

“ESRI’s President Mr. Jack Dangermond gave this commitment to President Bharrat Jagdeo during a meeting the two had at the Office of Guyana’s Permanent Mission at the UN, in New York.”