Peter Pulsifer: Arctic Observations, Data, and Society - 4 October 2017
Presentations
Arctic Observations, Data, and Society: Using Systems Science and Mediation to Enhance Information Flow for Sustainability
Recent environmental and social change has resulted in an increased focus on the Arctic region by governments and the general public. Much of this interest is generated in the context of the concept of sustainability and the global implications of a changing Arctic. Concurrently, there is a recognition by researchers, Arctic communities and decision makers that Arctic observations and data are not readily available in a usable form to all who need them. This talk provides a review of Arctic data as a complex system of interrelated data resources, technology, funding, human and machine actors and other components that can be seen as an "ecosystem". To improve the flow of information will require more than simply making data easier to discover and access in its raw form. New approaches to mediating or transforming data to meet the needs of different user communities are needed and increasingly possible. Enhancing the system will require a broad commitment to dialogue across different communities of practice and a recognition of the need to conceive of data and related technologies as infrastructure that can interoperate from local to global scales. The talk concludes with a review of existing and emerging projects and programs focused on Arctic data.
