CAN-DOO: Climate Action Network Through Direct Observations And Outreach

ASU Author/Contributor (non-ASU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
James P. Sherman PhD, Professor (Creator)
Howard S. Neufeld Ph.D., Professor (Contributor)
Institution
Appalachian State University (ASU )
Web Site: https://library.appstate.edu/

Abstract: 2011 Fall Southeast Regional Space Grant Meeting, September 9, 2011. The urgency of climate change demands a greater understanding of our climate system, not only by the leaders of today, but by the scientists, policy makers, and citizens of tomorrow. Unfortunately, a large segment of the population currently possesses inadequate knowledge of climate science. In direct response to a need for greater scientific literacy with respect to climate science, researchers from Appalachian State University's Appalachian Atmospheric Interdisciplinary Research (AppalAIR) group, with support from NASA, have developed CAN-DOO: the Climate Action Network through Direct Observations and Outreach. CAN-DOO addresses climate science literacy by 1) Developing the infrastructure for sustaining and expanding public outreach through long-term climate measurements capable of complementing existing NASA measurements, 2) Enhancing public awareness of climate science and NASA's role in advancing our understanding of the Earth System, and 3) Introducing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics principles to homeschooled, public school, and Appalachian State University students through applied climate science activities. Project partners include the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute, and local elementary schools. In partnership with Grandfather Mountain, climate science awareness is promoted through citizen science activities, interactive public displays, and staff training. CAN-DOO engages students by involving them in the entire scientific investigative process as applied to climate science. We introduce local elementary and middle school students, homeschooled students throughout North Carolina, and undergraduate students in a new Global Climate Change course and select other courses at Appalachian State University to instrument assembly, measurement techniques, data collection, hypothesis testing, and drawing conclusions. Results are placed in the proper context via comparisons with other student data products, local research-grade measurements, and NASA measurements. Several educational modules have been developed that address specific topics in climate science. The modules are scalable and have been successfully implemented at levels ranging from 2nd grade through first-year graduate as well as with citizen science groups. They also can be applied in user-desired segments to a variety of Earth Science units. In this paper, we will introduce the project activities and present results from the first year of observations and outreach, with a special emphasis on two of the developed modules, the surface energy balance and aerosol optical depth module.

Additional Information

Publication
Taubman, B. & Sherman, James & Perry, Baker & Markham, J. & Kelly, G.. (2011). CAN-DOO: The Climate Action Network through Direct Observations and Outreach. Conference Proceeding, 2011 Fall Southeast Regional Space Grant Meeting, September 9, 2011. http://appalair.appstate.edu/can-doo
Language: English
Date: 2011
Keywords
climate change, climate science, Appalachian Atmospheric Interdisciplinary Research (AppalAIR), CAN-DOO: the Climate Action Network through Direct Observations and Outreach, Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute

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