date: Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:47:55 +0200
from: Richard Somerville <rsomerville@ucsd.edu>
subject: Invitation
to: Helge Drange <helge.drange@nersc.no>, Michael Prather <mprather@uci.edu>, <John.Church@csiro.au>, <anny.cazenave@cnes.fr>, <david.parker@metoffice.gov.uk>, Piers Forster <piers@env.leeds.ac.uk>, peter.lemke@awi.de, Nathan Bindoff <n.bindoff@utas.edu.au>, jto@u.arizona.edu, Phil Jones <p.jones@uea.ac.uk>, richard.wood@metoffice.gov.uk, stocker@climate.unibe.ch

<x-flowed>
Dear Colleagues,

I have been asked to organize a session on climate change at a rather 
unusual meeting to take place in Venice, Italy, December 17 - 19, 
2008.  This email is an invitation to you to attend.

The meeting is described at http://www.itrevolutions.org/  and if you 
scroll down, you will see a theme on climate change.  I have also 
pasted below some descriptive material that was sent to me.

The event is held under the auspices of an information technology and 
computer science organization described at  http://www.icst.org and 
having strong links to the business community.  It is thus not one 
that has had much previous contact with the climate science research 
community.

The location is attractive, and the meeting offers the promise of 
interacting with a wide range of stimulating people.  Unfortunately, 
the organizers cannot offer financial support.  There is also a 
conflict with the AGU meeting in San Francisco.

Can you please send me a quick preliminary indication of your 
potential interest in participating?  Your response will not commit 
you to anything, but it will help me give the organizers some feeling 
for how the community reacts to the proposed climate change theme. 
Thank you in advance.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,


Richard C. J. Somerville
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
University of California, San Diego, USA

http://richardsomerville.com

******************************************************************************
In December 2008 (17-19, Venice, Italy) IT Revolutions 
(http://www.itrevolutions.org/) will bring together funding agencies 
and government representatives from around the world - with 
corporations and visionary academic contributors - to set future 
directions in ensuring a smooth transition while enabling IT to 
unleash its full power in serving the world.

The Forum is structured around the Themes - and we will have position 
papers for each Theme.  IT Revolutions is envisioned as an 
opportunity to raise awareness to the major challenges facing the IT 
community.

We want to have plenary sessions with the Keynotes from each Theme - 
then we will split into parallel sessions - workshop style - for each 
Theme. In addition - each Theme will have its own panel with the 
funding reps and companies to discuss the way forward - and we will 
have a joint panel with the funding agencies for all Themes - to see 
how they all converge / diverge.

Each Theme Chair is one of the most prominent / emerging leaders in 
their areas and will deliver one of the Keynotes for their Themes (as 
Chairs they may select other position papers to become Keynotes to be 
presented in the IT Revlutions planery forum.)

For all Themes we are seeking:

1. Position papers debating the paradox as it relates to the respective Theme.

2. Panels with industry and academia including funding agency rep. 
and government reps.  These shall be international.

3. 'Inter-Theme' panel discussions crafting future directions that 
will conclude the IT Revolutions meeting. These directions will be 
published by the ICST as a reference for where we are and where we 
shall invest our efforts.
******************************************************************************
</x-flowed>
