The Climate System Analysis Group at the University of Cape Town is a unique research group within Africa. We have an eclectic mix of specialties, but most importantly we put the needs of developing nation users at the forefront of everything we do. As a result, CSAG seeks to apply our core research to meet the knowledge needs of responding to climate variability and change.
Okay, maybe not everything. However, when discussing climate science it’s inevitable at some point the conversation will turn to the subject of ‘the future’. Often in the form a question like “So what’s going to happen?”, at times meant in quite precise terms. In some ways it’s a quite flattening question. Unfortunately, I’m not very… Read more »
South African Society for Atmospheric Sciences (SASAS) organizes an annual conference, and this year, the event precipitated on the deep outskirts of Pretoria over 21-22 September. What sets this year apart is that, although officially attached to University of Pretoria, it was organized by a cross-institutional organizing committee composed entirely of women. The conference is… Read more »
During a conversation last week, a fellow CSAG-er casually mentioned that the probability of precipitation depended on the day of the week. I found this to be puzzling – after all, what does the weather know of the days of the week? A search of the literature uncovered that this theory is plausible, and that… Read more »
Found this gem of a poem on the internet the other day, and thought that it perfectly captured the type of pondering we tend to do regarding the climate, weather, and life in general. The poem is entitled “Children’s Song” and it’s by Ford Madox Ford [1]. Sometimes wind and sometimes rain, Then the sun… Read more »
(The paradox of this post is that it is probably not purely objective) “One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much bullshit. Everyone knows this. Each of us contributes his share. But we tend to take the situation for granted. Most people are rather confident of their ability… Read more »
Chief Scientific Officer: Applied Climate Science (closing 27 August) For more details please see the University of Cape Town website here
Teaching, learning, and collaboration can be very challenging tasks, complicated by the fact that doing any of them well is often pretty much impossible if you aren’t attempting the other two at the same time. They also essentially define the job description for any project I’ve seen the research group be involved in. So in… Read more »
After Graduation, one feels a sense of accomplishment, yet at the same time, there are various questions one thinks about. Now what? Am I ready to enter the workforce? Do I have the qualifications to acquire an entry level job? These questions rushed around inside my head as I contemplated my next move. After I moved back home… Read more »
When did climate science research become about what the user wants? When did climate science start having an interested “user”? A quick google of the definition of “research”: the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions. Nowhere in that definition does it mention that… Read more »