【Study Session for Media and Weather Forecasters】 “Current State of Communicating the Connection Between Extreme Weather and Climate Change” Will Be Held in Tokyo
We will hold a Study Session seminar “Current State of Communicating the Connection Between Extreme Weather and Climate Change ~ Latest Trends of Meteorological Research Institute and Leading Examples from Overseas” with weather forecasters and weather casters calling for the initiative, on May 22, 2024.
We will invite speakers from Meteorological Research Institute and from overseas, and it is an opportunity to get some tips that can be used in daily reporting or forecasts.
Weather forecasts and news reports are a part of daily life for audiences, and they provide a great opportunity for them to become aware of the causes of the extreme weather they are experiencing in their daily life.
We hope that you can make use of these contents for your everyday reporting and activities.
▶︎Press release of this study session
■ About this study session
In the latest IPCC report, scientific evidence now proves that disasters are becoming more severe due to climate change and that there is “no doubt” that they are caused by human activity.
We will ask IPCC authors and the Meteorological Research Institute for the latest developments and report on the current situation, in which we are now able to get a glimpse of the climate change behind the continuing extreme weather and heatwaves.
The speakers will also introduce some of the leading examples from overseas”communicating the connection between extreme weather and climate change” and suggestions for Japan.
In addition, Ms. Hiroko Ida and Mr. Akira Masaki, who is leading this initiative, will share in advance the unpublished survey results of over 130 weather forecasters, and a joint statement by weather forecasters.
The session is press available, so please join us.
■ Title
“Current State of Communicating the Connection Between Extreme Weather and Climate Change” ~ Latest Trends of Meteorological Research Institute and Leading Examples from Overseas”
Date: 2024/5/22 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Location: City Lab TOKYO 3-1-1, TOKYO SQARE GARDEN 6F, Kyobashi Chuo city, Tokyo *This seminar will also be streamed on ZOOM
Host: Weather forecasters and weather casters calling for the initiative / Media is Hope
Supporting Organization: United Nations Information Centre(UNIC) / United Nations University (UNU)
Capacity: 50 in person, 300 offline (*Reception will end once capacity is reached)
Subject：Media and Weather forecasters *TV, radio, web media / weather forecasters and meteorologist in various kinds of media
Register: Application Form
Schedule
10:00-10:10
Opening remarks (by host),
Supporting message (by Kaoru Nemoto: Director of United Nations Information Center)
10:10-10:20
Severe impacts of climate change on weather
( by Seita Emori: Climate Scientist / An author of IPCC)
10:20-10:45
Introduction of cases from overseas[Communicating the Connection Between Extreme Weather and Climate Change] (Covering Climate Now*)
*A global media collaboration to cover climate change, with over 500 media outlets from 50 countries
10:45-11:00
Current status and future developments of Event Attribution research in Japan ( Meteorological Research Institute)
11:00-11:15
Suggestions for undertaking it in Japan (host, weather forecasters)
Results of the “We asked 100 weather forecasters! Climate change survey” and the joint statement
11:15-11:30
Q&A session followed by conclusion
*There will be time for social interaction after the study session, so we recommend that you attend in person.The contents of this seminar is press available, so please join us!
Future Developments of [Joint statements by weather casters]
A press conference is scheduled for Wednesday, June 5, regarding the [ joint statement by the weather casters].
The time will be between 13:00 and 15:00, and the location is currently being coordinated with the United Nations University.
Details of the conference will be announced at this study session, and we hope you will continue to pay close attention to it in conjunction with this event.
Speakers
■ Kaoru Nemoto: Director of United Nations Information Center
She has worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Geneva Headquarters, as a spokesperson for the WFP United Nations World Food Programme, and as the Executive Director of Japan Association for UNHCR. After working as a freelance journalist, she was appointed to her current position in August 2013.
https://www.unic.or.jp/info/un_agencies_japan/unic/?lang=en
The UN Information Centre and media climate campaign, ““1.5°C Commitment – Move Now to Stop the Temperature Raise” will continue into 2024 with the participation of 160 media companies. Aiming to communicate ideas that make climate change a personal issue and propose action to solve it.
■ Seita Emori: Climate Scientist, Professor at the Institute For Future Vision, Initiatives of university of Tokyo
Seita Emori is a Professor at the Institute for Future Initiatives(IFI), the University of Tokyo (UTokyo).
He joined National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) as Researcher in 1997 after completing his doctorate in the University of Tokyo. He took an external assignment to conduct research using the Earth Simulator at Frontier Research System for Global Change in 2001 and returned to NIES as Senior Researcher in 2004. He has been working as Chief of Climate Risk Assessment Section, Center for Global Environmental Research, NIES, since 2006. His area of specialty is future projections and risk studies of climate change. He is a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 5th and 6th Assessment Report (AR5 and AR6).
https://ifi.u-tokyo.ac.jp/people/emori-seita/
■ Hiroaki Kawase: Senior Research Officer, Department of Applied Meteorology Research, Meteorological Research Institute, Japan Meteorological Agency
After working at the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology and the National Institute for Environmental Studies, he joined the Meteorological Research Institute of the Japan Meteorological Agency in 2014. His research focuses on climate change prediction research in Japan using regional climate models. Recently, he has been working on event attribution studies to assess the impact of global warming on recent heavy rainfall, snowfall, and extreme heat events.
■ Mark Hertsgaard: co-founder of Covering Climate Now
Covering Climate Now (CCNow) is a climate change reporting network that was co-founded by Columbia Journalism Review and The Nation magazine with the cooperation of The Guardian and WNYC, and is made up of more than 500 media outlets in 50 countries around the world. It supports journalists in creating more informative and compelling reports on the climate crisis and solutions.
In Japan, NHK and Asahi Shimbun are among the media outlets that participate, and the general incorporated association Media is Hope has also become an official partner since October 2023. The team is considering introducing localization measures and study sessions for Japanese media.
https://coveringclimatenow.org/
Introduction of the organizers
■ Weathercaster conveners
The participants are mainly weather forecasters and weather casters with a strong interest in climate change, such as weather caster Hiroko Ida, who has experience on various TV programs such as “News Watch 9” (NHK) and “Asachan!” (TBS), and Akira Masaki, who has been in charge of weather forecasts on Asahi Broadcasting’s morning wide-format program for over 30 years since 1990.
■ Media is Hope
Media is Hope is an organization that provides various support to strengthen the media coverage of climate change, based on the belief that correct knowledge of climate change is the first step to create a common awareness in Japan and to promote behavioral change in order to realize a society that can solve climate change. With the vision of “media creators and consumers alike taking responsibility for cultivating fair and impartial free media and a sustainable society”, the organization serves as a bridge for media, citizens, corporations, and all stakeholders to build a co-creative relationship in order to achieve essential solutions to climate change.
In addition, the organization operates the Climate Media Initiative, a media collaboration platform that transcends media outlets and affiliations.
Media is Hope also provide spaces for various stakeholders to connect and co-create, such as by hosting the Climate Change Media Symposium, where media professionals, international organizations such as the United Nations, experts, practitioners, citizens and young people discuss the type of reporting required to solve climate change, and “Let’s Make It Together! Renewable Energy Day” sponsored by the Ministry of the Environment.
HP:http://media-is-hope.org
Email：contact[at]media-is-hope.org