We're not alone - learning from woodsmoke researchers around the world
We like to think of CONA as doing something pretty unique and ground-breaking. There are a several research projects around the world looking at new low-cost air quality sensors and how they can be used to enable citizens to become scientists. But there are very few, if any, looking at this in the context of smaller towns and the problem of woodsmoke from home heating.
But there are a small number of researchers around the world interested in these issues.
Last year we at NIWA managed to convince the NZ government that this was an area of research in which New Zealand can play a major global role. We were able to get funding from the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment to set up an International Woodsmoke Researchers' Network.
The Network was launched in July 2016 with a mixture of public and invitation-only meetings in Wellington. We were able to bring 8 international experts over representing the US, Canada, Sweden, Finland, the UK and Australia. Later in the week this group also visited Christchurch and, of course, Rangiora.
Following the meeting we have asked those experts, and others, to record webinars for us. These are recorded talks typically around 30 minutes long. You can find all of the webinars by clicking here. The webinar series is still being added to building up a library of current research and knowledge from around the world.
As well as sharing knowledge, the other purpose of the Network has been to build research collaborations. In the last month we have been hosting two more visitors - Amanda Wheeler from University of Tasmania and Curtis Noonan from the University of Montana. In both cases we are now developing plans to combine our research capabilities and you'll hopefully hear more on that on this blog soon.
In the meantime, please feel free to check out the webinars and you may, like me, realise that we are not alone.
But there are a small number of researchers around the world interested in these issues.
Last year we at NIWA managed to convince the NZ government that this was an area of research in which New Zealand can play a major global role. We were able to get funding from the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment to set up an International Woodsmoke Researchers' Network.
The Network was launched in July 2016 with a mixture of public and invitation-only meetings in Wellington. We were able to bring 8 international experts over representing the US, Canada, Sweden, Finland, the UK and Australia. Later in the week this group also visited Christchurch and, of course, Rangiora.
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| Members of the International Woodsmoke Researchers Network at Arrowtown, July 2016 |
Following the meeting we have asked those experts, and others, to record webinars for us. These are recorded talks typically around 30 minutes long. You can find all of the webinars by clicking here. The webinar series is still being added to building up a library of current research and knowledge from around the world.
As well as sharing knowledge, the other purpose of the Network has been to build research collaborations. In the last month we have been hosting two more visitors - Amanda Wheeler from University of Tasmania and Curtis Noonan from the University of Montana. In both cases we are now developing plans to combine our research capabilities and you'll hopefully hear more on that on this blog soon.
In the meantime, please feel free to check out the webinars and you may, like me, realise that we are not alone.
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