cc: "'m.hulme@uea.ac.uk'" , "'Alex.Haxeltine@uea.ac.uk'" , "'j.kohler@econ.cam.ac.uk'" , "'simon.shackley@umist.ac.uk'" , "'f.berkhout@sussex.ac.uk'" , "'s.dessai@uea.ac.uk'" , "'nick.brooks@uea.ac.uk'" , "'t.j.foxon@ic.ac.uk'" date: Mon, 16 Dec 2002 15:41:37 -0000 from: Jonathan Sinclair-Wilson subject: RE: Earthscan/Tyndall publication to: "'Asher Minns'" Dear Asher Thanks for getting in touch even before going to Tyndall. I'm glad of course that this is something you're keen to pursue. I don't think I can be much help however on funding models. As a publisher, we are not usually in the position of approaching potential funders. Worldwatch gets grant funding [I don't know the details, but I presume from the usual suspects - Pew, Ford, Rockefeller, et al] and a fairly substantial income from the sale of their various publications, as they have developed a sophisticated direct marketing operation themselves. The Fridjtof Nansen Institute in Norway receive grant funding from the Norwegian govt [Foreign Ministry I think] to produce a Yearbook on International Cooperation on Environment and Development, so they may have some helpful advice. I think donors should be approached to cover at least the first several editions [whatever the frequency of publication] so as to give it a good chance of getting established. The amounts required will depend on several factors, in addition to the frequency itself, including the final form, level and length/number of contributions to go into it. I think we all agreed when we met that the project would require continual, if not always full-time, administration and each edition would also need a full-time editor [how long for to be determined] to pull the contributions together, impose consistency of style, etc, [and also perhaps to assemble any regular feastures, such as statistics and other reference material], and that in addition the contributors might receive a fee for their chapters. We very roughly estimated those costs to be of the order of £15-25K per edition, or more if someone were needed more or less full time to set up and run the project. If, in addition, an accompanying website with more frequent updating were planned, that would no doubt increase the costs substantially, unless it could be added in to an existing site with relatively little extra work. I am sorry I can't be of more immediate help. With best regards Jonathan Jonathan Sinclair Wilson Publishing Director Earthscan 120 Pentonville Road London N1 9JN, UK D: ++ 44 (0) 20 7843 1928 O: ++ 44 (0) 20 7278 0433 www.earthscan.co.uk > -----Original Message----- > From: Asher Minns [SMTP:asher.minns@environmental-change.oxford.ac.uk] > Sent: 13 December 2002 17:25 > To: Jonathan Sinclair-Wilson > Subject: Re: Earthscan/Tyndall publication > > Dear Jonathan, > > I am the guy who is taking-on Simon's position at the end of January and I > thought I ought to let you know that I am keen to follow his lead with > this > project - in fact it is something we have thought about here at Oxford, > but > never acted upon. > > With regard to funding a yearbook, are there any models for the funding of > similar projects, apart from the Worldwatch Institute? > > Best wishes, > > Asher > > ----------------------------------------------------- > Mr Asher Minns > Public Affairs Officer > Environmental Change Institute > University of Oxford > OX1 3UB > > www.changingclimate.org > www.eci.ox.ac.uk > > Tel: 01865 281182 > Fax: 01865 281202 > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jonathan Sinclair-Wilson" > To: "'Simon Torok'" ; ; > ; ; > ; ; > ; ; > Cc: ; > ; "Rob West" > > Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2002 2:22 PM > Subject: RE: Earthscan/Tyndall publication > > > > This is to follow up Simon's email after our meeting at UEA last week. > First > > by saying thank you to Simon for having got the discussion of a possible > > publication off the ground [I hope Simon is still receiving emails sent > to > > the address above for him]. > > > > At the meeting, it was quickly confirmed that we should concentrate on a > > regular publication/Yearbook that tracks developments concerning climate > > change - the science, the impacts and the responses, on all fronts. At > the > > moment there are the quinquennial IPCC reports, an extensive and growing > > specialist literature in all the relevant fields, and an increasing > amount > > and diversity of general media coverage of subjects relating in one way > or > > another to climate change. But there is no publication which regularly > > reviews and synthesises the full range of developments, and we should > > therefore explore the feasibility of producing one. > > > > The most important, though not always the easiest, question concerns the > > market for such a Yearbook. This can be conceived as a bullseye - a > series > > of concentric circles with the core market at the centre. > > > > I would expect the core market for something filling the gap we > identified > > to be those who themselves have a direct professional and/or academic > > involvement with climate change issues. Precisely because the issues are > so > > far-reaching and ramified - and only likely to ramify further, breaking > down > > into ever-more specialised areas of research, policy, technology, > > enterprise, etc - a work which provides an authoritative and up-to-date > > overview is likely to be valuable to those working on just one of the > many > > fronts - from acquaculture, to energy distribution to insurance > policies, > > say - and needing a picture of the whole waterfront > > > > Mike did point out that a great deal of information is of course > available > > from the web, but, however accurate and reliable, much of that is likely > to > > be providing the detailed information specialists need, and the web is > still > > not as useful as books for the kinds of overview and synthesis we are > > considering. But whether and to what extent there might be a web-based > > dimension to the project as well, is something I think we should return > to > > if it does begin to take shape and make progress. > > > > Among the outer rings of the bullseye, I would see the following: a wide > > range of institutional customers who will want such a work on their > shelves > > for consultation, including, eg, international governmental agencies, > public > > bodies at all levels from national through to regional, municipal and > local, > > businesses in industry and the finance sector, and of course a range of > NGOs > > and third sector bodies; also students on a wide range of environmental, > > social and natural science courses; and - probably the outer-most ring - > > some general readers, concerned enough to want to keep track of > developments > > at this level of detail. > > > > And, as climate change forces its way up the policy, research and > commercial > > agendas, I'd expect there to be a growing market, and there may be an > > opportunity for the Yearbook to establish itself as a reliable benchmark > for > > all these markets. > > > > With this in mind, I think it should be planned to be as international > in > > scope as possible, and that national developments be assessed for > inclusion > > in terms of their international relevance. > > > > This in turn may sugesst that it would work best as a collaborative > > enterprise, and Simon mentioned the possible partners that came up when > we > > met: TERI, Pew, CSIRO. > > > > For the markets I've described, the Yearbook would need to be edited and > > written in an accessible manner. A possible example in this respect is > the > > Worldwatch Institute's annual State of the World report. That is > compiled > > from briefing papers written through the year by researchers at > Worldwatch > > and then edited into a volume usually by a single editor. > > > > In this case, the chapters for each edition will have to be commissioned > > [from researchers in Tyndall and any collaborating centres and possibly > > elsewhere] and will need thorough editing to synthesise the whole. The > role > > of the volume editor is likely to be both demanding and very important. > > > > Prior to that, the choice of topics and authors for each edition of the > > Yearbook will have to be made, and this will probably need an editorial > > board, perhaps with a single overall editor [perhaps a rotating role]. > > > > The administration, writing, and editing of the Yearbook as a continuing > > project would have to be funded. It would earn royalties from sales but > > unless [until] those grew to be very considerable, they would not go far > to > > meet the costs involved. As Simon said, the funding possibilities will > need > > to be actively explored once the outline of the project has been agreed. > > > > Frequency of publication would have to be decided, on the basis of the > funds > > available, work involved and the amount of new information each edition > > would need, or able, to provide. It could not be more frequent than > annual > > [as a book rather than a subscription-based periodical], but might start > on > > a two-yearly cycle. [A lower frequency would make it hard to establish > the > > continuity and identity of the publication.] > > > > Whatever the frequency, its identity and continutity will need to be > > established through the editorial structure of the volume and getting > the > > balance right between a structure that is carried over from one edition > to > > the next and allowing the flexibility to cover different topics each > time > > [given that on any given topic there may not have been significant > > developments over the period] will require careful thought. > > > > One approach might be that suggested in Simon's earlier memo from > October, > > with a series of chapters covering the same broad areas each time [eg, > > climate science, economics, technology and energy] and possibly with the > > same authors, focusing on whatever have been the most significant > > developments in them. > > > > An alternative might be to have an overall structure to the volume that > > stays the same, and allows within it for chapters to focus on different > > subjects. > > > > To illustrate, it might, say, be divided into two general sections on > > Science/ Impacts and Responses [the latter perhaps subdivided between > > Society/Technology, and Policy/Politics], and within those sections the > > topics each time might vary - with Science/Impacts covering the most > > significant developments from among atmosphere/weather, oceans, > landforms > > [icecaps, mountains, deserts, forests etc], biodiversity, disease, and > so > > forth - Society/Technology covering energy, transport, cities and > > construction, industry, finance and investment, media responses, etc - > and > > Policy/Politics covering ,eg, international politics, > > regional/national/local policies, economic instruments, security, etc. > > > > Whatever the agreed final structure, it might also be valuable to > include > a > > certain amount of statistical information, perhaps keyed to that > structure > > and covering, eg, weather, oceans and icecaps, emissions, etc. This > would > > give the work additional usefulness as a reference. Here, too, there may > > need to be a mix of standard statistics in every edition and variable > ones > > illustrating facets of the story. > > > > 12-15 chapters to give a length of c.120,000 might be adequate. The > result > > in a two-column layout, and including say 10pp of statistical annexes, > would > > be a book of c.280-320pp. > > > > I hope this is a project that Tyndall will want to pursue. Do please let > me > > know. > > > > If so, I think the next steps - overlapping but in roughly this order - > will > > involve: > > > > deciding [even if only provisionally] the structure ans scope of the > > Yearbook > > the editorial structure of the project with, if possible, individual > > responsibilities > > identifying/approaching potential partners > > identifying/approaching potential funders > > > > I will look forward to hearing from you. And in the meantime, if they > roll > > round first, a merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you all > > > > Jonathan > > > > Jonathan Sinclair Wilson > > Publishing Director > > Earthscan > > 120 Pentonville Road > > London N1 9JN, UK > > D: ++ 44 (0) 20 7843 1928 > > O: ++ 44 (0) 20 7278 0433 > > www.earthscan.co.uk > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Simon Torok [SMTP:s.torok@uea.ac.uk] > > > Sent: 04 December 2002 10:23 > > > To: m.hulme@uea.ac.uk; Alex.Haxeltine@uea.ac.uk; > > > j.kohler@econ.cam.ac.uk; simon.shackley@umist.ac.uk; > > > f.berkhout@sussex.ac.uk; s.dessai@uea.ac.uk; nick.brooks@uea.ac.uk; > > > t.j.foxon@ic.ac.uk; jsw@earthscan.co.uk > > > Cc: J.Hertin@sussex.ac.uk; asher.minns@eci.ox.ac.uk > > > Subject: Earthscan/Tyndall publication > > > > > > Hi everyone, > > > > > > Thanks to those who could make it to the meeting on Monday afternoon. > > > Attached is a summary of discussions for those who weren't there, and > the > > > original discussion document. Please feel free to reply to all with > any > > > interesting or important points that I haven't noted here. > > > > > > Actions: > > > Could all authors please consider other funding possibilities, and > send > > > any > > > thoughts to Mike by email. > > > > > > I will mention the project to the wider Tyndall community in our > internal > > > newsletter, to see if there is any interest in becoming a chapter > > > contributor or a coordinating editor. Mike, I will suggest they > contact > > > you > > > by email but I suggest you simply collate funding or chapter > contribution > > > offers until someone becomes coordinating editor. > > > > > > I have mentioned this as a possible activity for Asher Minns, the new > > > Tyndall External Communication Manager who will commence on 27 > January. > > > > > > Mike will also approach Roger Few, a science writer currently working > on > a > > > Tyndall research project, to see if he is interested in the role of > > > coordinating editor. > > > > > > Jonathan Sinclair Wilson will combine the two attached documents with > his > > > own thoughts on the shape of the project, and send an updated sketch > > > around > > > for comment in the coming weeks. Jonathan, all emails should appear > above > > > but let me know by Friday morning if they have been abbreviated. > > > > > > Thanks for your interest, and I hope things progress to an interesting > and > > > productive conclusion in 2003. I'm off to Australia after Friday but I > > > hope > > > to hear how things go! > > > > > > Regards, Simon. > > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Dr Simon > Torok-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- > > > External Communication Manager Phone: (01603) 593 > 906 > > > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Mobile: (07880) 547 > 843 > > > School of Environmental Sciences Fax: (01603) 593 901 > > > University of East Anglia Email: > s.torok@uea.ac.uk > > > Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK Web: > www.tyndall.ac.uk > > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-24 hour UEA media number: (01603) 592 > 203-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=- > > > You can receive quarterly news by email from the Tyndall Centre. > > > Sign up at www.tyndall.ac.uk/tynd-all/tynd-all_form.shtml << File: > > > Earthscan.doc >> << File: Earthscan1.doc >> > > DISCLAIMER: This e-mail contains proprietary information some or all of > > which may be legally privileged. It is for the intended recipient only. > If > > an addressing or transmission error has misdirected this e-mail, please > > notify the author by replying to this e-mail. If you are not the > intended > > recipient you must not use, disclose, distribute, copy, print, or rely > on > > this e-mail. > > DISCLAIMER: This e-mail contains proprietary information some or all of which may be legally privileged. It is for the intended recipient only. If an addressing or transmission error has misdirected this e-mail, please notify the author by replying to this e-mail. If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose, distribute, copy, print, or rely on this e-mail.