February 18, 2008
The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology

The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC: Mr. Yasuhiro Kato, President) is pleased to announce that the “BLUE EARTH ‘08” will be held as follows, which is a joint symposium of the “SHINKAI Symposium” and the “MIRAI Symposium”. At the “SHINKAI Symposium”, we will present our research results of deep-sea area obtained by Manned Research Submersible SHINKAI 6500 and other unmanned submersible vehicles. And at the “MIRAI Symposium”, we will present our research results of climate change, such as global warming, obtained by Oceanographic Research Vessel MIRAI. Furthermore, “5-year Guideline for Research on Ocean and Earth” will be presented, which compiles guidelines for publicly-offered research cruise utilizing our ships and vehicles from 2009 to 2013. And a special lecture will be delivered on the latest scientific knowledge with regard to global warming described in the Nobel Peace Prize winning IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Report.

Description

1. Date and time:	Thursday, March 13  9:20~17:40 (Doors open at 9:00) Friday, March 14  9:30~17:40 (Doors open at 9:00)
2. Venue:	Kanazawa Hakkei Campus, Yokohama City University (Please refer to Appendix 1 – in Japanese) Admission fees and pre-registration are not required.
3. Program:	Please see Appendix 2 (in Japanese) Please see Appendix 3 for the special lecture.
4. Website:	Summary of each research result is available at our website http://www.jamstec.go.jp/jamstec-j/maritec/rvod/ blue_earth/2008/program/index.html (in Japanese)

Appendix 1

Appendix 3

Special Lecture

Lecturer:	Hiroki Kondo (Principal Scientist of Frontier Research Center for Global Change)
Title:	Truth of Global Warming ~Scientific overview and measures of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded IPCC Fourth Assessment Report~
Date and time:	Thursday, March 13, 15:45~16:30
Venue:	Seagull Hall, Kanazawa Hakkei Campus, Yokohama City University

In this lecture, the role and meaning of IPCC in the international community will be presented, followed by the latest scientific findings regarding global warming described in the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) and responses to be taken for it. Contributions from Japan including the Earth Simulator will be shown as well.

(Introduction of the lecturer)
Born in 1941 in Niigata Prefecture. After he joined the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) in 1972, he joined Meteorological Research Institute, and World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Then in 2002, he joined the Frontier Research System for Global Change of the Japan Marine and Technology Center (currently the Frontier Research Center for Global Change, the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology). Having been assuming the present post since April, 2007. He also holds various other positions such as the one in charge of the national supporting office for the IPCC Working Group I, Member of the International Council for Science (ICSU) Assessment Panel on World Climate Research Programme(WCRP), Special Advisor to the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Member of a research planning committee of the Ministry of Environment (MOE), Member of a council on climate change issues of JMA. Received the 2004 Okada Award from Japan Weather Association.

"5-year Guideline for Research on Ocean and Earth"

Date and time:	Thursday, March 13 16:45~17:30
Venue:	Seagull Hall, Kanazawa Hakkei Campus, Yokohama City University

Summarized guideline, "5-year Guideline for Research on Ocean and Earth", will be presented for publicly-offered research project utilizing our ships and vehicles from 2009 to 2013 and future research projects will be invited. Prof. Yujiro Ogawa (Graduate School of Tsukuba University) who is the chairman of Deep-sea Research Implementation Committee and Prof. Mitsuo Uematsu (Director-General, Center for International Cooperation, Ocean Research Institute, the University of Tokyo) who is the chairman of the "MIRAI" Operational Planning Committee are invited to lead the meeting.

Contacts:

(For "BLUE EARTH '08")

Tetsuo Uchida
Group Leader, Planning Promotion Group,
Research Vessel Management and Operations Department,
Marine Technology Center (MARITEC)

(For Publication)

Mr. Shinji Oshima, e-mail: press@jamstec.go.jp
Manager, Planning Department Press Office