Hi Mission Control,
I'm submitting this long after the fact as I thought our Team 10 would never take of. As you might have gathered we enventually got going and although we are about a week behind schedule (because of the delay as explained below), but I've convinced everybody to push through to the end.
Best, Jakes
The first meeting was a bit problematic due to our beloved 'digital divide', coordinating time zones and unfamiliarity with all the new information technologies for some of us. Despite all that, we had a meeting at Google Hangout https://plus.google.com/hangouts/_/771aed1a0f335cf3ccefca3b27237ed283c51a94?authuser=0&hl=hu, although some attendees disappeared due to down-links - 'digital divide'. Five people attended he first hangout and two dropped out fairly eraly due to linking problems and Zoltan later for family matters. That left Irina and myself to really flesh out the important aspects and develop some proposals. We still did not have an Etherpad or got to the P2PU site, but what is recorded below is what we thought we should try and do - for correction of other team members:
1. We are quite sceptical about the data available through 'official sources' and thus decided to compare the dataset we were given with a) other 'official' datasets e.g. World Bank, UNFCCC, etc. and b) with Open Data sources that can be found on the Internet in countries that have them. We noted the absence of open data initiatives in some of our own countries e.g. SA and Russia. What about yours?
As far as I know, there is no open data movement in Hungary (I am an ethnic Hungarian living in Romania, so I have access to both cultures). In Romania, there are a few initiatives, but nothing big. (name?)
2. To further dissect the dataset we were given into the contribution of various sources e.g. coal, petroleum, etc. to the total CO2 output. Why? It was picked up that in Africa, South Africa is responsible for about 90% of the CO2 emissions due to coal alone..........
3. Does a growth in GDP always (have to?) accompany an increase in CO2 emissions. I believe it is an NB question and worthwhile exploring.
So those are the three threads suggested already and then Ketty's suggested the idea of looking at deforestation - the earth's lungs. I thought that is a good idea and that we must follow it through, which I communicated as below.
.
4. How does deforestation relate to CO2 emission in e.g. South America and Africa, both continents whose forests are being ripped out very quickly....
I've said I'll tackle 1. a) Cf with other official sources and I would also like to look at the role of coal in CO2 emission in SA in context of Africa (part of 2) in the mean time and get back on that to the Team.
I thought that was a big chunk (above) and others must pick what they want to do or join up with somebody else working on another aspect of the threads above i.e. 1. b), 2 and 3 and 4 - Deforestation and CO2 or please suggest alternatives if you don't want the team to splinter into smaller groups and communicate it to the Team.
I am tempted to take a look into idea no 3 (the thing with the economic growth). And I also became interested in looking into exactly how these CO2 figures are made up for each country. Irina shared a link where Hans Rosling was talking about the political manipulation these figures are subjected to in Sweden. If Sweden is like that, the political pressure in Eastern Europe it must be about 10 times bigger. I actually know a guy (former minister of ecology in Romania) who might give me some insight into this matter.
Your opinion on the division of labour or any other of the ideas please!!! Because I'm sort of unofficially in the role of facilitator which was not a group decision, but nobody is taking initiative...........????
(Best, Jakes)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Still no response from the Team or suggestions of what to do............. 4 days later now...........
As Zoltan (Sipos) and Irina has done some communication, I asked them to try and help to get the ball rolling. As you know some members i.e. Anna joined late and another member Randah Taher only wrote a mail yesterday to say that she appreciate what we are doing and she will join us when she can!
When I made some suggestions to Zolan he came with some good ideas and then he said 'oops' he did not mean to step into the shoes of the 'facilitator', which I'm not really officially, but I'm acting in that capacity!
I responded to him as below earlier today (about 4 hours ago), but still no response (that was yesterday).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hi Zoltan,
I'm really up to my ears! I never suggested that you want to take over, but I would appreciate if you help. I also agree that it is better not to breakdown the team into smaller group and that democracy should rule i.e. group decision. It is only because nobody did anything that I started to try and provoke some response!?! So to take the process forward:
1. Do you agree that I've summarised the leads / threads that have been thrown out correctly?
If Yes, could you then ask everybody if they agree with the summarised list and they are to add any other ideas they have.
2. Make a list of our members, even the unresponsive ones
3. Make a list of the resources and skills the members have and can share with each other
Once this is done, we can organize ourselves and have 'regular' meetings, where task can be given to people / groups and then we can discuss the progress we've made.
I would really appreciate if you could do this bit Zoltan, just to give me a bit of space to get my own work done i.e. get my 5 day workshop presentations and hand-outs up to date and complete for Monday..
Thanks and please let me know ASAP if you agree.
Warm regards, Jakes"
A day later and still no response.................
In the mean time I've also started a discussion on OKFN-ZA about open data sources for CO2 emission in SA (and elsewhere) and Rufus Pollock also took part in the discussion which was very productive on many levels. It drew some lurkers into the open and the discussion unearthed a lot of other issues. I also kept on prodding the Team with mails asking for responses / opinions / etc.
-----------------------------------
.......from the mail I posted to Mission Control last night and Lucy Chambers earllier today:
...."So Mission Control, apart from trying to get Team 10 going (as suggested in your "Mission 2 Meeting: Damage Control" mail), I'm running a conference this week (#SASAscience.org) and a research methodology workshop the whole of next week. So it is not that I don't have any work to do, which are used as excuses by others. I have a lot on my plate and would it be fair if I create an Etherpad and submit the blurb above as my motivation for the 'Facilitation Badge', or am I failing badly.
Please advice me in person, thanks and keep up the effort.
Here's to hoping there will be some movement from Team 10 soon,
Jakes
PS I've also send the Team some mail with links to documents on Climate Change and the why and how and................xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
---------------------------------------------
Well I've still not heard from anybody, but created a list of the 'Team' and will post it to the Team and ask them to add their skills, resources and which problem / idea / thread they would like to work on, but then I'm signing off, as I've done all the work and had no return and I can't allow my Research Methodology Course that I run next wek to crash!
The document I created became a central Google Doc for the Team and is at:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dydcLb2Y6EUG62efzCQllpO1LEzRIdV-q1UcK6mdRf4/edit
I've also created this Etherpad I asked about in my mail to you (above) and am submitting it for the 'Facilitation Badge', which is up to you what you do with it!!!!!!!??????????
Warm regards,
Jakes
PS I've learned a plenty of lessons, but I really just don't have the time to write that down as well now........
PPS As you've gathered, I finally got the bus moving and the Data Wranglers Team 10 is moving full steam ahead................ I did stop 'cat-herding' Lucy, but suddenly all the effort paid off and people came back to the plot, mainly because of the very pro-active latecomer i.e. Anna Sakoyan!!!!
OK, Hangout 2 summary is now on a separate Ethrpad http://pad.p2pu.org/p/Anna_Sakoyan as Randah wisely recommended - Anna