Ann Schneider
UCSC-BEAC
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 09 Apr 1999 11:02:24 -0700
From: Rana Glasgal <Rana@sherlock.stanford.edu>
To: aschneid@cats.ucsc.edu
Subject: Fwd: Re: Arecibo
Ann,
After I got your email regarding Puerto Rico's wetlands and Cornell/NSF
involvement, I emailed the Dean of Research at Cornell asking for more
information. This is his reply. I found it interesting, and reasonable.
What do you think?
Rana
>From: Paul F Goldsmith <goldsmit@astrosun.tn.cornell.edu>
>Date: Mon, 5 Apr 1999 15:20:58 -0400
>To: Rana@sherlock.stanford.edu
>Subject: Re: Arecibo
>Cc: pfg@astrosun.tn.cornell.edu
>
>
>Dear Dr. Glasgal,
>
>I am responding to email you sent to Vice Provost for Research concerning
>Cornell, NAIC and environmental issue in Puerto Rico. The message you were
>sent contains many innacuracies overlaying some important correct information.
>The Canos Tiburones area has, since the 1940's been kept dry by pumping. This
>was an initiative of the Land Authority of Puerto Rico, and was done partially
>for health reasons and partly to allow agriculture in the area. Since the
>1970's
>the Arecibo Observatory has had a small facility there for ionospheric
>research.
>The Government of Puerto Rico has decided to return this area to its natural
>state.
>
>Cornell University's and NAIC's interest is to remove equipment that has been
>installed in the area, leaving things in an appropriate condition. This
is not
>something that can be done overnight. We now have received authorization
>from the
>National Science Foundation to proceed with this effort. We are having
>discussions
>with the Land Authority and the Department of Natural Resources to structure
>this
>effort.
>
>The study of the earth's ionosphere and atmosphere is one of the major
areas of
>scientific research at Arecibo, along with astronomy. How the earth's
>atmosphere interacts with life on earth is an important question, and one
>that is
>being answered in part by facilities that study the atmospheric system using a
>variety of techniques. NAIC, Cornell, and the NSF support this research
>because it
>can have a multiplicity of benefits for all of us. I think that some groups
>may
>overlook the important benefits of research about our environment in terms of
>improving our understanding of our ecosystem and helping us to live better
>as part
>of it.
>
>While the Canos Tiburones area was being kept dry, as indicated above, using
>a small
>portion of this area was a good arrangement for all parties involved. With
>things
>changing, we will all work to allow the wetlands restoration to be
>implemented, while
>allowing us to move out with minimum adverse affect.
>
>I hope this clarifies the situation for you, and I would very much
>appreciate your
>passing this information back to your friend. I'd be ready to discuss this
>further if
>there were any additional questions.
>
>Best regards,
>
>Paul Goldsmith
>
>________________________________
>
>Paul F. Goldsmith
>Director NAIC
>Professor of Astronomy
>502 Space Sciences Building
>Cornell University
>Ithaca NY 14853
>
>tel. 607 255-0606
>fax. 607 255-8803
>________________________________
>