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WASHINGTON - The Weather Risk Management
Association (WRMA), the international trade organization of the
weather risk management industry, announced today that its
president, Lynda Clemmons, will represent WRMA on an American
Meteorological Society (AMS) Ad Hoc Committee that will address
critical issues in the weather industry involving weather data
and public private partnerships.
The AMS Ad Hoc Committee on Response to the National Research
Council (NRC) Partnership Report will advise how the AMS should
respond to issues raised by the NRC's report, Fair Weather:
Effective Partnerships in Weather and Climate Services. The
report recommended that the National Weather Service continue to
issue general forecasts and provide unrestricted access to
observational data, though many private companies make weather
forecasts as well. The report also noted that private
meteorology companies in the United States believe that the
National Weather Service is competing with them by providing
weather data that the private sector offers. A related issue is
whether the private sector has the resources to provide the
detailed, quality information currently supplied by the NWS.
"The work that the Ad Hoc Committee is doing will help determine
how weather data are gathered and disseminated in the United
States. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, nearly
one-third of the gross domestic product of the United States -
$3.5 trillion - is at risk each year due to the weather. The
accuracy, quality and timeliness of weather data are critical,
since businesses and industries throughout the nation use it to
help assess and manage their weather risks. There is certainly a
need for private weather data and data providers in the U.S. and
around the world, but the National Weather Service is the most
credible source of accurate weather data available to the public
given its lack of bias. This data should continue to be
available at no charge to U.S. citizens and enterprises," Ms.
Clemmons said.
The Ad Hoc Committee expects to issue it recommendations in
January 2004. WRMA joins the panel as a data "users'
representative."
"Lynda Clemmons will play a key role on the objective Ad Hoc
Committee under the auspices of the AMS. Based on her extensive
experience in working with business-critical weather data, she
brings an important private sector and end-user perspective to
the Committee concerning the significance of the accessibility
and objectivity of the data," said WRMA Executive Director,
Valerie Cooper. "WRMA's members are vitally interested in the
panel's deliberations and its ultimate recommendations."
The Ad Hoc Committee will meet periodically from July until the
end of 2003. John Snow, Dean of Geosciences at the University of
Oklahoma, chairs the committee. Other members include: Ana
Barros of Harvard University (invited); Matt Parker of
Westinghouse Savannah River Co.; Carl Knable, retired Head of
Meteorology for United Airlines; and Ed Johnson of NWS. A
complete list is available at
www.ams-soc.org.
About the Weather Risk Management Association
Founded in 1999 by some of the leading companies in the
industry, the Weather Risk Management Association (WRMA) is an
international trade organization dedicated to promoting the
industry to its participants and end-users. The industry began
in 1997, offering companies the opportunity to control their
financial exposure to weather conditions.
As a part of its mission, WRMA initiates surveys of the
industry, advocates the standardization of contracts and other
documentation used for transactions and sponsors forums and
conferences around the world for members to meet and discuss a
range of topics such as international markets, data collection
issues and tax and legal matters.
www.wrma.org
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