The Mystery of Climate Change

Vienna, May 30, 2008 – Meteorologist and ORF weather reporter Andreas Jäger was invited by the Austrian Traffic Telematics Cluster (ATTC) to speak at its bi-annual talkMobility event to speak about “The Mystery of Climate Change – Effects of Weather Disasters on Infrastructure” in the Bassano Hall of the Vienna Museum of Art History. Jäger also talked about the latest developments in weather monitoring, for example, the technical possibilities of early warning systems.

The auditorium was filled with nearly 100 representatives from the government, research and development, traffic infrastructure operators and Austrian industrial and high-tech companies, including ATTC president and ASFINAG managing board member AloisSchedl and National Council representative Gabriela Moser, Siemens telematics boss Paul Forstreiter, Thomas Jedinger, head of Telekom Business Solutions, and Mario Rohracher, head of the traffic division at the ÖAMTC motor club. The event kicked off the Lakeside Conference on Safety in Mobility – Intelligent Weather Information Systems and Services in Traffic and Transport, which was held from July 9 to 11, 2008, at Schloss Velden*****.

Talk summary:

• The climate is in fact changing in a lasting manner, in part due to cyclical changes in the rotation of the Earth, and in part due to the influence of human activity.
• And we are seeing negative effects on the weather. Regional differences are becoming more drastic, and weather disasters are occurring more suddenly and with less warning.
• The quality and costs of traffic infrastructure are increasing steadily, as are the costs to repair damage in the event of a disaster. No stagnation or decline in the incidence of damage is to be expected.
• Protecting traffic infrastructure is becoming a more and more important factor for the economy. Dealing with the negative impacts on the economy is becoming a real challenge for governments, businesses and industry, including in terms of the wise use of tax revenue

The talk was followed by a discussion with telematics experts about the possibilities offered by optimally linking meteorology, infrastructure and technical systems and about how weather information systems and services contribute to protecting people and infrastructure.

The effects of climate change on the economy were also discussed. ATTC Managing Board member Helmut-Klaus Schimany noted, “Significant damage to traffic infrastructure has a particularly negative impact on the economy because of the tightly integrated logistics chains. This means that when traffic cannot flow, it costs a lot of money. We know that using traffic telematics solutions and intelligent early weather warning systems throughout the country substantially reduces the effects of infrastructure damage. Because of this, investments in these technologies are a major challenge for businesses and governments.”

Inquiries:
Mag. Hartwig Hufnagl
General Secretary of the ATTC
0664/60 108 10326
office@attc.at

Invitation: ATTCtalkmobility 3 Invitation

Climate talk by Andreas Jäger: attc-klimavortrag-kl Climate talk by Andreas Jäger