Rational Thought Regarding the Quality of the Certified Consulting Meteorologist and the General Purpose of Certification
Kathryn Saussy
Dept. of
Geosciences
Meteorology 485:
Consulting Meteorology
The profession of meteorology has developed specific guidelines regarding thorough knowledge of the major meteorological areas. According to the American Meteorological Society (AMS), the Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM) should consider herself a scientist and understand the proper applications of the scientific method and research. Qualification does not necessarily mean a college degree; formal education, the AMS has decided, is not always a primary player in obtaining knowledge and understanding.
Knowledge comes into existence only when we have taken information/data and integrated it into our lives; it emerges the way in which language comes into existence: Our acquisition of language occurs to the tune of a typical, healthy exponential curve within the first few years of our lives. In much the same manner, we distribute knowledge according to the degrees of our culture. In wall-less laboratories, meteorologists today use scientific knowledge to gain output from computer models, incorporating their own, wide understandings of the actions and reactions of EarthÕs atmosphere.
Bruno Latour, the French anthropologist, says that there are two parts to the knowledge of science: (1) Scientific and (2) the ability to express oneself in terms of getting the proper funding. In conjunction with the profession of the Certified Consulting Meteorologist, I add the additional dimensions of self-confidence and experience. Self-confidence comes with professional decisions developed from scientific knowledge, which Š in turn Š is gained from continued experience in the field of meteorology. Though a college degree in the Atmospheric/Oceanic Science (or related fields) is not a requirement, CCMs are in strict accordance with the AMS to have professional work experience.
The CCM must consciously and deliberately show a high level of technical mastery, which is only truly gained through work experience, because the clients of the CCM are members of the public, ranging from individual homeowners to engineers to governmental groups. The public at large depends upon the integrity of the CCM program itself, which promotes the quality of the Certified Consulting Meteorologist by requiring continuing professional, bi-yearly development (which includes classroom work). From the ethical codes of the AMS, the CCM program also insists upon the meteorologistÕs commitment to her growing knowledge of meteorology while remaining in suitable standing with the profession (which includes peers).
The Certified Consulting Meteorologist must remain aware of the large flux of information available on the Internet; because of the global breakdown of the traditional, four-walled laboratory due to the World Wide Web (i.e., a computerized laboratory accessible virtually to anyone anywhere), the public can transform any scientific statement or fact into its own, social reality. Not only is the laboratory virtual, but the meteorologist has the entire planet as her playground, unlike other professionals (such as doctors). Weather and climate is a continuous movement on Earth about which we are all conscious, in some way or another. Consequently, the world researches meteorological issues on the Internet without scientific notions of rational thought and knowledge. Scientific facts can therefore become easily distorted. (A good example is the public debate of global warming, where the scientific reality has become a hybrid natural-social reality; the debate is much more political than scientific.)
It is imperative, above all else, that the CCM ask herself: What kind of knowledge is this? How does this affect my clientÕs concerns? How shall I investigate scientific facts and statements for my client? In asking these questions, she must consider the qualities of the Certified Consulting Meteorologist, as well as the strict, professional requirements of the CCM program.