Environmental Dynamics: changes ahead

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Dear friends,

this is a preparatory message to the members of the SDS ED SIG and the EDI
for an upcoming change.

1. WHATS NEW: After a discussion at the SDS PC winter meeting, on
03-03-2003, it was agreed that the EDI would become the collective executive
instrument of the ED SIG (subject to the SDS presidents final wording).
This means that we are more than fifty people who are working on local,
regional, and/ or global sustainable development in a very special way,
captured by the Environmental Dynamics paradigm.

2. EDSIG AND EDI AS THE WORKPLACE: The ED SIG and EDI websites are to be
re-adjusted, to reflect the forward change (access them both from
www.utad.pt/ed). With the EDI as a collective executive instrument for
Environmental Dynamics, it can be our workplace. For the time being, I
volunteer to do the "webmastering" work, with all pleasure and satisfaction.
However, I would like to make clear that this is not an one-man show:
everyone is expected to pitch in! Since all ED SIG and EDI members have
joined voluntarily, there should be no doubt that there is interest.
Also, we all know from literature reviews that there is plenty of work done
in the field, in the form of articles, books, on-line resources, models,
etc. So, lets put the interest and the know-how together, through the EDI,
to give the leading edge to our work.

3. SDSUSTAIN AS THE COMMUNICATION CHANNEL: To complement the ED SIG and the
EDIs function, John Wolfenden informed me today that in a matter of days he
will also move the SDsustain to an academic server (safer and ad-free). The
SDsustain is prepared to be our main communication channel, whereas the EDI
is prepared to be our workplace.

4. ACTIVE PARTICIPATION: Please, note the various subsidiaries (or sections,
departments, instruments) of the EDI, such as the Library (bibliography and
web resources), the Vitrine (model repository), the Gallery (artwork
repository), the School (teaching interface), and the Opportunities
(noticeboard). The idea is to use these resources actively, in our daily
R&D work, teaching, consultancy, etc. Use the databases, submit your
favorite bibliography, suggest changes that you think might facilitate your
research, post notices, join the Editorial Board and/ or the Board of
Directors, register your work (and, later on, publish it), be part of it!

5. QUALITY ASSURANCE: Please, keep in mind that the EDI aims for quality, so
that its members can be proud to belong and have their work there. Many of
you must already know that the EDI has been submitted for evaluation by the
Institute for Scientific Information, or ISI, (the same entity that issues
the famous Scientific Citation Index, or SCI), to be considered for indexing
in the Current Web Contents (CWC). While waiting for the outcome, the EDI
has been already successfully evaluated and indexed by the Sustainability
Web Ring (along with other prestigious websites, such as the UN Sustainable
Development Division and the Stockholm Environment Institute).

6. ACCESSIBILITY AND POPULARITY: The EDI features an open and
non-competitive spirit for publications, sharing material freely with
commercial publishers, thus aiming for a worldwide access to high quality
material on Sustainable Development/ Environmental Dynamics. This makes the
EDI a premium means for worldwide dissemination of our work, with high
academic standards, without abolishing the classic print publications.
Considering the flexibility offered by the various means of communication
(please, have a look at the Identification of Registered Documents at the
EDC), the EDI has the potential for a wide audience outreach.

7. SUMMARY CALL: I hope that all ED SIG and EDI (or, collectively EDN:
Environmental Dynamics Network) members make good use of the new media: our
workplace (EDI) and our main communication channel (SDsustain). If there
are any doubts or hesitations, please bring them forward: Environmental
Dynamics is transparent!

Best regards to all!
Tasso

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Anastássios Perdicoúlis
www.utad.pt/~tasso