<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
<div class="moz-text-html" lang="x-unicode"> Dear Linganth list
members,<br>
<br>
I am writing to you as member of the research team of the
Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology in Hamburg to
present you TraCC, a just-released database to explore the meaning
of climate change in various languages.<br>
<br>
<b>What is TraCC?</b><br>
<br>
Social scientists have reported what climate change means to local
communities around the globe and how the scientific term has been
translated. While in many languages the local term refers to
unusual weather patterns, in others it means "the fact, that winds
and the rain are changing" (Khoekhoegowab) or "the change of the
character of the country" (Swahili).<br>
<br>
The first aim of TraCC is to document the various meanings of
climate change by following its translations into the world’s
languages and cultures. Its second aim is to study possible
variations and to explore how they link to climate change
mitigation and adaptation. For so doing, TraCC brings together the
expertise of lay people and scientists to develop a decentralized
and interactive ethnographic account.<br>
<br>
In order to become a member of TraCC, enter and explain the
translation of climate change in “your” language. As the database
develops, TraCC becomes a public showcase for an innovative and
interactive way to collect knowledge about one of the world’s most
salient global challenges – climate change.<br>
<br>
<b>Help us and join the community!</b><br>
<br>
As linguistic anthropologists, we would like to invite you to
become a member of TraCC. With your contribution, TraCC will
develop into an interactive online community that brings together
experts from the fields of culture, language, and climate change.<br>
<br>
As a member of TraCC, you will become a visible expert for a
specific culture and/or language including the opportunity to link
additional information about you (and your interests in climate
change). Furthermore, you get access to the data collected and
have the right to use it for academic and non-profit purposes.<br>
<br>
We hope to have convinced you to have a look at TraCC and
eventually register for an account to contribute:<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.tracc.cc/">http://www.tracc.cc/</a><br>
<br>
If you have any questions, troubles, or suggestions to improve
TraCC, please do not hesitate to contact me (<a
class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="mailto:thomas.friedrich@uni-hamburg.de">thomas.friedrich@uni-hamburg.de</a>)
or Michael Schnegg (<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="mailto:michael.schnegg@uni-hamburg.de">michael.schnegg@uni-hamburg.de</a>).<br>
<br>
Yours sincerely,<br>
Thomas Friedrich & Michael Schnegg<br>
<br>
</div>
</body>
</html>