Climate Impacts Group

Beyond video games: virtual reality brings science to life

Work led by CIG scientist Heidi Roop and supported by an EarthLab Innovation Grant is highlighted in this article by the UW College of the Environment. 

Webinar: Bridging the Gap Between Science and Decision-Making

How can we best connect decision makers with climate science? Dr. Amy Snover, director, UW Climate Impacts Group, discusses this question in a webinar hosted by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Snover breaks CIG’s work into three different goals:

Educating key actors about climate risks and response options
Enabling the use of climate science in risk assessment and management
Embedding scientists in management contexts and science in management processes

To illustrate these areas in action, Snover draws on two examples – building a Sea Level Rise Toolkit with the Washington Coastal Resilience Project, and developing the Tribal Vulnerability Assessment Resources alongside tribal nations. 

King County launches beta-version GIS Open Data

The King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks released a beta-version of a tool illustrating the effects of climate change on the Puget Sound region. The highly technical tool uses spatial data (via GIS, or Geographic Information Systems), to visualize how specific climate impacts may affect communities, infrastructure, facilities and natural resources. The portal draws on data from the Climate Impacts Group’s 2015 report on climate change in Puget Sound, and is designed for professionals trained in geographic information systems.

The tool is being developed to support analysis needed by city planners, resource managers and other professionals in preparing for and adapting to the effects of climate change. 

Puget Sound’s ‘warm snow’ makes region vulnerable to climate shifts

Harriet Morgan, research consultant with the Climate Impacts Group, is interviewed for this article on how decreasing snowpack in the mountains stands to affect humans and wildlife. “We are experiencing a change in the fundamental characteristics of our hydrology,” Morgan says. “We are going to have more water in winter when we don’t need it and less water in summer when we do.” 

Covering Your Climate: An A-to-Z Guide to Emerald Corridor Climate Impacts

The Climate Impacts Group is mentioned as a resource for understanding climate impacts in the Pacific Northwest. 

CIG scientists contributing authors on state-wide climate resilience plan

Seven scientists from the Climate Impacts Group are named as contributing authors on a state-wide plan to make Washington more resilient to climate change. The state’s Department of Natural Resources announced their Plan for Climate Resilience — which details how the affects of climate change threaten our natural resources, and identifies priority responses — at a press conference Thursday, February 20.

Dr. Crystal Raymond, climate adaptation specialist for the Climate Impacts Group, spoke at the conference and was quoted in a press release about the plan.

“The potential impacts of climate change can seem dire,” Raymond said in the press release, “but the consequences for our natural systems, economies, and local communities don’t have to be. 

As landslides close roads, Washington’s remote towns deal with isolation

Dr. Guillaume Mauger, research scientist with the Climate Impacts Group, is quoted in this Crosscut article on how climate change is expected to increase landslides in Western Washington. 

Lunar New Year Trends: Eco-friendly traveling

Dr. Heidi Roop, lead scientist for science communication with the Climate Impacts Group, is interviewed about “flight shame” and the carbon emissions associated with flying for TBS South Korea. 

Tacoma redesigning popular beach using climate change projections

Climate Impacts Group’s resources for sea level rise planning are referenced. 

How Native Tribes Are Taking the Lead on Planning for Climate Change

Dr. Meade Krosby, senior scientist, is quoted in this Yale Environment 360 article on tribal leadership in adapting to climate change. “One of the things that comes across really clearly is the fact that indigenous peoples are by far the most effective stewards of biodiversity,” Meade says. “They do the best job.”