Climate Impacts Group

WA’s frontline communities face the brunt of climate change

Climate preparedness planning must be guided by those who face the most acute risks. A conversation with CIG Director Amy Snover is referenced in this Op-Ed from Crosscut. 

Nooksack Tribe and partners face up to climate change challenge on South Fork Nooksack River

The Nooksack Tribe is developing a climate adaptation implementation plan. Harriet Morgan is quoted.

“How do we actually get from all of these strategies … to action actually happening in the watershed? [The implementation plan] is taking it from paper to where the rubber meets the road.” – Harriet Morgan 

Clearing the air

Amy Snover, director of the University of Washington’s Climate Impacts Group, discusses how to talk publicly about—and more importantly, act upon—climate change.  

Register: Ore.-Wash. Water Year 2021 Recap & Outlook Meeting

The Oregon-Washington Water Year 2021 Recap & 2022 Outlook Meeting will be held as two virtual meetings on the mornings of November 16 and 17. This annual water year meeting is an opportunity to review climate-related impacts of the previous water year and learn about the forecast for the upcoming water year.

In addition to hearing from the forecast experts, both days will include time for discussion and peer-to-peer learning. We encourage participation from a wide range of sectors including utilities, agriculture and forestry.

Register       View agenda 

Day 1: Tuesday, November 16, 2021 9 a.m.–12:15 p.m. PT

The first day will feature a recap of the 2021 water year with a focus on the extreme drought and June heat wave. 

Nooksack Indian Tribe, Whatcom County environmental leaders discuss Tribe’s climate plan

The Nooksack Indian Tribe has contracted to study the impacts of climate change, timber harvests, temperature change and sediment loading on stream temperature, mass wasting (or slope movement), summer flows and winter glacial retention since 2010 and has created adaptation plans for fish, fish habitats, wildlife, Indigenous foods, water supply and water quality. Harriet Morgan is quoted.

“We see the consequences of this warming unfolding around us every day in our communities as well as in the news. It’s not just this distant problem in the future where we can just kick the can down the road and deal with it later. 

Now Hiring: NW CASC Actionable Science Postdoctoral Scholar!

The Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (NW CASC) is hiring an Actionable Science Postdoctoral Scholar, who will play a leading role in the NW CASC’s efforts to foster co-production of decision-relevant science across the Northwest. The NW CASC Actionable Science Postdoctoral Scholar will advance transdisciplinary research that addresses complex socio-ecological problems by facilitating training for NW CASC fellows, supporting NW CASC regional science dialogue and information-sharing activities and evaluating the efficacy of these activities in advancing actionable climate science and regional communities of practice.

This position requires a Ph.D. or foreign equivalent in an area of natural or social science related to climate change, with demonstrated experience conducting research, assessment, evaluation and stakeholder engagement related to climate change impacts and/or adaptation. 

Hydropower decline adds strain to power grids in drought

Severe drought across the West drained reservoirs this year, slashing hydropower production and further stressing the region’s power grids. And as extreme weather becomes more common with climate change, grid operators are adapting to swings in hydropower generation. Dr. Crystal Raymond is quoted. 

Microsoft, Amazon Urge Climate Mitigation At Wash. Summit

Washington’s insurance industry took a look at the threat of climate change in a summit that included input from executives at Microsoft and Amazon. Amy Snover, who spoke at the summit, is quoted.

“[Climate impacts] will reshape our communities and ecosystems in the Northwest, and climate change matters for all of these communities and ecosystems because they were built and they evolved to cope with the climate of the past. Climate change shifts the foundation of everything that we depend on and everything that’s around us.” – Amy Snover 

Changing climate, changing health

Climate change is likely to produce a warmer, wetter world with more natural disasters. Those changes can affect both our mental and our physical health. Dr. Amy Snover is quoted. 

NW Climate Resilience Collaborative

Ten nonprofit, community and university groups have banded together in a new Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative. The project will advance the efforts of frontline communities in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana to adapt to climate change.