Climate Impacts Group

Bigger and worse wildfires? UW fire experts weigh in

Heading into the 2021 fire season, two big questions loom in everyone’s minds, so we checked in with some fire experts at UW Environment to ask: Are fires getting worse over time? If so, what compounding factors are in place? Dr. Crystal Raymond is quoted.  

Carbon in Earth’s atmosphere reaches highest mark in modern history, scientists say

Despite a significant drop in people driving and flying early in the pandemic, the amount of carbon in the Earth’s atmosphere is higher before than ever in modern history. Dr. Amy Snover and Deputy Director Dr. Jason Vogel are quoted. 

I want to fly to Hawaii, but I don’t want to wreck the planet. With carbon offsets, can I do both?

CIG Director Dr. Amy Snover is among six experts in climate change, sustainability and green technology interviewed about carbon offsets.  

Forest fires impact on water quality

Day two of the National Academies of Sciences discussions focused on how climate change, notably forest fires, could affect the water quality of Lake Coeur d’Alene. Research Scientist Dr. Guillaume Mauger is quoted.  

CIG Scientist Harriet Morgan to present in Washington Sea Grant/EarthLab event

Building Resilience to Sea Level Rise Through Science Innovation and Community Engagement

Date: Tuesday, May 11
Time: 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Register 

Harriet Morgan of the Climate Impacts Group will join Washington Sea Grant’s Ian Miller and Nicole Faghin in this virtual webinar to discuss their work as part of the Washington Coastal Resilience Project. They will delve into the hazards people living in Washington’s coastal areas face – ranging from nuisance flooding during King Tide events, eroding coastlines and wave damage – and how sea level rise is exacerbating these hazards. They will detail how incorporating sea level rise projections into the decision-making process will help Washington communities build resilience to coastal hazards, and how the Washington Coastal Resilience Project employed technical innovations and community engagement to rapidly increase the state’s capacity to support proactive local action on these hazards. 

CIG launches new tool and webinar for climate-smart stormwater design

The UW Climate Impacts Group has released an online tool to help stormwater and wastewater managers in the Northwest design and operate with climate change in mind. Developed in collaboration with the City of Portland, City of Gresham and Clackamas County, all in Oregon — and building on previous collaborations in Washington State — the tool provides new localized projections of changing heavy rain events through the end of the 21st century.

Interested in learning more about how to use the tool? Check out our May 20 webinar, featuring UW Climate Impacts Group Scientists Harriet Morgan and Guillaume Mauger, and King County’s Jeff Burkey and Bob Swarner. 

Register Today For Upcoming NW CASC Webinar on Cultural Burning and Collaborative Fire Research and Management

The Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center is hosting a three-part webinar series centering tribal perspectives on fire management. The first webinar in the series will be held Tuesday, April 27, 11 a.m. PT.

USFS Research Scientist Dr. Frank Lake will discuss the historical context of cultural burning, clarify misconceptions about cultural burning, and present a decolonizing framework for fire management as a grounding for modern approaches to collaborative fire management that achieve shared values and resource objectives. 

UW Climate Impacts Group scientists present at NWCC

The University of Washington Climate Impacts Group is hosting the 11th annual, first-time virtual Northwest Climate Conference from April 6 to April 8 – and several members of the team are presenting their work, as well!

For over a decade, this conference has provided a networking and learning community for practitioners, scientists, tribal members and community organizers interested in climate change impacts and adaptation in the Northwest. The NWCC is committed to supporting equitable climate adaptation outcomes and building equity and diversity in climate science, policy, and adaptation practice.

If you’re attending, don’t miss presentations from UW Climate Impacts Group research scientists. 

The Next Twenty-Five Years: Building a Climate-Resilient Future

We are excited to present the video recording of our third and final virtual lecture in our 25th anniversary series – The Next 25 Years: Building a Climate-Resilient Future. 

This event highlighted Climate Impacts Group scientists and staff sharing their vision for the future. We aimed to inspire, ignite and unite our scientists, partners and community members in working toward a climate-resilient future. 

WATCH THE RECORDING

This packed event featured:

A conversation between…

Dr. Amy Snover, director, Climate Impacts Group

Chip Giller, founder, Grist

Presentations by Climate Impacts Group scientists…

Andrew Shirk, research scientist

Dr. Crystal Raymond, climate adaptation specialist

Erica Asinas, research scientist

Dr. 

New Resource for Water and Drought Management: 2020 PNW Water Year Assessment

The 2020 Pacific Northwest Water Year Assessment summarizes the water year conditions and connects these conditions with impacts experienced by farmers, water managers, fisheries managers, and more. This assessment was developed in conjunction with the annual water year meeting in October 2020. The authors will develop a similar assessment each year as part of the water year review and they hope it will serve as a resource for managing drought and other climate-related impacts.

Two of the lead authors on the report – Crystal Raymond and Karin Bumbaco – are from the UW Climate Impacts Group and the Office of the Washington State Climatologist, respectively.