Climate Impacts Group

CIG Data Featured on New White House Climate Data Site

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has launched the Partnership for Resilience and Preparedness (PReP) initiative, a new public-private collaboration which aims to increase the accessibility of climate data that can help communities and businesses to successfully adapt to climate change. This initiative features data from the Climate Impacts Group recent report, State of Knowledge: Climate Change in Puget Sound. 

MoNA exhibit “Surge” joins climate scientists and artists

University of Washington scientists who are members of the Skagit Climate Science Consortium collaborated with artists for an exhibit, “Surge,” that will run through this weekend (9/25) at the Museum of Northwest Art in La Conner, Washington. Guillaume Mauger, a research scientist in the UW’s Climate Impacts Group, Dave Peterson, a UW affiliate professor of environmental and forest sciences, and Christina Bandaragoda, a UW research scientist in civil and environmental engineering, were among scientists who consulted with artists on their creations for a first-time exhibit focusing on climate change and its impacts on Northwest coastal communities. 

Office of the WA State Climatologist September newsletter is released

The OWSC Newsletter contains information on the current state of Washington’s climate, including the current outlook and a review of notable climate and weather events. Topics covered in the September issue include: an August climate summary; a note on what makes cool or wet summers; a drought and streamflow update; the temperature and precipitation outlook. The newsletter is produced monthly and will be available on the OWSC website or by e-mail subscription. 

CIG Blog Post | Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot: How the Summer Heat Can Get You Down

CIG’s inaugural blog post “Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot: How the Summer Heat Can Get You Down” contains information on how hot summer temperatures can affect human health, an analysis of the summer heat in 2015, a temperature outlook for August through October, and some tips and guides for staying safe and healthy in the summer heat. This blog post was written by Maggie Beetstra (Climate Impacts Group) and Karin Bumbaco (Office of the Washington State Climatologist). 

Seattle Think & Drink | The Californians are Coming: Climate Migration & the PNW

History shows that climate change leads to massive movements of people, and we’ve now entered what might be the fastest period of climate change in earth’s history. How will it affect the human populations of North America? Who will move where? How will it affect human rights? And is the Northwest really the relatively safe haven it’s commonly thought to be? Join Lara Whitely Binder of the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group, and Jeni Krencicki Barcelos, co-founder of the Three Degrees Project at the UW School of Law. Moderated by KUOW environmental reporter Ashley Ahearn.

Date: Tuesday August 23, 2016

Time: 7-9:30 pm

Location: Naked City Brewery and Taphouse, 8564 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle 

NASA analysis finds July 2016 is warmest on record

July 2016 was the warmest July in 136 years of modern record-keeping, according to a monthly analysis of global temperatures by scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York. The monthly analysis by the GISS team is assembled from publicly available data acquired by about 6,300 meteorological stations around the world, ship- and buoy-based instruments measuring sea surface temperature, and Antarctic research stations. 

For the PNW, how costly is climate change? Experts weigh in

The success of The Seattle Times LiveWire event series continued with “Endangered Economy: The high cost of climate change,” an enlightening forum about the impact of climate change on the Pacific Northwest economy. A panel of local and national experts, including CIG’s Deputy Director – Joe Casola, discussed how our region can take steps to protect a sustainable future for marine life, forestry, agriculture and the billion dollar industries that depend on their growth. 

Upcoming Webinar: How will Forests Affect Mountain Snow Storage in a Warming Climate?

Tuesday, May 24th, 2016 | 12:00 PM PDT

In this webinar, Susan E. Dickerson-Lange will present on Northwest Climate Science Center supported research that led to the creation of a conceptual model that paired relevant spatial datasets for considering the combined impacts of forest and climate change across the Pacific Northwest, USA. Predicting the effects of forest on snow storage depends on drivers that vary across locations, such as winter temperature, wind speed, cloudiness, and solar radiation. The net result is that management actions, such as timber harvesting, can have unintended effects on snow storage and duration depending on location. Join the webinar to learn more about how to use maps of key climate and physical features across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho to optimize snow storage in forest management decisions. 

Upcoming webinar featuring CIG work: Integrating Climate Change into Culvert Design

Wednesday, May 18th, 10:30-11:30am (Pacific)

Viable, self-sustaining salmon populations depend upon unobstructed passage to and from spawning and rearing habitats.  When culvert size relative to stream size is too small, the result is often a barrier to fish movement.  Climate change models project significant increases in stream flows in much of Washington but climate change information is rarely incorporated into culvert design. The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) has regulatory authority over most culvert and bridge projects in Washington State. Currently, WDFW’s design guidelines do not incorporate future climate-related changes and impacts.

This project translates projected future changes in regional climate to stream width, a key parameter for fish passage culvert design and sizing.  

Edward L. Miles – Scholar, Humanitarian, Bon Vivant, Teacher, Mentor and Friend (1939-2016)

The world has lost an extraordinary scholar in marine affairs, climate impacts, and environmental management. We – members and alumni of the Climate Impacts Group – have lost our founder, director emeritus, colleague, mentor and, above all, dear friend.

Edward Lancelot Miles died at his home in Seattle, Washington on May 7, 2016, from complications of Lewy Body Dementia. He was 76.

Ed’s impact is wide-ranging, both personally and professionally. He had an unstoppable curiosity and powerful intellect, which he aimed at understanding and addressing some of the world’s most complex science, technology and environmental management challenges. Ed’s exuberant spirit elevated everyone around him, and his remarkable leadership skills were critical in bridging some of the serious chasms that too often exist between the realms of science and public policy.