Global Climate Change and the Southwest by Dr. Jonathan Over

[Sredfield]

Passing this along:

We want to let you know about a UA Science Cafe talk on how global change is impacting climate in Arizona. This free talk will be given next Tuesday evening at the Arizona History Museum in Tempe. Our speaker is international climate change expert and co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize, Jonathan Overpeck. Details are below.

What: Global Climate Change and the Southwest by Dr. Jonathan Overpeck
View his bio here: http://www.environment.arizona.edu/jonathan-overpeck

When: Tuesday, 15 February, 7:00 pm

Where: Arizona Historical Society’s Steele Auditorium, Papago Park,
1300 N College Ave, Tempe, AZ
480-929-0292
Click here for map: http://goo.gl/M1iPf

Cost: Free!

Come find out how researchers believe climate change will affect Arizona’s rainfall, snow packs, stream flow, sky islands and desert vegetation, and whether we may already be experiencing climate change impacts. The talk with conclude with a question-and-answer session.

This monthly science café series will run through May. The March talk will address Seeking Sustainability in the Southwest: the Water/Energy Challenge

If you have questions about this event or the science cafe series, please email gwoodard@email.arizona.edu

[chumley]

It's sad that my first thought was that this post was incorrectly placed in the weather forum when it should be in the politics one.

Does seem like it might be an informative and interesting talk though!

[azbackpackr]

Thanks for posting. I have to write a paper on this topic with no fewer than 20 references! So, I may be able to use the website for a reference.

[JimmyLyding]

I've been watching the "Collapse" piece on TV (thanks DVR) based upon the book by Jared Diamond. Very scary stuff. We may be seeing certain regions on our planet undergoing wholesale reductions in their capacity to support modern human life.
In the developed world we'll probably see dramatic political conflicts over water rights. In other parts of the world we may even see war. What would happen if Turkey kept all of the water from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers? What if Australia's ability to produce food is significantly reduced (like this year)?
Imagine the top of Mount Lemmon being covered in juniper and manzanita. Think of the desert around Tucson looking like the desert around Yuma. What about the Sierra Nevada Mountains having a massive snow pack in a given year, and 75% less the next.

The sad thing is that so many people view these issues through the prism of politics. Imagine believing that climatologists and other scientists make these claims because they want to ruin people's livelihoods. Imagine claiming that the people who make dire predictions about our planet's climate do so because of a desire to destroy jobs. It's sad that so many people would gladly destroy the environment for short-term economic gain at the expense of long-term sustainability, but it's even sadder that people without an economic dog in that hunt would agree.

[Jim]

What about the Sierra Nevada Mountains having a massive snow pack in a given year, and 75% less the next.

I think that actually has happened, just a few decades ago. The state population was less and severe water restrictions went into place for a year or so until the "normal" snow pack came back. People have a short memory about that type of thing, but really dry years happen frequently over time. Problem is, we get addicted to the good years. You don't have to look further than our own state (AZ) to see that long term drought have occurred with severe human consequences. Think about 800 years ago. Ponderosa pine and the other forest types survived, but the people had some rough times.

The sad thing is that so many people view these issues through the prism of politics. Imagine believing that climatologists and other scientists make these claims because they want to ruin people's livelihoods. Imagine claiming that the people who make dire predictions about our planet's climate do so because of a desire to destroy jobs. It's sad that so many people would gladly destroy the environment for short-term economic gain at the expense of long-term sustainability, but it's even sadder that people without an economic dog in that hunt would agree.

That seems to have become the norm lately, doesn't it? Everything isn't fine and wonderful? You don't believe that our magical god from the Bronze Age will create a fantasy land of resources because we are a chosen people? The perceived status quo isn't actually that, and change is and has been occurring at an almost imperceptible level for decades? Then you must be an evil job hating socialist (as communist doesn't work anymore) who wants to destroy America (because we haven't been doing that well enough on our own with the economic and tax policies of the last few decades). Blah, blah, blah, it does get tiresome, doesn't it?