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9 Things to Know About Climate Change in Our Own Backyard
You think summer is toasty now, consider that by the end of the century annual average temperatures in Tucson (and all of the Southwest) are projected to be hotter by upwards of 9° F, depending on measures taken immediately to decrease carbon emissions. Put another way, Tucson’s climate, summer and winter, is on track to be more like Death Valley is today. Make note that Death Valley recorded a world record 129.9° F on August 16, 2020.
The higher temperatures are not just on tap for the daytime, but evenings, too, depriving us of one of the benefits of living in Tucson and not warmer Phoenix: our mild summer nights.
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SELECTED VIDEOS FROM OUR GUEST SPEAKERS
See the list of all speakers and topics, and those now available to view online.
Mark Hart: Providing Water for Thirsty Wildlife
How do Arizona’s beloved wild creatures get the water they need in a time of drought? With on-location deliveries from the good people at the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
Mark Hart, public information officer for AGFD, covered the need and the effort at a recent Climate Tucson meeting, stressing that the future does not look bright as the state gets hotter and the drought continues.
But thankfully for now, animals, birds, reptiles, insects—all the critters that symbolize the wildness of our region—are the beneficiaries of the program that supplies life-sustaining water to 3,000 catchment sites located across remote desert lowlands and mountaintops. Hauled in tanker trucks and dropped from helicopters, last year crews delivered a record-breaking 3 million gallons of water, a portion of the total paid for by Arizona residents donating to the department’s “Send Water” initiative.
Frank Niepold: Inside Story on NOAA and Climate Education
For Frank Niepold, Climate Education Coordinator at NOAA’s Climate Program Office, the changing climate is the “single most important issue we face.” And while the reports are seemingly dire, Niepold also assures that we can succeed, citing the “massive opportunities” for society to rebuild the economy and create not only a healthier planet but “jobs, jobs, jobs” in clean energy.
“The science is clear. It is not too late, but it is getting close,” said Niepold during his presentation at Climate Tucson. His work at NOAA includes developing the Clean Network, since 2008 a gathering place for teachers and others — “kindred souls,” he calls them — who are engaged in climate education. He is also the lead on “Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Science,” a guide for learners of all ages.
Importantly, Niepold noted that Climate literacy is not just something NOAA is actively pursuing — public education is mandated by Article 6 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). To further its climate education mission, Niepold said NOAA is hoping that the Biden Administration will support Article 6 as part of its plans to rejoin the Paris Agreement.
Fire Expert Donald Falk on the Bighorn Fire
Fire ecologist and University of Arizona professor Donald Falk provided an inside look at the scope and consequences of the Bighorn Fire earlier in the summer of 2020. Falk’s research focuses on fire history, fire ecology, and ecological restoration and resilience in a changing world, and with that knowledge he was able to describe in detail the cause and effect of the largest fire on record in the Catalina Mountains.
Falk is a professor at the UA School of Natural Resources and the Environment, with joint appointments in the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research and the Institute of the Environment. In 2015, he was a Research Delegate to the Paris climate summit.
Ladd Keith on the Heat Accelerator: the Urban Heat Island
