This year’s 聽gathering of Northwest climate experts will bring more than 400 scientists, resource managers and community partners to Tacoma next week to share scientific results and discuss challenges and solutions in the face of climate change.
The eighth annual conference, “,” will be held at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center. The 天美影视传媒 is well represented in the program, and the UW led the organization of this year’s conference.
An evening kickoff event Monday, Oct. 9 is free and open to the public. A reception at 6:30 p.m. in the convention center will be followed by a town hall-style conversation at 7 p.m. U.S. Rep. (D-Port Angeles) will give the opening remarks. The panel discussion will feature , director of the UW Climate Impacts Group; , professor of environmental policy at UW Tacoma; , director of sustainability at Microsoft Corp.; , of the Puget Sound Partnership; and , a UW alumnus and former Environmental Protection Agency policy adviser who is now at Resources for the Future in Washington, D.C.
The scientific program will begin Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. with a welcome from , a UW alumna and mayor of Tacoma. , a glaciologist at Pennsylvania State University, at 9 a.m. will deliver a keynote talk on future sea-level rise.
Presentations from the UW that day include:
- “Extreme precipitation and snowpack in the Pacific Northwest,” by , a UW graduate student in atmospheric sciences, at 10:30 a.m.
- “Flood risk management in Washington state: How can we make it more resilient?” by , a recent UW graduate in marine affairs who is working with the Makah Tribe’s Office of Marine Affairs through a fellowship administered by Washington Sea Grant, at 12:40 p.m.
- “The Northwest as a hotbed of innovation in conserving ‘climate connectivity’: The ability of landscapes to accommodate species range shifts,” by , research scientist with the UW Climate Impacts Group, at 1 p.m.
- “Managed retreat as a strategy for climate change adaptation in small communities: Public health implications,” by Dr. , affiliate professor in Environmental and Occupational Health and Urban Design and Planning, at 1:20 p.m.
The concurrent sessions will combine for a presentation by Rennert at 4:15 p.m. and the launch of the Puget Sound Climate Preparedness Collaborative at 4:50 p.m., with leaders of King County, Snohomish County and the Tulalip Tribes.
Wednesday’s agenda focuses on climate-based actions, and will include presentations by consultants, nonprofits and government employees working in communities from Alaska to Oregon. The UW presentations on Oct. 11 include:
- “A climate change assessment of vegetation, fire and ecosystem services for tribal lands in the Pacific Northwest” by , a UW doctoral student in environmental and forestry sciences, at 10:50 a.m.
- “Measuring the progress of adaptation made by state agencies in Washington” by , deputy director of the UW Climate Impacts Group, at 11:10 a.m.
Wednesday afternoon’s plenary begins at 2:15 p.m. with a discussion of the fourth National Climate Assessment, released in draft form this summer, with a focus on the Pacific Northwest chapter.
Full program details are posted at , and updates will be posted on Twitter at . Event include the UW, other universities, nonprofits, consultants and regional and federal government agencies.
###
For more information or for media registration, contact Climate Impacts Group communications director Heidi Roop at hroop@uw.edu.