Climate impacts on the pacific northwest: Jeremy Littell at TEDxTheEvergreenStateCollege

Jeremy Littell is a research scientist in the University of Washington's Climate Impacts Group, who studies the impacts of climate change and variability on forest ecosystems. In "Climate Impacts on the Pacific Northwest" he describes some surprising effects of climate change on the PNW.

On April 16, 2012, speakers and attendees gathered at TEDxTheEvergreenStateCollege: Hello Climate Change to reflect on the ability -- and responsibility -- of formal and informal education to inspire and empower action in this era of climate change.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

[ajgrant]

This is exactly why we home schooled. We are so done for...

[nealtauss]

....at the Same time we started hyper-injecting fossilized carbon into our atmosphere.... we began PROLIFERATING Iron Plow Tillage.... agriculturally DISRUPTING photo-synthetic CARBON SEQUESTRATION.... effectively Doubling the Damage....at LEAST. We actually may be able to turn THAT around faster than anything else we can HOPE to do.... EXPONENTIALLY increasing Soil Carbon Retention by adopting all-around no-till organic agricultural methods.... MANY beneficial Societal 'side'-effects here... MO' Bettah Food&Health/Mo' Bettah Money...(..at GROUND-level.... where LongGreen Money makes Mo' Bettah Benefits in trickle-UP ECO-nomic Bops..)... & LESS money to the Manufacturers of Agri-Toxin.... where Mo' Money makes Mo' Profit$forPoi$on and NOTHING else.... and THERE's your trouble.... NOW we know why it's so hard to even TALK about making beneficial changes much less understand root Need for So doing AND....Root Cause for NOT. Go ahead.... Wave your magic Wand.... even WITHOUT climate crisis.... these agri-poisons cause Air/Water/Food AND Health Pollution.... so IF you should find yourselves mentally incapable of grasping a Wider Scope for this Impending Horror... understand clearly NOW.... that carcinogenic agri-chem residues are CURRENTLY doing to your being'n'body what the manufacturers of those chemicals are doing to all Life IN and ON Earth. It is Time to Change.... not just how we generate and use our energy...(..Roof-top Solar w/BatteryBack-up.... NOnukes..)... but how we GROW the very food we eat....and in So doing we can.... in ALL likelihoods.... RESOLVE our Climate AND Pollution PROBLEMS.... in REAL Time.

[garynorthtruro]

The issue is partly that virtually no one, except a small group, alive now will be so by 2100. That makes it easy to deny or treat as someone else' s problem.

[frankblangeard]

At the end he asks Who should do What? He states that all of us should do something but he doesn't say what that something is.

[markcampbell]

Atmosphere depth is the most important aspect of the climate management.

[BonerMaroner]

Who should do something ? I agree all of us

[PInkW]

I spend most of my time wondering why NYC use to be under 5000ft of ice

[grindupBaker]

I hope those straight lines are least squares fits. Use a polynomial. Some Aussie bods keep saying the climate models are screwy. I just got 5 mins of sun before dark 1st time in 4 months and OLMO is cleaned, oiled & good to go so get on with this Warmage so I can cross to Washington into Cascades & grind up Baker on Sunday.

[lpiavelino]

none of us have experienced climate change. we have not seen a desert climate change into a tropical climate or any other climate for that matter. stop lying to the children. fact is the carbon dioxide composition of the atmosphere is a mere 0.04%, nitrogen 89% and oxygen 21%. the amout of energy absorbed by the atmosphere = mass of the atmosphere x specific heat capacity of the atmosphere x temperature rise. the specific heat capacity of carbon dioxide is only 40 times bigger than those of oxygen and nitrogen so stop lying to the kids. the specific heat capacity of water is 4200, we all know that water evaporate from ocoans and lakes to fall back down as rain, dumping all that heat it absorbs, into the atmosphere. yet you blame carbon dioxide. there is nothing human can do to influence the evolutiuon of the atmosphere. it will keep evolving. like it or not.

[ElPasoJoe]

With that much variability, a degree or two is in the noise and the arguments are verging on "trust me."...