Dr. Douglas Morton, Biospheric Sciences Laboratory (Code 618)

Short talk followed by Q&A Session with speaker and panelists Dr. Lesley Ott, Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (Code 610.2) and Dr. Matthew Rodell, Hydrological Sciences Laboratory (Code 617)

Abstract: According to “Global Warming’s 6 Americas in May 2011,” a report by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication, nearly 40% of Americans are alarmed or concerned with global warming, while a quarter of those surveyed were dismissive or doubtful. Yet most survey participants were unaware of the strength of scientific research on global warming, including the fact that 97% of publishing climate scientists agree that climate change is occurring, primarily as a result of human activities. In this presentation, I will discuss how fires and food production are fundamentally linked to climate in order to illustrate potential societal impacts of climate change. The goal of this presentation is to bring the complex topic of climate change into greater focus through specific examples of how climate and projected climate change may impact the places we work and play, the food we eat, and the air we breathe.