How will climate change impact California? And how can California prepare?
These were the key questions put to numerous researchers and climate specialists from all across the state at a workshop held at UCSD's Scripps Institution of Oceanography on December 13, 2011. This workshop was part of Governor Brown's recent conference "Extreme Climate Risks and California's Future" and was titled, "Vulnerability and Adaptation to Extreme Events in California in the Context of a Changing Climate" with a focus on new scientific findings. Topics included, but were not limited to:
- Weather related extremes
- Sea level rise and its impacts
- Agriculture production
- Climate and human health
- Electricity demand and infrastructure
- Water hazards and water supply
- Extreme weather and catastrophic wildfires
- Economic consequences
download a pdf of the presentation. Videos of the talks will also be available at this site and on YouTube.
What concerns us in Southern California for the coming decades?
- More frequent heat waves, and more humid, especially at the coast.
- Fewer and less intense Santa Ana wind events, but they will be drier and hotter
- More prone to drought
- Higher sea level will lead to more coastal damage and flooding during high surf and high tide
- More heat will lead to greater water demand in agriculture, and adapting crops
- More heat related deaths and illnesses
- More ozone and higher pollution
- More infectious diseases and certain kinds of pests
- Greater demand for electricity, mainly for air conditioning
- The Sierra Nevada is a shrinking reservoir for our water supply Greater vulnerability to wildfires
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