Is it getting hot in here?

Dr. Andrea Copping of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory explains how our region will experience the extremes of global climate change earlier than other parts of the world, and sums up the potential impact in one word: WATER

At the May breakfast of the Seattle Science & Technology Discovery Series, Dr. Andrea Copping, Senior Program Manager in PNNL’s Marine Sciences Division, explained the impacts of global climate change on the Pacific Northwest region. Citing our proximity to the Pacific Ocean, she predicted that the Northwest will experience the effects of global climate change sooner and more intensely than many other places.

The number-one issue related to climate change facing the western United States? Water. As temperatures rise, the supply and quality of fresh water – a finite resource – will be affected. With the decrease in snowmelt feeding the Columbia River basin and parts of the Odessa aquifer declining 10 feet per year, there is already cause for concern here in Washington. Because there is no short-term fix and the demand for water and energy will continue to rise as the population increases, Dr. Copping stressed the importance of pursuing strategies to mitigate the impacts and improve data collection and modeling to better forecast the effects of global climate change in our state.

Did you know...?

• The Northern and Southern hemispheres will experience global climate change in different ways. For example, with more land mass, the North will see a steeper increase in temperature.
• Pacific Northwest snow packs have begun melting 1-4 weeks earlier over the past three decades. An increase in temperature of 2-3 degrees centigrade could decrease our snow pack 50-70% by the year 2050.
• Climate change will bring about extremes at both ends of the thermometer: not only will we experience a greater number of really hot days in summer, but we will also see an increase in the number of frost days in winter.
• Sea level in Western Washington could rise by as much as three feet in 50 years.

June preview:
Dr. Leo Stamatatos, Full Member, Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, will be featured at the final breakfast of the 2006-07 season of the Seattle Discovery Series on June 8th. Dr. Stamatatos will explain how computational biology is used to create novel vaccine designs.

Discover Series members: If you have not registered for the 2007 State of Technology Luncheon featuring a keynote conversation with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on May 31st, our TA Patron sponsorship package includes two tickets for reserved seating at the luncheon and one complimentary membership in the Science & Technology Discovery Series for the 2007-08 season. Check this deal out now!

Coming soon... Check your inbox for information about our stellar lineup of speakers for the 2007-08 season and how you can sign up to get your monthly helping of science and technology for breakfast!

The Science & Technology Discovery Series in Seattle is sponsored by:
AH&T, Inc., Perkins Coie, and Swedish Medical Center.