Climate change is here; it's happening. Find out what that means, why scientists are so sure and what we need to do now.
The ocean provides a bounty of essential life-supporting services. Yet, a changing climate and increasing human uses are altering marine ecosystems and their ability to continue to provide this wealth of essential services. Off the coast of California, we are lucky to have one of the worlds longest-running marine observation programs, the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI), which has continuously and comprehensively sampled the marine environment off the California coast since 1949 to monitor the indicators and impacts of El Nino and climate change and to support effective marine management. Join marine ecologist and California Sea Grant extension specialist Erin Satterthwaite as she tells the story of CalCOFI through a series of case studies documenting how CalCOFI has been used to understand and address human and natural impacts on marine life along the California coast. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 37033]
The Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System (SCCOOS) – part of the national U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) – works to collect, integrate and deliver coastal and ocean observations in order to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect the environment. SCCOOS serves a diverse stakeholder community of managers and planners, operational decision-makers, scientists, and the general public. Join SCCOOS Executive Director Clarissa Anderson as she describes how SCCOOS technology and observational programs provide information critical to decision-making related to climate change, coastal hazards, marine ecosystems, fisheries, water quality, and marine operations. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 37032]
Climate scientist Julie Kalansky discusses how drought in California and Nevada is a common occurrence, with the attendant water restrictions and threat of severe wildfires bringing the reality of climate change into sharp focus. Future climate projections for the region suggest a trend toward more extremes, including more severe and prolonged drought as well as exceptionally wet years. Learn about the science of drought and how the Scripps-based California Nevada Climate Applications (CNAP) program works to provide drought tracking and early warning in support of drought preparedness and resilience in the face of a changing climate. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 37031]
Dr. Serena M. Auñón recently served as Flight Engineer on the International Space Station for Expeditions 56 and 57. She discusses her her time on orbit, where the crews contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science aboard the International Space Station. Investigations were led into new cancer treatment methods and algae growth in space. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 36868]
As the climate warms across the globe, California is faced with adapting to a range of climate-related challenges - from drought to increased wildfire activity, to more extreme rain events. Many of these climate change phenomena work in concert to trigger catastrophic events such as post-wildfire debris flows like the one that devastated Montecito, California in January 2018. Join Scripps meteorologist Nina Oakley to learn how research is helping us understand, anticipate, and prepare for these cascading disasters in our new climate reality. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 36729]
Local fishermen, surfers, and beachgoers know that ocean temperatures off California's coast vary, often expectedly, but sometimes unexpectedly. Join Scripps oceanographer Katherine Zaba to learn how scientists deploy innovative ocean technology to monitor and understand ocean warming phenomena, like marine heatwaves and El Niño events, that affect California's coastline. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 36728]
This presentation examines how the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries have created climate emergencies that have threatened global food production, human health, and soil health. Experts explore the ubiquitous presence of chemicals in our food supply and the significant, cumulative impacts of extreme heat, pesticides, herbicides, and GMOs on agricultural communities, as well as the promise of regenerative agriculture. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Agriculture] [Show ID: 36858]
California's precipitation regime is the most volatile in the country. These large natural swings between drought and extremely rainy years make water resource management in California notoriously difficult. Global climate change is expected to exacerbate the volatility by decreasing the frequency of regional precipitation while increasing its intensity. Join meteorologist Alexander Gershunov to learn about the mechanisms behind these projected changes, their anticipated impacts on California, as well as how art can help convey the science. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 36727]
Mahnoosh Alizadeh is an Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the UC Santa Barbara. Alizadeh’s research is focused on designing scalable control and data analytic frameworks and market mechanisms for enabling sustainability and resiliency in societal infrastructure systems. Series: "Institute for Energy Efficiency" [Science] [Show ID: 36796]
Chandra Krintz is a professor of Computer Engineering at UC Santa Barbara. SmartFarm is a research project that investigates the design and implementation of an open source, hybrid cloud approach to agriculture analytics for enabling sustainable farming practices. Series: "Institute for Energy Efficiency" [Science] [Agriculture] [Show ID: 36803]
David Erne leads smart grid research for the California Energy Commission’s Energy Research and Development Division. In this role, he manages a portfolio of research initiatives to improve electric system reliability and resilience for customers. Series: "Institute for Energy Efficiency" [Science] [Show ID: 36797]
Debra Perrone is an Assistant Professor of UCSB’s Environmental Studies Program. Deb integrates research methods from engineering, physical science, and law to inform water sustainability and policy. Series: "Institute for Energy Efficiency" [Science] [Show ID: 36804]
Raj Yavatkar is Chief Technology Officer at Juniper Networks. He leads and executes the company’s critical innovations and products for intelligent self-driving networks, security, Mobile Edge Cloud, network virtualization, packet-optical integration, and hybrid cloud. Series: "Institute for Energy Efficiency" [Science] [Show ID: 36798]
John Bowers is a Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering at UC Santa Barbara. He is interested in energy efficiency and the development of novel low power optoelectronic devices for the next generation of optical networks. Series: "Institute for Energy Efficiency" [Science] [Show ID: 36801]
Katharine Schmidtke is Director of Sourcing for ASICs and Custom Silicon at Facebook, the world’s largest social network and one of the five largest hyperscale-datacenter operators in the world. In this role she directs sourcing strategy for Facebook’s inference and video transcoding ASICs, and next generation interconnect technology. Series: "Institute for Energy Efficiency" [Science] [Show ID: 36799]
Stuart Woolf is President and CEO of Woolf Farming & Processing, a family owned operation whose primary business is the production and processing of agricultural commodities. Series: "Institute for Energy Efficiency" [Science] [Agriculture] [Show ID: 36802]
Sangwon Suh is a professor at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research focuses on the sustainability of the human-nature complexity through the understanding of materials and energy exchanges between them. Series: "Institute for Energy Efficiency" [Science] [Show ID: 36794]
Sila Kiliccote, CEO & co-founder of eIQMobility, has over 15 years of experience in building and leading teams to deliver impactful and innovative research in demand response, vehicle-to-grid, and data analytics for the electricity grid. Series: "Institute for Energy Efficiency" [Science] [Show ID: 36793]
William Wang is the Director of UC Santa Barbara's Natural Language Processing group and Center for Responsible Machine Learning. Series: "Institute for Energy Efficiency" [Science] [Show ID: 36800]
Climate change affects the health of all Americans. The adverse health consequences are projected to worsen with additional climate change. Kristie Ebi, University of Washington, explains that proactive adaptation policies and programs reduce the risks and impacts from climate-sensitive health outcomes and from disruptions in healthcare services. Additional benefits to health arise from explicitly accounting for climate change risks in infrastructure planning and urban design. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 36491]
Are humans rational beings guided by facts and information or do our moral views, desires, affiliations and motivations influence our perception of facts? Increasingly distrust in the science of climate change is rooted in different exposure to media/information and tied to political ideology. Dr. Gina Solomon says that the debate on the science is actually a debate on the solution and discusses ways to communicate about climate science. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 36490]
The purpose of public health is to fulfill society’s interest in assuring the conditions in which people can be healthy, says Dr. Richard Jackson, Professor emeritus at the Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA. For nine years he was Director of the CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health. In this talk. he explores environmental impacts on health ranging from climate change, toxicology, terrorism, and sustainability. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Public Affairs] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 36489]
Join world renowned scientist Ram Ramanathan for insight into a multifaceted education program, Bending the Curve, which inspires action on climate solutions. The groundbreaking program is offered at all University of California campuses and internationally. Learn how he and colleagues around the world are educating students at every level to become climate warriors. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 35706]
When we think about climate change, we often focus on the effects that we can directly observe such as extreme weather events and catastrophic wildfires. Yet most of our planet is covered by ocean where the impacts of climate change have been more difficult to measure. Join Scripps physical oceanography professor Sarah Gille as she describes how oceanographers are using innovative technology to study our warming ocean. See how much and where it is changing, the implications of that warming and where that heat is coming from. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 35705]
Join Scripps climate scientist Yassir Eddebbar for an exploration of the oceans interior and a fascinating phenomenon oxygen minimum zones (OMZs). With a focus on Yassirs work in the tropical Pacific, learn what causes OMZs, how they are likely to change in response to climate change, and their potential to impact marine ecosystems and fisheries as climate warms. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 35704]
Aerosols can move around the globe - affecting our climate and our weather but how do they affect human health? Kim Prather, PhD explores how her work transfers the complexity of the ocean's atmosphere into the lab to better understand the COVID-19 pandemic. [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 36060]
Human health is affected by environmental change. Those impacts are distributed unequally within and between populations and the disparity between those most responsible and those most affected by change. Dr. Thomas Newman describes how you can reduce your own environmental footprint by conserving energy, reducing travel, eating less meat, and offsetting carbon. But individual change alone will not be enough as greater change is necessary. Newman is Professor Emeritus of Epidemiology & Biostatistics and Pediatrics at UCSF and the Chair of San Francisco Bay Area Physicians for Social Responsibility Environmental Health Committee. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 35919]
Throughout the US and around the world, extreme heat is on the rise. Its a trend that many of us have perceived even in our own lifetimes we talk about how heat waves have gotten hotter, less bearable. Kristina Dahl, PhD Senior Climate Scientist, Union of Concerned Scientists, explains that extreme heat already presents serious dangers to our health and livelihoods. She looks at data and talks about the future. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 35980]
With a rapid shift of policy attention to the virus and economic recovery, how will the energy system change? And what will happen to climate emissions and policy? Speakers: Michael Davidson and David Victor Series: "Global Impacts of COVID-19 - A GPS Webinar Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 35871]
This webinar focuses on what transportation solutions are available to combat these trying times. Panelists discuss what strategies states, cities, transit agencies, TNCs and others are taking to address COVID-19. The session begins by introducing some insights into suspected changes in travel behavior, and continues with a discussion about how we can plan for a future that will enable climate resilient and equitable communities. [Show ID: 35944]
How Zebrafish help in the search to produce blood stem cells, California's Alpha Clinics, the extraordinary UC Natural Reserve system, and developing an innovative crowd-sourced network of remote sensors to track change in the ocean - on surfboards. Series: "On Beyond" [Show ID: 35686]
In the fight against climate change, those with the least resources have been left behind. In the case of solar power, the vast majority of investment in the United States has gone to majority-white communities. This means not only are people of color losing out on the benefit of solar power, but society as a whole is losing out on potential advocates for clean energy. Dan Kammen, a professor at UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy is researching how we can reverse this trend and leapfrog toward clean energy for all. Series: "UC Public Policy Channel" [Show ID: 35619]
How should we teach depressing material about climate change and social injustice to college students the very generation saddled with "fixing" all our problems in the current political and historical moment? Sarah Jaquette Ray, Humboldt State University, focuses on her ethnographic research and describes strategies for connecting students' emotional responses to the material in order to combat apathy and despair and to generate empowerment to effect positive change. She ends her talk by asking the audience to resist nihilism and misery in favor of feelings of hope and collective empowerment. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Show ID: 35473]
After more than three decades, the public is finally beginning to grasp what a serious threat global warming poses. What's missing from the climate conversation now is a plausible narrative about how we might parry this threat. Drawing on ideas from his recently published book, Under the Influence: Putting Peer Pressure to Work, Robert Frank explains why our ability to tap the prodigious power of behavioral contagion may make the path forward less daunting than many think. Series: "UC Public Policy Channel" [Show ID: 35561]
The ocean plays a major role in regulating Earth’s temperature through exchange of chemicals and microbes with the atmosphere. When waves break, ocean-derived biological species including viruses and bacteria are transferred into the atmosphere. These species can ultimately form clouds, altering precipitation and climate. Highlights will be presented of novel experiments being conducted in a unique ocean-atmosphere simulator developed by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Center for Aerosol Impacts on Chemistry of the Environment (CAICE). Kimberly Prather, Professor of Climate, Atmospheric Science, and Physical Oceanography at UC San Diego will focus on recent CAICE studies aimed at advancing our understanding of how the oceans influence human and planetary health. New insights will be discussed as well as future studies designed to unravel human versus microbial impacts on the changing Earth’s system. Series: "Exploring Ethics" [Show ID: 35000]
Around the world, individuals and families are fleeing their countries of origin because of war, violence, natural disasters, and climate change. As their numbers swell, host countries face calls to exclude them. Two prominent local religious leaders of especially targeted and vulnerable populations Bishop Robert McElroy of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego and Imam Taha Hassane of the Islamic Center of San Diego speak about a common path forward for our society, based on the wisdom of their respective traditions. In the United States, recent political decisions and governmental policies have worsened the prospects of both those seeking to immigrate legally as well as the millions of undocumented immigrants already here or those still coming. Series: "Burke Lectureship on Religion and Society" [Show ID: 35228]
Climate change, caused primarily by the greenhouse gas emissions of the world's most affluent populations, is having a disproportionate impact on socially and economically subordinated populations all over the world. Although climate change is anticipated to displace between 200 million and 1 billion people by 2050, the racialized hostility of the US, the European Union, and Australia to persons fleeing poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation does not bode well for climate refugees. Carmen G. Gonzalez, Professor of Law at Seattle University School of Law, examines the relationship between climate change and racial subordination, evaluating the evolving legal and policy responses to climate change-induced displacement. Series: "DeWitt Higgs Memorial Lecture" [Show ID: 35345]
Transforming our energy infrastructure to support greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals will require the deployment of technologies such as electric vehicles and energy storage. Improper integration of these technologies into the electric grid and a lack of careful planning of their scale, however, can significantly reduce their real-world effectiveness in supporting GHG emissions reduction goals. Research by Brian Tarroja and his colleagues at UC Irvine presented here focus on identifying grid integration needs and life cycle planning considerations for electric vehicles and energy storage deployment to better ensure that their potential GHG benefits are fully realized in future electricity systems. Series: "Institute for Energy Efficiency" [Show ID: 35164]
Researchers at UC San Diego are working on cutting edge technology to combat the constant threat of wildfires in California. The WIFIRE Lab is a collaboration between the Qualcomm Institute and the San Diego Supercomputer Center. The technology uses big data from cameras, weather stations, topography and other sources to quickly predict where wildfires will spread. And, it's not just theoretical. Fire departments like LAFD are actively using WIFIRE to get ahead of blazes before they get out of control. Series: "Computing Around UC" [Science] [Show ID: 35075]
California's recent drought has highlighted the need for a reliable source of water. Peter Stricker of SeaWell presents a reverse osmosis (RO) system to address climate-driven drought which is an entirely new approach to water supply. The SeaWell buoy is a self-contained floating vessel, moored to the sea floor, with seawater intake and brine diffusion outfall. It contains reverse osmosis equipment, electric power and water piping, and can permeate water at a rate of 950–3,800 acre-feet/year. The implementation plan is to deploy pilot SeaWell Buoys at a water cost already below the cost of State water,initially partnering with water districts to deploy five water portals. Landing sites could be chosen based in previously disturbed areas, such as decommissioned oil receiving facilities and sanitary district outfalls. These deployments will augment new water reuse projects, and share siting and infrastructure. Series: "Institute for Energy Efficiency" [Show ID: 35163]
From highways to trains to housing, where governments spend money can have a major impact on the environment and the economy. Join California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, the Center for Environmental Public Policy at the Goldman School of Public Policy and the Berkeley Forum for a discussion on major finance policy issues facing the State of California, including green bonds and sustainable finance. Fiona Ma is California’s 34th State Treasurer. She was elected on November 6, 2018 with more votes than any other candidate for treasurer in the state’s history. She is the first woman of color and the first woman Certified Public Accountant (CPA) elected to the position. California is the world’s fifth-largest economy and Treasurer Ma is the state’s primary banker. Her office processes more than $2 trillion in payments within a typical year and provides transparency and oversight for an investment portfolio of more than $90 billion. Series: "UC Public Policy Channel" [Show ID: 35321]
Climate change and atmospheric rivers are bringing flood water to people’s homes, devastating communities. Entire towns are moving to escape rising waters, which is called managed retreat. Flood experts at UC Davis, including Nicholas Pinter, are visiting dozens of communities who have moved off the floodplain and to higher ground to avoid flooding. Series: "UCTV Prime" [Show ID: 35171]
Extremely sensitive to shifts in temperature, the ochre sea star is considered a “keystone species” for monitoring the effect of changing air and ocean temperatures on California’s marine life. Eric Sanford of the UC Davis Bodega Bay Marine Lab puts these beautiful creatures to the test, using their appetite for mussels as the yardstick. Series: "UCTV Prime cuts" [Science] [Show ID: 24211]
At the 24th meeting of the Parties to the UN Climate Change Convention, governments completed the so-called Paris Rulebook, the set of guidelines for implementing the Paris Climate Change Agreement, and attention is shifting to implementation of measures that cut greenhouse gas emissions. Mark Radka, Chief of the Energy and Climate Branch at UN Environment, describes how the UN works with countries, companies, and people to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Series: "Bren School of Environmental Science & Management" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 34900]
The Arctic is changing rapidly in response to changes in global climate and economic activity and yet much of it remains unexplored with modern scientific techniques. Jeff Bowman describes his group's work in the Arctic as they seek to understand the ecological implications of changing sea ice conditions, and prepare to participate in the MOSAiC expedition; an unprecedented multi-national effort to study the high Arctic across a complete seasonal cycle. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 34635]
Collapsing ice shelves and calving of large icebergs in Greenland and Antarctica have recently become major drivers of sea level rise. The rapidity of these changes has come as a surprise, revealing major gaps in our understanding of how ice sheets respond to a changing climate. To a large extent, these gaps are due to the lack of measurements from the marine edge of glaciers - the Achilles' heel of glaciers. For over a decade, since the glaciers in Greenland began their retreat, Fiammetta Straneo and her group at Scripps Institution of Oceanography have been probing the edge of massive calving glaciers in iceberg-choked fjords in Greenland using helicopters, icebreakers, fishing vessels, and autonomous vehicles. The understanding gained through these measurements is being used in models aimed at improving sea-level rise predictions. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 34572]
The atmosphere is composed of gases such as oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Other gases are present at much lower concentrations and include ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and formaldehyde just to name a few. But there is something else in the air we breathe: microscopic particles called aerosols. Vicki Grassian discusses aerosols, their many sources, and how they impact the Earth’s climate and human health in ways we are just starting to understand. Series: "Exploring Ethics" [Health and Medicine] [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 33719]
Earths climate is a complex system with global scale interactions spanning the tropics to the poles. Join emeritus Professor and past Scripps Director Charles Kennel as he reveals the potential of arctic sea ice loss to influence the intensity of climate events such as El Nino, and raises the possibility that more changes in weather patterns and extreme events are to come. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 34571]
A panel of experts discusses climate change and its effects on our agriculture and our health, while also offering insights into how we as individuals can work to limit its negative impacts and create positive change. Series: "Wellbeing " [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Agriculture] [Show ID: 34568]
Smartfin is a surfboard fin that allows scientists to collect data about the ocean with the help of surfers around the world. The project brings together engineers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and students from the Computer Science and Engineering department at UC San Diego. Traditionally, it has been difficult to collect data near the shore because waves damage any instruments researchers place in the water. But, Smartfin turns that challenge into an advantage by enlisting the help of the surfing community. Series: "Computer Science Channel" [Science] [Show ID: 34350]
California reached its goal of reducing emissions to 1990 levels four years ahead of the 2020 target date. Robert Epstein, co-founder of Environmental Entrepreneurs, takes a look at what is and is not working as we plan for an additional 40% reduction by 2030. He also examines California's role in reducing worldwide emissions in both developing and developed countries. Series: "UC Public Policy Channel" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 34463]