Below is the newest edition of the Region One Climate Change Science Update. FWS employees can also find it
and past issues on the Climate Change Sharepoint site.
Pacific Region Climate Change Science and Learning
Opportunities Digest December, 2013 Issue
A monthly e-newsletter aimed at helping you stay connected to climate change science that is integral to
our conservation work. Do you have a new published article you would like to share? Please send it our
way. And many thanks to those who have provided material for this edition!
David Patte
Climate Change Coordinator (Senior Advisor on Ecosystem Change)
US Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Region, Portland, Oregon
(503) 231-6210
Quick Links (Abstracts and Weblinks are Below)
North Pacific LCC Funding Opportunity
What are the Effects of Climate Change in the Pacific Northwest?
National Research Council Issues Report on Abrupt Changes
EPA Issues draft National & Regional Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plans
Tribal and Indigenous People
Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples in the United States
NOAA Tribal Consultation Handbook
Biodiversity/Species and Ecosystem Response
 November 2013 issue of the Ecological Society of America’s journal Frontiers in Ecology and the
Environment <http://www.esajournals.org/toc/fron/11/9> is devoted to an assessment of climate change
effects on ecosystems, and the consequences for people.
How does climate change cause extinction?
Will climate change promote future invasions?
Aquatic Resources and Ecosystems/Water Resources/Hydrology
Bull Trout Suitable Habitat in a Changing World *!the video!*
Effects of Climate Change on Oregon Coast Coho Salmon: Habitat and Life-Cycle Interactions
Evaluating Effects of Forest Harvest and Climate Change on Cutthroat Trout
 Climate-Aquatics Blog #51: Part 10, Mechanisms of change in fish populations: Extinction; #50: Part 9,
Mechanisms of change in fish populations: Evolutionary responses
Coastal/Marine Ecosystems/Ocean Acidification/Sea Level Rise
Ocean Acidification Summary for Policymakers – Third Symposium on the Ocean in a High-CO2 World
Technical Report Summarizes Climate Change Impacts on U.S. Oceans, Marine Resources
The impact of temperature on marine phytoplankton resource allocation and metabolism
Future habitat suitability for coral reef ecosystems under global warming and ocean acidification
EPA's Climate Ready Estuaries Program Releases Draft Workbook on Developing Climate Change
Adaptation Plans and Seeks Public Comment
New Study About Public Opinion on Climate Change, Mapped out State by State
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Understanding the recent United Nations Climate Conference in Warsaw
Opinion: Climate Crisis: Who Will Act?
Global Carbon Budget 2013 has now been published (includes new Global Atlas)
Business Support for a Coordinated Approach to Climate Policy
The role of short-lived climate pollutants in meeting temperature goals
Climate Change Journal Articles/Publications/News
Global warming in the period since 1997 may be far greater than previously reported
The Lingering Clouds: Why Pollution Results in Larger Storm Clouds, Colder Days, Warmer Nights
Crop pests and pathogens move polewards in a warming world
DOI Climate Science Annual Report
Climate and Weather Reports and Services (Multiple Entries)
List Servers and FWS Tools (Multiple Entries)
___________________________________________________________
North Pacific LCC Funding Opportunity
To further develop, coordinate, and disseminate science to inform landscape level conservation and
sustainable resource management in the face of a changing climate and related stressors, the NP LCC just
released a Request for Pre-Proposals (Submit by: December 19, 2013). Projects should seek to advance 3
categories of actions (Click here for more information):

Informing management decisions at local regional or scales based on
information syntheses at landscape scales

Incorporating climate change information into habitat conservation,
restoration, adaptation, or enhancement actions.

Assist decision makers with incorporating climate change information
into their planning efforts and implementing adaptation actions.
___________________________________________________________
What are the Effects of Climate Change in the Pacific Northwest?
Climate Change in the Northwest: Implications for Our Landscapes, Waters, and Communities: This
report, provided as technical input to the Third National Climate Assessment report, assesses the current
state of knowledge about key climate impacts and consequences to various sectors and communities in
the Pacific Northwest, including projected impacts on: PNW climate; Hydrology and water supply; Coasts
and oceans; Forest ecosystems; Agriculture; Human health, and Northwest Tribes. The 271-page report,
which draws on the expertise of dozens of scientists and subject-matter experts within the region, was
edited by Meghan Dalton and Phil Mote (Oregon Climate Change Research Institute) and Amy Snover
(Univ. WA Climate Impacts Group).
The 4th Annual Pacific Northwest Climate Conference drew about 320 researchers and practitioners to
Portland in September. Videos of many of the talks have been posted and linked to the agenda
(presentations with videos are underlined/hotlinked).
___________________________________________________________
National Research Council Issues Publication on Abrupt Impacts
Abrupt Impacts of Climate Change: Anticipating Surprises: This report summarizes the state of our
knowledge about potential abrupt changes and abrupt climate impacts and categorizes changes that are
already occurring, have a high probability of occurrence, or are unlikely to occur. Because of the
substantial risks to society and nature posed by abrupt changes, this report recommends the development
of an Abrupt Change Early Warning System that would allow for the prediction and possible mitigation of
such changes before their societal impacts are severe. Identifying key vulnerabilities can help guide efforts
to increase resiliency and avoid large damages from abrupt change in the climate system, or in abrupt
impacts of gradual changes in the climate system, and facilitate more informed decisions on the proper
balance between mitigation and adaptation. Although there is still much to learn about abrupt climate
change and abrupt climate impacts, to willfully ignore the threat of abrupt change could lead to more
costs, loss of life, suffering, and environmental degradation. Abrupt Impacts of Climate Change makes the
case that the time is here to be serious about the threat of tipping points so as to better anticipate and
prepare ourselves for the inevitable surprises. (National Research Council, 2013)
___________________________________________________________
EPA Issues draft Adaptation Implementation Plans
In early November, 2013, EPA released 17 Program and Regional Adaptation Implementation Plans for a
60 day public comment period. The public is invited to review and provide comment on the draft
Implementation Plans through the public docket at www.regulations.gov (Docket Number EPA-HQ-OA2013-0568). If you are providing comments through the public docket, it is important to identify which of
the 17 Plans your comments refer to.
These draft Implementation Plans were prepared by EPA's Program and Regional Offices following the
February 2013 publication of the Draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan (PDF, 55pp, 767 kb). The 17 plans
included here are part of an ongoing effort to address adaptation across the federal government, in
response to Executive Order 13514 - "Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic
Performance."
____________________________________________________________
Tribal
Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples in the United States: Kathy Lynn, Adjunct Faculty with the
Environmental Studies Program at the University of Oregon began teaching this new course, Fall,
2013. Contact Kathy for potential future offerings and/or a list of the journal articles and other material
that were used for the class (many of which are freely available online). Kathy is a Tribal Climate Change
Project Coordinator, Adjunct Researcher, Environmental Studies Program, at the University of Oregon.
Office: 541-346-5777 kathy@uoregon.edu
NOAA Tribal Consultation Handbook: NOAA released a tribal consultation handbook in November,
titled NOAA Procedures for Government-to-Government Consultation with Federally Recognized Indian
Tribes and Alaska Native Corporations. The handbook is intended to improve coordination with Indian
tribal governments and assist NOAA in conducting effective government-to-government
consultations. http://www.legislative.noaa.gov/policybriefs/NOAA%20Tribal%20consultation%20handboo
k%20111213.pdf. Federal register notice: http://www.ofr.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2013-27415_PI.pdf
___________________________________________________________
Biodiversity/Species and Ecosystem Response-- Journal Articles & Other
Publications
[FWS Employees- Click here for the entire FWS R1 Sharepoint CC Species/Ecosystems Response Library]
November 2013 issue of the Ecological Society of America’s journal Frontiers in Ecology and the
Environment <http://www.esajournals.org/toc/fron/11/9> is devoted to an assessment of climate
change effects on ecosystems, and the consequences for people. Major topics of the issue:
Biodiversity: Ecologists have predicted that species will move out of their historic ranges as climate
changes and their old territories become inhospitable. This is already occurring. Past predictions that
species would seek out historic temperature conditions by moving up latitudes, uphill, or into deeper
waters have turned out to be too simple, as species movements have proven to be idiosyncratic. Because
some species can move and cope with change more easily than others, relationships between species are
changing, sometimes in ways that threaten viability, as interdependent species are separated in time and
space.
Ecosystem functionality: Living things have powerful influences on the lands and waters they occupy.
As existing ecosystems unravel, we are seeing the chemistry and hydrology of the physical
environment change, with further feedback effects on the ecosystem. Ecosystem changes, in turn,
feedback to climate.
Ecosystem Services: Impacts on natural systems have direct consequences for crop and seafood
production, water quality and availability, storm damage, and fire intensity. Working with rather than
against, ecosystems may help society to adapt to changes, like sea-level rise and storm surge, that
threaten lives and property.
Combined effects of climate and other pressures: Species will be hard pressed to adapt to rapidly
changing physical conditions without room to move. Ecosystems are already stressed by habitat loss
and fragmentation, pollution, and natural resource extraction.
Preparation for change: Adaptation efforts may need to think beyond the preservation of current or
historic natural communities. Existing relationships between species and the landscapes they inhabit
will inevitably change. We may need to consider managing the changing landscapes to maintain
biodiversity and the functional attributes of ecosystems, rather than specific species.
How does climate change cause extinction? Anthropogenic climate change is predicted to be a major
cause of species extinctions in the next 100 years. But what will actually cause these extinctions? For
example, will it be limited physiological tolerance to high temperatures, changing biotic interactions or
other factors? Here, researchers systematically review the proximate causes of climate-change related
extinctions and their empirical support. They find 136 case studies of climatic impacts that are potentially
relevant to this topic. However, only seven identified proximate causes of demonstrated local extinctions
due to anthropogenic climate change. Among these seven studies, the proximate causes vary widely.
Surprisingly, none show a straightforward relationship between local extinction and limited tolerances to
high temperature. Instead, many studies implicate species interactions as an important proximate cause,
especially decreases in food availability. Very similar patterns are found in studies showing decreases in
abundance associated with climate change, and in those studies showing impacts of climatic oscillations.
Collectively, these results highlight our disturbingly limited knowledge of this crucial issue but also support
the idea that changing species interactions are an important cause of documented population declines
and extinctions related to climate change. Finally, the authors briefly outline general research strategies
for identifying these proximate causes in future studies. (Abigail E. Cahill, Matthew E. Aiello-Lammens, M.
Caitlin Fisher-Reid, Xia Hua, Caitlin J. Karanewsky, Hae Yeong Ryu, Gena C. Sbeglia, Fabrizio Spagnolo, John
B. Waldron, Omar Warsi and John J. Wiens. How does climate change cause extinction? Proc. R. Soc. B
2013 280, 20121890)
Will climate change promote future invasions? Biological invasion is increasingly recognized as one of the
greatest threats to biodiversity. Using ensemble forecasts from species distribution models to project
future suitable areas of the 100 of the world's worst invasive species defined by the International Union for
the Conservation of Nature, this research shows that both climate and land use changes will likely cause
drastic species range shifts. Looking at potential spatial aggregation of invasive species, we identify three
future hotspots of invasion in Europe, northeastern North America, and Oceania. The findings also
emphasize that some regions could lose a significant number of invasive alien species, creating
opportunities for ecosystem restoration. From the list of 100, scenarios of potential range distributions
show a consistent shrinking for invasive amphibians and birds, while for aquatic and terrestrial
invertebrates distributions are projected to substantially increase in most cases. Given the harmful
impacts these invasive species currently have on ecosystems, these species will likely dramatically
influence the future of biodiversity. (Bellard, C., Thuiller, W., Leroy, B., Genovesi, P., Bakkenes, M. and
Courchamp, F. (2013), Will climate change promote future invasions?. Global Change Biology, 19: 3740–
3748. doi: 10.1111/gcb.12344)
___________________________________________________________
Aquatic Resources and Ecosystems/Water Resources/Hydrology
[FWS Employees- Click here for the entire FWS R1 SharePoint C.C. Water Resources Library]
Bull Trout Suitable Habitat in a Changing World *!the video!* Illustrates New Methods for Probablistic
Accounting of Uncertainty, Seth Wenger, Trout Unlimited
Effects of Climate Change on Oregon Coast Coho Salmon: Habitat and Life-Cycle Interactions: This paper
assesses the effects of climate change on sustainability of Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)
populations that spawn in the coastal rivers of Oregon. Four distinct habitats are important to different
life-history stages of coho salmon: terrestrial forests, freshwater rivers and lakes, estuaries, and the ocean.
Each of these habitats is affected by multiple aspects of climate change, resulting in a complex web of
pathways influencing sustainability. Regional climate change studies are summarized to predict future
climate patterns affecting these habitats, identify the ecological pathways by which these patterns affect
coho salmon, and review coho salmon ecology to assess the likely direction and magnitude of population
response. Despite substantial uncertainties in specific effects and variations in effects among populations,
the preponderance of negative effects throughout the life cycle indicates a significant climate-driven risk
to future sustainability of these populations. It is recommended that management policies for all four
habitats focus on maximizing resilience to the effects of climate change as it interacts with other natural
and anthropogenic changes. (Thomas C. Wainwright and Laurie A. Weitkamp, Effects of Climate Change on
Oregon Coast Coho Salmon: Habitat and Life-Cycle Interactions, Northwest Science 87(3):219-242. 2013,
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3955/046.087.0305)
Evaluating Effects of Forest Harvest and Climate Change on Cutthroat Trout: USGS-advised PhD student
Brooke Penaluna examined how contemporary forest harvest and climate change may affect trout
populations in the Oregon Coast Range. Trout responses were highly variable, suggesting that some
populations of trout may be more vulnerable than others to forest harvest, climate change, or their
combined effects. [FullText] Contact: Jason Dunham, 541-750-0990, jdunham@usgs.gov
Climate-Aquatics Blog #51: Part 10, Mechanisms of change in fish populations: Extinction; #50: Part 9,
Mechanisms of change in fish populations: Evolutionary responses (Dan Isaak, USFS RMRS)
___________________________________________________________
Coastal/Marine Ecosystems/Ocean Acidification
[FWS Employees- Click here for the entire FWS R1 SharePoint CC Coastal Library]
Ocean Acidification Summary for Policymakers – Third Symposium on the Ocean in a High-CO2 World
Ocean acidification research is growing rapidly. The Third Symposium on the Ocean in a High-CO2 World
(Monterey, California, September 2012) convened 540 experts from 37 countries to discuss the results of
research into ocean acidification, its impacts on ecosystems, socio-economic consequences and
implications for policy. More than twice as many scientists participated in the Monterey symposium
compared to the previous symposium four years earlier. A summary of the state of knowledge on ocean
acidification based on the latest research presented at the symposium and beyond was published on Nov
14 and is available online. (IGBP, IOC, SCOR (2013). Ocean Acidification Summary for Policymakers – Third
Symposium on the Ocean in a High-CO2 World. International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme,
Stockholm, Sweden) Some of the key points that keep us up at night:
 The ocean continues to acidify at an unprecedented rate in Earth’s history. Latest research indicates the
rate of change may be faster than at any time in the last 300 million years.
 As ocean acidity increases, its capacity to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere decreases. This decreases
the ocean’s role in moderating climate change.
 Within decades, large parts of the polar oceans will become corrosive to the unprotected shells of
calcareous marine organisms.
 Changes in carbonate chemistry of the tropical ocean may hamper or prevent coral reef growth within
decades.
 The far-reaching effects of ocean acidification are predicted to impact food webs, biodiversity,
aquaculture and hence societies.
Technical Report Summarizes Climate Change Impacts on U.S. Oceans, Marine Resources: According to a
technical report prepared for the 2013 National Climate Assessment, the nation's valuable ocean
ecosystems and marine resources are already being affected by a changing climate. These impacts are
expected to increase in the coming years, putting marine resources, and the people and economies that
depend on them, at high risk in a changing world. Experts from NOAA and other federal, academic, and
nongovernmental organizations collaborated on "Oceans and Marine Resources in a Changing Climate"- a
comprehensive look at our current understanding of the effects of climate change on the oceans and
marine ecosystems under U.S. jurisdiction. The report synthesizes information on projected climate-driven
changes in U.S. ocean ecosystems over the next 25 to 100 years and concludes that marine ecosystems
likely will continue to be affected, in most cases negatively, by anthropogenic-driven climate change and
rising levels of atmospheric CO2. To view the report, click here (opens pdf file).
The impact of temperature on marine phytoplankton resource allocation and metabolism: The effect of
temperature on marine phytoplankton growth strategies, metabolism and composition is studied using a
range of techniques. This approach indicates that temperature plays a previously unrecognized, critical
role in resource allocation and marine phytoplankton elemental ratios, with implications for
biogeochemical cycling. (Toseland et al, Nature Climate Change 3, 979–984 (2013) doi:
10.1038/nclimate1989)
Future habitat suitability for coral reef ecosystems under global warming and ocean acidification: Rising
atmospheric CO2 concentrations are placing spatially divergent stresses on the world's tropical coral reefs
through increasing ocean surface temperatures and ocean acidification. This research shows how these
two stressors combine to alter the global habitat suitability for shallow coral reef ecosystems, using
statistical Bioclimatic Envelope Models rather than basing projections on any a priori assumptions of
physiological tolerances or fixed thresholds. Researchers apply two different modeling approaches
(Maximum Entropy and Boosted Regression Trees) with two levels of complexity (one a simplified and
reduced environmental variable version of the other). The models project a marked temperature-driven
decline in habitat suitability for many of the most significant and bio-diverse tropical coral regions,
particularly in the central Indo-Pacific. This is accompanied by a temperature-driven poleward range
expansion of favorable conditions accelerating up to 40–70 km per decade by 2070. Ocean acidification is
found to be less influential for determining future habitat suitability than warming, and its deleterious
effects are centered evenly in both hemispheres between 5° and 20° latitude. Contrary to expectations,
the combined impact of ocean surface temperature rise and acidification leads to little, if any, degradation
in future habitat suitability across much of the Atlantic and areas currently considered ‘marginal’ for
tropical corals, such as the eastern Equatorial Pacific. These results are consistent with fossil evidence of
range expansions during past warm periods. In addition, the simplified models are particularly sensitive to
short-term temperature variations and their projections correlate well with reported locations of
bleaching events. This approach offers new insights into the relative impact of two global environmental
pressures associated with rising atmospheric CO2 on potential future habitats, but greater understanding
of past and current controls on coral reef ecosystems is essential to their conservation and management
under a changing climate. (Couce, E., Ridgwell, A. and Hendy, E. J. (2013), Future habitat suitability for
coral reef ecosystems under global warming and ocean acidification. Global Change Biology, 19: 3592–
3606. doi: 10.1111/gcb.12335)
EPA's Climate Ready Estuaries Program Releases Draft Workbook on Developing Climate Change
Adaptation Plans and Seeks Public Comment: EPA has released a draft workbook for environmental
professionals and city managers to help identify and manage risks associated with climate change, and is
seeking comments from the public on the draft. The document, "Being Prepared for Climate Change: A
Workbook for Developing Risk-Based Adaptation Plans," provides a systematic process for environmental
professionals and city managers to use in determining important climate risks that should be addressed,
along with approaches for building local capacity to understand and manage these risks to protect future
generations. The workbook was produced by EPA's Climate Ready Estuaries program, which works with 28
National Estuary Programs and the coastal management community to assess climate change
vulnerabilities, develop and implement adaptation strategies, and engage and educate stakeholders. To
review the draft workbook, visit: http://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/cre/news.cfm. Written comments must
be received by November 22, 2013 and should be directed to crehelp@epa.gov
___________________________________________________________
Climate Change Journal Articles/Publications/News
[For FWS Employees- Click here for the entire FWS R1 SharePoint Climate Change Library]
Global warming in the period since 1997 may be far greater than previously reported: (summary from
reportingclimatescience.com) “A lack of Arctic temperature readings in the HadCRUT4 data, compiled
jointly by the UK Meteorological Office and the Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia in
the UK, means that the global warming in the period since 1997 may be as much as two and a half times
greater than the current HadCRUT data implies, according to the research.
Furthermore, the analysis highlights potential flaws in temperature records maintained by US space
agency NASA and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) which may also be
underestimating the global warming trend due to the way they treat sea surface temperatures. If correct,
this research has serious implications for the rate of observed global warming and also for the significance
of the so called pause in global warming that has been observed since the late 1990s.” (The research is
reported in a paper that is entitled “Coverage bias in the HadCRUT4 temperature series and its impact on
recent temperature trends” by Kevin Cowtan of the University of York and Robert Way of the University of
Ottawa, Q.J.R. Meteorol. Soc, accepted manuscript online, Nov 12, DOI: 10.1002/qj.2297)
The Lingering Clouds: Why Pollution Results in Larger Storm Clouds, Colder Days, Warmer Nights
(Science Daily story.) Citation: J. Fan, L. R. Leung, D. Rosenfeld, Q. Chen, Z. Li, J. Zhang, H. Yan.
Microphysical effects determine macrophysical response for aerosol impacts on deep convective clouds.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2013; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1316830110
Crop pests and pathogens move polewards in a warming world: The extent to which crop pests and
pathogens have altered their latitudinal ranges in response to climate change remains largely unknown.
Now observations of hundreds of pests and pathogens reveal an average poleward shift of 2.7±0.8 km yr−1
since 1960, supporting the hypothesis of climate-driven pest movement. (Bebber et al., Nature Climate
Change 3, 985–988 (2013) doi:10.1038/nclimate1990)
___________________________________________________________
Communications/Public Opinion
New Study About Public Opinion on Climate Change, Mapped out State by State (summary from the
Earth to Sky Interagency Partnership) Stanford University Professor Jon Krosnick* released new state-level
polling data that shows how Americans in different states view the issue of climate change and specific
policies to cut greenhouse gas emissions. This information was presented to the Bicameral Task Force on
Climate Change** in early November. What’s really cool about this is the interactive maps you can use to
gain understanding of the publics’ views on climate change, state by state. You can click on the map or the
list to download a fact sheet on the climate polling data for each state. To view several maps of the
United States that display Professor Krosnick's key findings, visit this page. Here’s the link to the
presentation by Dr. Krosnick, which includes an interesting discussion with a few members of the Task
Force (it’s about 45 min. long): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nflOfnffMMY
*Professor Krosnick is the Frederic O. Glover Professor in Humanities and Social Sciences at Stanford
University and a Senior Fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. For more information
about Professor Krosnick’s work, visit http://climatepublicopinion.stanford.edu.
**The Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change, founded in January 2013, focuses on drawing
congressional and public attention to climate change and developing effective policy responses to this
urgent challenge. The current co-chairs are Rep. Henry A. Waxman, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Rep. Bobby
L. Rush, Sen. Ben Cardin, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, and Sen. Ed Markey.
Meanwhile,
___________________________________________________________
Reducing Greenhouse Gases
Understanding the recent United Nations Climate Conference in Warsaw: the conference took further
steps towards a potential universal climate agreement targeted for 2015.
Opinion: Climate Crisis: Who Will Act? By Kofi Annan, secretary general of the United Nations from 1997
to 2006
Global Carbon Budget 2013 has now been published (includes new Global Atlas):
http://www.globalcarbonproject.org Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel burning and cement
production increased by 2.1% in 2012, with a total of 9.7±0.5 GtC (billion tonnes of carbon) emitted to the
atmosphere, 58% above 1990 emissions (the Kyoto Protocol reference year). Emissions are projected to
increase by a further 2.1% in 2013. In 2012, the ocean and land carbon sinks respectively removed 28%
and 23% of total (fossil fuel and land use change) CO2. The land sink in 2012 was much less than in 2011, a
year of a strong La Niña weather pattern... Read more
In 2012, global CO2 emissions were dominated by China (27%), the USA (14%), the EU (28 member states;
10%) and India (6%).
Rates of these countries from 2011 to 2012 were 5.9% for China, −3.7% for the USA, −1.3% for the EU28,
and 7.7% for India.
The per-capita CO2 emissions in 2012 were 1.4 tC per person, per year for the globe [4.4 for the USA, 1.9
for the EU, 1.9 for China, and 0.5 for India].
Business Support for a Coordinated Approach to Climate Policy: the Climate Declaration Over 700
companies have signed the Climate Declaration, in support of a national strategy to tackle climate change.
This group is urging policymakers to take action now on climate, in part because of the potential for
economic gain.
The role of short-lived climate pollutants in meeting temperature goals: (Summary from ScienceShot)
Some scientists have proposed drastic cuts in the emissions of soot, methane, and other strong but shortlived greenhouse gases as a way to tackle global warming in the short term. But such approaches won’t
lessen the long-term rate of climate change, a new study confirms. At current emission rates, methane
and soot (from industrial activity as well as from vehicles, image) spewed into the atmosphere between
2010 and 2020 will increase the eventual peak in global average temperature by only a few hundredths of
a degree, the analysis suggests. But emissions of carbon dioxide and other long-lived greenhouse gases
during the same 10-year period will eventually boost peak warming about 10 times that amount, the
researchers report online today in Nature Climate Change. The difference, the researchers explain, is due
to disparities in the atmospheric lifetimes of these planet-warmers: Although methane and soot exert
much stronger greenhouse gas effects than carbon dioxide does, they persist in the atmosphere, on
average, only 12 years and a few weeks, respectively; CO2, on the other hand, sticks around for centuries.
While trimming emissions of methane and soot can indeed delay warming in the short term, those
measures—whether they’re taken almost immediately or implemented a couple of decades from now—
will be largely irrelevant for the global climate if emissions of carbon dioxide continue unabated.
(Bowerman et al., Nature Climate Change, published online Nov 21, 2013, DOI: 10.1038/NCLIMATE2034)
__________________________________________________________
Climate and Weather Reports and Services
Research Feature: Simulated Changes in Northwest U.S. Climate in Response to Amazon Deforestation
Numerical models have long predicted that the deforestation of the Amazon would lead to large regional
changes in precipitation and temperature, but the extratropical effects of deforestation have been a
matter of controversy. This paper investigates the simulated impacts of deforestation on the northwest
United States December–February climate. The simulations show that Amazon deforestation results in
10%–20% precipitation reductions for the coastal northwest United States and the Sierra Nevada.
Snowpack in the Sierra Nevada experiences declines of up to 50%.... (Medvigy, David, Robert L. Walko,
Martin J. Otte, Roni Avissar, 2013: Simulated Changes in Northwest U.S. Climate in Response to Amazon
Deforestation. J. Climate, 26, 9115–9136. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-12-00775.1 )
The average summer over the last century in the Eastern Canadian Arctic has exceeded the same such
average in any previous over the last 44,000 years, according to a University of Colorado at Boulder press
release.
The Office of the Washington State Climatologist issues a monthly newsletter that summarizes the WA
climate for the previous month, includes a precipitation and temperature outlook, and also includes a
brief summary of an interesting aspect of the weather or climate of WA, among a few other sections: See
www.climate.washington.edu/newsletter for copies and to join the listserv.
PNW Climate Outlook: This quarterly report from the Pacific Northwest Climate Impacts Research
Consortium (CIRC) provides a seasonal wrap up of relevant regional issues along with an outlook for the
coming season in Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Western Montana. To subscribe send an email to John
Stevenson.
Great Basin Weather and Climate Dashboard: this website provides up to date climate and weather data
and forecasts/outlooks for the Great Basin including temperature, precipitation, drought, snowpack and
hydrologic information. (Some of the information includes the entire western U.S.) The Dashboard is a
joint effort amongst the Western Regional Climate Center, California and Nevada Applications Program,
the USDA Farm Service Agency and the Great Basin LCC.
NOAA Climate Connection E-Newsletter: Free monthly e-newsletter designed to increase climate literacy
and communication capacity for NOAA and its partners. Subscription requests can be sent to
NOAAClimateConnection@noaa.gov. Click here to view the June 2013 NOAA Climate Connection enewsletter.
NOAA’s State of the Climate Monthly Update
NOAA Monthly Drought Outlook: The monthly drought outlook complements the weekly drought
condition updates via the U.S. Drought Monitor. See this site.
NOAA Climate Portal: http://www.climate.gov/ National Snow and Ice Data Center: http://nsidc.org
The National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center Annual Report for 2012
____________________________________________________________
DOI Climate Science
Annual Report: The National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center
(NCCWSC) announced the inaugural edition of the NCCWSC and the
Department of the Interior (DOI) Climate Science Centers (CSCs) annual
report in November. It is available through the USGS Publications
Warehouse at http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1387/. The FY 12 annual report provides a summary of the people
and science leading the NCCWSC and DOI CSCs.
____________________________________________________________
List Servers
Climate CIRCulator (Oregon Climate Change Research Institute)
Climate Impacts Group (Univ. Washington)
EPA Climate Change and Water E-Newsletter
LCC list servers (see your LCC’s website)
OneNOAA Science Webinars
PNW Tribal Climate Change Network: send email to kathy@uoregon.edu
NCTC Climate Change List server (upcoming webinars and courses): send email danielle_larock@fws.gov
US Forest Service Fish & Wildlife Research Updates
FWS Resources and Tools
FWS Pacific Region employees can access journal articles and publications archived at the Region’s Climate
Change Sharepoint site (links below). The Region's Climate Change Science Synthesis document uses these
new findings. (The blog is used to highlight changes made to the document.)
> Home Page
> Read this report in Word/Find previous reports
> Document library (journal articles, reports, etc., updated weekly)
> Best available climate change science-- R1 synthesis (updated weekly)
> Blog (provides updates on new journal articles, R1 examples on use of climate science in decision
making, etc.)
> Use of Climate science: Regional examples
FWS Climate Change Response: How do partnership efforts such as Landscape Conservation Cooperatives
and the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy fit into the Service's overall
response to accelerating climate change? How is our agency reducing its carbon footprint? What is our
agency doing now to reduce the impacts of climate change on fish, wildlife and plants? Learn more
Landscape Conservation Cooperatives: Natural systems and landscapes are impacted by increasing land
use pressures and widespread resource threats amplified by a rapidly changing climate. These changes are
occurring at an unprecedented pace and scale. By leveraging resources and strategically targeting science
to inform conservation decisions and actions, Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) are a network
of partnerships working in unison to ensure the sustainability of America’s land, water, wildlife, and
cultural resources. Learn more
National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy: The National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants
Climate Adaptation Strategy will provide a unified approach—reflecting shared principles and sciencebased practices—for reducing the negative impacts of climate change on fish, wildlife, plants, habitats and
associated ecological processes across geographic scales. Learn more
FWS Climate Change Information Toolkit: A key part of the Service's climate change strategy is to inform
FWS staff about the impacts of accelerating climate change and to engage partners and others in seeking
collaborative solutions. Through shared knowledge and communication, we can work together to reduce
the impacts of climate change on fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats. Here are some resources that
can help.
Climate Change, Wildlife, and Wildlands Toolkit: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in
partnership with the National Park Service and with input from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
developed a kit for use when talking with the public about how climate change is affecting our nation's
wildlife and public lands. Learn more .
Safeguarding Wildlife from Climate Change Web Conference Series: The FWS and National Wildlife
Federation have developed a series of web conferences to increase communication and transfer of
technical information between conservation professionals regarding the growing challenges of climate
change. Learn more
(FWS employees only)
NCTC Climate Change Resource Library: The NCTC Climate Change Resource Library provides selected
citations to peer-reviewed journal articles, documents, books, theses, presentations, and Websites on the
effect of climate change on North American fish, wildlife and habitats. FWS employees can access the
library here
For more information on how the Service is working with others to conserve the nature of America in a
changing climate, visit http://www.fws.gov/home/climatechange/