2013 AAAS Symposium – “U.S. Climate and Weather Extremes: Past, Present, and Future"
Sponsored by the four USNCs for the Earth Sciences and spearheaded by USNC/INQUA. This session provided both current and paleoclimatic perspectives on the nature of recent extreme climate and weather events and their societal and ecological impacts, with a focus on the United States. The symposium was held on February 15, 2013 at the AAAS meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. Speakers include:

• Donald J. Wuebbles (University of Illinois): Severe Weather in the United States Under a Changing Climate
• Heidi Cullen (Climate Central): Coverage of Extreme Weather/Climate Events in a Changing Media Landscape
• John Nielsen-Gammon (Texas A&M University): What Did the Texas Drought Do?
• Camille Parmesan (University of Texas): Observed Impacts of Extreme Climate Events on Wild Species
• David Stahle (University of Arkansas): The Tree-Ring Record of Drought and Disaster Over North America
• Richard Seager (Columbia University): A Modeling Perspective on Drought in Southwest North America

Organizer: Connie Woodhouse, University of Arizona
Co-organizers: Gregory Wiles, The College of Wooster and Ester Sztein, U.S. National Academies
Discussants: Kathy Jacobs, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the U.S. President

2012 AAAS Symposium - “Causes and Effects of Relative Sea-Level Changes in the Northeast Pacific"
This session, spearheaded by the U.S. National Committee for Geodesy and Geophysics, first reviewed the various contributing factors to relative sea-level changes in the Northeast Pacific and then examined likely adaptations with an emphasis on shores in British Columbia. The symposium was held February 19, 2012 at the AAAS meeting in Vancouver, Canada. Speakers included:

• John J. Clague (Simon Fraser University): Impacts of Rising Seas on the British Columbia Coast in the 21st Century
• Denise J. Reed (University of New Orleans): Surviving Sea-Level Rise: What Can Be Done To Maintain Viable Coastal Wetlands?
• David Flanders (University of British Columbia): Flood Adaptation Near Vancouver: A Regional Adaptation Collaborative

Organizer: Brian F. Atwater, U.S. Geological Survey
Co-organizers: C.K. Shum, Ohio State University and Ester Sztein, The National Academies
Moderator: Brian F. Atwater, U.S. Geological Survey
Discussant: Margaret Davidson, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Services Center

If you would like to receive a CD containing the audio and presentations, please contact BISO@nas.edu.

 Audio of Session

Presentations:

 

Press from "Causes and Effects of Relative Sea-Level Changes in the Northeast Pacific": CBC Canada Radio interview with John Clague: "Delta flood risk" Vancouver Sun: "South Delta needs dramatic solutions to flood risks" The Vancouver Sun (blog): "Sea level rise threats growing with global warming, AAAS hears" Canada.com: "South Delta at risk of serious flooding" News24: "Coasts in risk plan ahead for rising seas" Winnipeg Free Press: "BC scientist says people can either 'defend' or retreat from rising seas ..." Discovery News: "Planning for a Devastating Sea Level Rise" South Delta Leader: "Act now to prevent flood conditions in South Delta, warns SFU geologist" Outcome Magazine: "Visualization brings sea level rise alive" RedOrbit: "Visualizations Help Communities Plan For Sea-level Rise" Castanet.net: "The cost of rising seas" Huffington Post Canada: "John Clague: Rising Sea Levels Require People To 'Defend' Or Retreat" The Delta Optimist: "Sea level rise poses flood risk" Vancouver Sun: "South Delta faces rising threat from floods" CBC News: "Sea level rise underestimated, say B.C. scientists" Carbon Based Climate Change Adaptation (blog): "Sea level rise in the Northeast Pacific" Postmedia News: "B.C.'s South Delta at risk from disastrous flooding: Expert" (this article also appears on The Windsor Star, The Victoria Times Colonist, and the Calgary Herald) Agence France-Presse: "Coasts in peril plan ahead for rising seas" (this article also appears on Yahoo! News, The Straits Times, The Mother Nature Network, and Physorg.com) CTV News: "Future floods could leave much of Delta under water" The International Business Times: "Canada: Vancouver Homes and Farms at Risk of Rising Sea Levels" isgtw (international science grid this week): "The Delta community in 2100" Planetsave: "Visualising Sea-Level Rise Helps Communities Plan Ahead" Richmond Review: "Scientists raise alarm over rising sea level threat" The Victoria Times Colonist: "Redesign homes to prepare for rising sea levels, scientists say" UPI.com: "Visualization brings sea level rise alive" redOrbit: "Visualizations Help Communities Plan For Sea-level Rise"

2012 AAAS Symposium - “Toward Stabilization of Net Global Carbon Dioxide Levels”
Sponsored by the four USNCs for the Earth Sciences and spearheaded by the U.S. National Committees for Soils and for Geodesy and Geophysics, this session provided a clear understanding and comparison of the attributes of the various sequestration strategies, including their capacity, economics, risks, application time-scales, and long-term stability. The symposium was held February 17, 2012 at the AAAS meeting in Vancouver, Canada. Speakers included:

• Isabel Montañez (University of California): Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide and Climate Sensitivity in a Warmer World
• Sally Benson (Stanford University): Carbon Dioxide Sequestration in Deep Sedimentary Formations
• Peter Brewer (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute): Impacts of Stabilizing Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Levels: The Role of the Oceans
• Keith Paustian (Colorado State University): Carbon Sequestration and Greenhouse Gas Mitigation in Agriculture: Living Up to Potential?
• Karen Haugen-Kozyra (KHK Consulting Ltd.): Carbon Pricing Policies in North America: Past, Present, and Future
• Ben Yamagata (Coal Utilization Research Council): Managing Carbon Dioxide Emissions Today: An Industry Perspective

Organizer: Paul M. Bertsch, University of Kentucky
Co-Organizer: Ester Sztein, The National Academies
Discussants: James E. Hansen, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and Cesar Izaurralde, Joint Global Change Research Institute

Press from "Toward Stabilization of Net Global Carbon Dioxide Levels":
UC Davis (blog): "Ancient climate expert joins AAAS panel on climate mitigation"
Web newswire: "Stanford scientist to discuss the challenges and opportunities of carbon sequestration at AAAS"

Presentations:

Sally Benson
Professor
Stanford University

 

Karen Haugen-Kozyra
Principal
KHK Consulting Ltd.

Isabel Montañez
Professor
University of California, Davis

Keith Paustian
Professor/Senior Research Scientist
Colorado State University