Topics Climate Change
Climate Change
Climate change provokes intense emotions. Is climate change occurring? Not everyone agrees. We cannot possibly verify what will or won’t happen tomorrow or in 2100. What we can do is look over the landscape of the past and quantify what has been seen.
This Guide presents a range of contemporary climate change information, written by people recognized in Colorado-and around the world-for their roles in research, modeling and education. Their work resonates with policy discussion topics. As always, the Foundation, whose role is education, does not take an advocacy or political stance.
In fewer than 50 pages, the authors write about the overarching theme and findings of their specialties. Each approaches climate change from slightly different directions:
- Brad Udall“across the West, the proportion of total annual precipitation
falling as rain rather than snow has been increasing over the last 50 years.” discusses the Rocky Mountains and the challenges they pose for computer modelers - Nolan Doesken“Experience shows Colorado’s climate is variable. Everybody loves
following the weather, but many confuse weather for the climate.” looks at the same topography and how it affects climate - Roger Pielke, Sr.“A way forward is to focus on adaptation and mitigation strategies
that reduce the vulnerability of Colorado water resources” , provides an alternate viewpoint, one that looks at more than carbon dioxide’s role in climate change - Linda Joyce“Already, the yellow-bellied marmot comes out of
hibernation nearly three weeks early.” explains how species adjust according to elevation and climate - Doug Kenney and Lori Ozzello"Just a 10% decline in average stream flow might threaten the
reliability of existing water uses.” discuss how our water supplies and related agreements, such as the Colorado River Compact, might be affected - Reagan Waskom“Elevated CO2 levels increase plant growth in labs and greenhouses.
Warmer temperatures mean more frost fee days.” looks at the impacts, both positive and negative, on farming and ranching - Gregg Thomas and Carrie Atiyeh“The forecast for hotter and drier summers is expected to
increase urban ozone pollution.” examine the human side of the equation - Tom Plant“Many look to nuclear, but when you look at the water impact, a similar load provided
by nuclear energy would annually demand an additional 43,000 acre feet of water.” explores how our energy resources may shift over time
Want to learn more about climate change? Click on the following links to learn more about climate change in Colorado and beyond.
CFWE explores Colorado's climate and how it may change in the future in the following videos.
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