Transcript Adaptation Mtng 032410

ADAPTATION to
CLIMATE CHANGE
Kick-Off Meeting
March 24, 2010 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Slide 1
Agenda







Opening Remarks
Speaker Presentations
Q&A
Road Mapping
Working Groups
Desired Outcomes for 2010
Q&A
Slide 2
Opening Remarks
 Secretary John Hanger,
Department of Environmental
Protection
 Acting Secretary John Quigley,
Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources
Global Temperature Trend
United States Surface
Temperature Trends
 Over the past century, there has been a
gradual increase in temperature at an
average rate of 0.11 degrees F per
decade for contiguous US.
 Average temperatures rose at 5 times
this rate (0.56 degrees F per decade)
from 1979 to 2005.
 The most recent eight-, nine-, and tenyear periods were the warmest on
record.
-Observations compiled by NOAA National Climatic Data Center for
slides 4 and 5
Slide 4
US Annual Mean Temperature
Anomalies (1901-2005)
Slide 5
PA Precipitation Data:
The chart shows above average
precipitation since 1980
Slide 6
Shifting climate zones
Slide 7
Global sea level is rising and will
very likely continue to rise
Slide 8
Rahmstorf (2007)
“PA Assessment of Impacts”
Speaker: James Shortle, Ph.D.
www.wikipedia.org
www.invasive.org
www.bugwood.org
Slide 9
Risks and Impacts for the
Insurance Industry
Speaker:
Kyle Beatty,
Willis Re Inc.
Slide 10
Delaware River Basin
Case Study
Speaker:
Jessica Sanchez
Delaware River Basin Commission
Slide 11
Q&A
 What is Adaptation?
Adaptation is enhancing the resilience of
the natural environment, the built
environment and human institutions to
climate change.
Slide 12
Road Mapping
 PA Climate Change Act (Act 70 of 2008)
 Climate Change Advisory Committee
– Climate Change Action Plan details 52
mitigation recommendations to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.
– Published in December 2009 and updated
every three years.
Slide 13
Need to Address Adaptation
 Analysis of impacts is a requirement for federal
funding from US Fish & Wildlife Service, USGS
Center for Wildlife and Climate Change, US Forest
Service and Farm Bill.
 “[We] must adapt and improve resilience to
minimize risk to people, natural places, and key
infrastructure. Adaptation will require
thoughtful, preventative actions and investments,
and demand new approaches and preparation
from nonprofit, private and government entities.”
- Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on
Environmental Quality, Interim Progress Report of
the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task
Force, 3/16/10.
States with Adaptation Plans
Source: Pew Center on Global Climate Change
Working Groups

Establish working groups to bring together key
stakeholders to provide practical
recommendations for these broad categories:
1. Natural resources (forests, wildlife, agriculture,
surface water)
2. Public Health and Safety (public health,
emergency response, economically depressed
communities)
3. Infrastructure (transportation, buildings, waterrelated, energy, land use, insurance)
4. Tourism and Outdoor Recreation (regional
tourism, hunting and fishing organizations, ski
resorts)
Slide 15
Climate Change Adaptation Working Group
Flow Diagram
Slide 16
Statewide Adaptation Process
DEP will guide the agendas for the
working group meetings and
coordinate with the Climate Change
Advisory Committee.
 Timeframe is 9 to 10 months
 Approximately 5 bimonthly meetings
 Last meeting is for all participants to
share key outcomes and keep the
process evolving (not once and done).
Slide 17
“Weathering Climate Change:
Suggestions for a Statewide
Planning Process”
Speaker:
Nels Johnson,
The Nature Conservancy
Slide 14
Desired Outcomes

Stakeholders to provide input by
participating in working groups; there is
overlap.
 Meetings will be announced via email
from distribution list and today’s sign-in
sheets.
 Chairs are envisioned to lead each of the
4 working groups.
– 2 Co-chairs, ideally one from state
agency and one from non-government
organization
Slide 18
Desired Outcomes:
Priorities, Needs and Barriers

A white paper from each working
group will answer these questions:
1. What are the key focus areas for
vulnerability and risk caused by climate
change?
2. What efforts are currently addressing the
key focus areas?
3. What practical actions can we recommend
with the resources that are available?
4. What information is missing that needs to
be addressed? Identify opportunities for
collaboration.
Slide 19
Next Steps
 This challenge to develop adaptation
strategies goes beyond one
organization or one area of expertise.
Collaboration and sharing information
across all boundaries is necessary.
 Fluid, ongoing process will focus on
adaptation measures that are proactive
and practical.
Slide 20
Q&A
 Contact Information
Department of Environmental Protection
Climate Change Program
Phone 717.783.8411
Online: www.depweb.state.pa.us
Keyword: Climate Change
Joseph Sherrick, Program Manager
[email protected]
Kim Hoover, Energy Program Specialist
[email protected]
Slide 21