Global warming isn’t uniform around the planet. This visualization shows global temperature changes per latitude zone from 1880 to 2021. Watch how the Arctic is warming much faster than other regions on Earth.
Understanding Climate Action: What are climate mitigation and adaptation?
Heidi Roop, University of Minnesota assistant professor and Extension specialist for climate change and director of the Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership (MCAP), unpacks two critical components of climate action: climate mitigation and climate adaptation.
Minnesota winters are warming faster than nearly every other U.S. state
University of Minnesota researchers found Minnesota’s climate will likely be “significantly different” from what it was like near the end of the 20th century. Among the key points researchers found:
- Winter temperatures could rise by 11 degrees by the end of the 21st century.
Snow depth could decrease by more than 5 inches, especially in east-central Minnesota - The number of days per year with snow cover may decrease by up to 55 days, especially in central Minnesota
- Precipitation in the spring could increase by more than a half-inch per day over northern Minnesota.
- Summers, which haven’t warmed significantly up to now, could see temperatures rise by 7 degrees by the end of the century.
From Dr. Stefan Liess, lead researcher: “Early awareness and mitigation have the potential to preserve valuable ecosystems for future generations. Mitigation and adaptation strategies need to be put in place to address these future changes. These projections would impact multiple important state sectors including agriculture, pest management, water and energy management, forestry, health care (adaptation to heat-related health issues) and tourism.”
Climate experts have said warmer temperatures have already and will continue to impact Minnesota’s native plants and trees, damage crops, and can harm Minnesota’s lakes and rivers. Less snow and ice coverage in the winter can impact the health of the lakes, while also offering fewer days to ice fish and snowmobile, impacting the tourism industry. More precipitation can lead to flooding that damages crops, homes and businesses, as well as leading to more stormwater runoff that, combined with hotter temperatures, can cause harmful algal blooms in Minnesota’s lakes.
Article Abstract
Minnesota is the state with the strongest winter warming in the contiguous United States. We performed regional climate projections at 10 km horizontal resolution using the WRF model forced with eight CMIP5 GCMs. The selected GCMs have previously been found to be in relatively good agreement with observations over Minnesota compared to other members of the CMIP5 model ensemble. Our projections suggest ongoing warming in all seasons, especially in winter, as well as shallower snow depth and fewer days with snow cover. We expect significant increases in spring and early summer heavy precipitation events. Our comparisons between different time slices and two different emission scenarios indicate a climate for the state of Minnesota near the end of the 21st century that is significantly different from what has been observed by the end of the 20th century. Winters and summers are expected to be up to 6oC and 4oC warmer, respectively, over northern and central Minnesota and spring precipitation may increase by more than 1 mm d-1 over northern Minnesota. Especially over the central part of the state, winter snow depth is projected to decrease by more than 12 cm and the number of days per year with snow depth of more than 2.54 cm (one inch) is expected to decrease by up to 55.
Read the full article here: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1029/2021EA001893
Who Owns America’s Forests?
Overwhelmingly, Private owners and families do.
Just like Sleeping Bear Tree Farm. All of us are working to maintain and improve the health of our forests. A much-needed tool is the Family Forest Carbon Program, developed in partnership with the American Forest Foundation and the Nature Conservancy, which is empowering family forest owners to help address climate change while working towards the goals they have for their land.
US Newspaper Coverage of Climate Change Increasing
Climate change coverage has gone up significantly in the United States. The New York Times led all papers by a wide margin. Our planet is getting hotter and people are noticing.
The New York Times has an email newsletter following climate change. You can subscribe here: https://t.co/zONNpXC6gD
Minnesota 100% Campaign
A new year, new commitments. How will you make a difference in this new year?
Take a look at the Minnesota 100% Campaign! They have many helpful ways of taking action this year.
From their website:
The 100% Campaign is bringing Minnesotans together – people just like you – who believe we need an equitable clean energy future for everyone in our state.
With both organizational partners and individual endorsees, the 100% Campaign is grounded in the idea that “to change everything, we need everyone”. We are organizing a cross-sector, statewide, multi-racial, intersectional campaign to build an equitable clean energy economy that works for everyone in Minnesota.
We believe that Minnesotans must act now to ensure our well-being for generations to come. To do that, we must:
- Transition to safe, clean, locally-made energy solutions at scale and as quickly as we can.
- Create solutions that work for all Minnesotans across race, gender, class, and place
- Encourage public & private investments, expand worker training, and create new energy solutions that save us money
- Strengthen all communities that are impacted by pollution or the transition away from fossil fuels
Minnesotans aren’t afraid to lead.
In science. In education. In business or politics. When Minnesota leads with our values, the whole country does better. The future looks brighter.
We can create an equitable clean energy economy, if we demand it.
To accomplish it, there are five policy directions that we need to lead:
Renewables: We must accelerate as quickly as possible our transition to equitable renewable energy for everyone across the state.
Efficiency: We must strengthen our commitment to making all our buildings more efficient while creating equitable pathways to sustainable, high-wage work.
Sequestration: We must improve our land, water, & air while decarbonizing by promoting healthy forestry and land use in urban, suburban, & greater Minnesota.
Electrification: We must invest in beneficial electrification, prioritizing our low-income, rural, and most-impacted communities.
Transition & Adaptation: We must protect our communities that are impacted directly by pollution or the transition away from fossil fuels.
Would you like to learn more and take action this year? Visit their website at https://www.100percentmn.org/home
Forests and Carbon: Here is what you should know
New Year, Same Issue
Since the beginning of the industrial era (around 1850), human activities have raised the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide by nearly 49%.
It continues to grow dramatically each year.
We must take action this year. Extreme weather events, like heat waves, tornados, hurricanes, and floods, are happening more often and becoming more intense.
What can you do?
The most important tool you have is your voice. Talk to your friends and family. Talk to your local, state, and federal representatives about the importance of fighting climate change. Ask them to support laws that limit greenhouse gas emissions. Vote for candidates that support efforts to address the threat of climate change, ensuring that they are part of our nation’s energy and environmental policy.
Make this year different!
What can Trees tell us about Climate Change?
Quite a lot! Paleoclimatology scientists use tree rings to explore the past climate.
To learn more, read this NASA Climate Kids article about Trees and Climate change:
Mass Tree Planting Merits for Climate Change?
Watch this 5-minute video from the British Broadcasting Company