A Changing Climate in Central Oregon

kathiedelloclimatephoto

Reduced mountain snow-pack, increased wildfires, and longer lasting droughts are all possible in Central Oregon’s future. Climate change is happening now, and Central Oregonians are feeling the effects of climate change in our region and daily lives. As temperatures rise globally and weather fluctuates, the consequence of millions of tons of human-produced greenhouse gasses hard to deny. With the early-summer ignition of the Two Bulls fire and growth of Bend housing developments into fire-prone areas, there is ample reason for Central Oregonians to have renewed concern for how climate change affects our lives and the place we call home. Here in the high desert, we enjoy the mild, sunny climate without easily seeing the effects of climate change at the landscape level. With recent fire activity and the ongoing drought, Oregonians are starting to bear witness to these hard-to-see changes.

kathiedelloclimatephoto

On Thursday, August 21st, Sunlight Solar and The Environmental Center will be hosting Kathie Dello, the Associate Director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute at Oregon State University for a special Green Drinks conversation about “How Climate Change will affect your life and livelihood?“. Ms. Dello will summarize the current science about climate change in the Pacific Northwest and share her ideas about how we can slow it down and adapt to it here in Central Oregon. This event is free and open to the public. We encourage you to attend this event and learn more about climate change and its effects on our lives and livelihood. For more information and to register, contact us.

-Article written by Volunteer Mike Shumaker