The Provost and Executive Vice President, in conjunction with the Colleges of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences; Arts and Sciences; Business; and the USDA Jornada Experimental Range have partnered to support a Climate Change Seminar Series at New Mexico State University.
The series will focus on numerous aspects associated with global climate change including the scientific basis for climate change, potential socioeconomic and health risks, agricultural sustainability and resiliency, faith-based initiatives, national security, and social justice.
Both talks will occur at 7:00 PM, in S. P. and Estelle Yates Theater, 109 Domenici Hall, New Mexico State University Campus. Each talk will last approximately 1 hour; future round-table discussions involving local and regional experts are planned and audience participation will be encouraged. All talks are open to the public
The seminar series will continue into the Fall Semester 2018.
The series will kick-off this spring semester with the following two talks:
April 17, 2018 – Dr. Dave Dubois, NM State Climatologist and Director of the NM Climate Center, New Mexico State University
"Why are We Concerned about a Changing Climate?"
Description: Climate change is frequently a headline in the news, used to stir up controversy, and often poorly represented in the news. There are many opinions found on the internet; however very few of them are from climate scientists. From the standpoint of our identity and ideology, we consume information from the media, literature, and word of mouth, and have developed an opinion on the topic but how much of that is based on scientific evidence? I will start the presentation with why I am concerned with climate change. The rest of my talk will be an overview of what is climate change, what is causing it, and how affects us. Specific questions that will be answered include: What is the role of the sun in climate change? What about natural earth cycles and how much of a role do they play? What role do volcanoes play in a changing climate? Based on the latest climate science, how will climate change affect New Mexico? Are there solutions? The last part of the talk will be to announce the ideas we have for the NMSU Climate Change Seminar Series.
Biography: Dr. Dave DuBois is the State Climatologist for New Mexico, Director of the New Mexico Climate Center, and associate college professor at New Mexico State University. He provides climate and climate change information and education to policy makers, the agricultural community, industry, educators, and the public. He is the Chair of the New Mexico Drought Monitoring Workgroup that contributes weekly to the US Drought Monitor for tracking drought across New Mexico. In addition, he also gives numerous talks and holds workshops every year on topics covering climate, drought, air quality, climate change, and climate monitoring. Dr. DuBois teaches and trains students in the Plant and Environmental Sciences Department at NMSU and maintains an active research program in air quality and climate. He is also the New Mexico Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow coordinator for New Mexico and looking for more volunteers from all corners of New Mexico to join. Although he is a native New Mexican, he grew up on a farm in rural southern New Jersey and collected weather data as a child. Dr. DuBois holds BA in physics degrees from Rutgers, a MS in Physics from NMSU, and a PhD in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Nevada Reno.
April 25, 2018 – Dr. Gregg Garfin, Deputy Director for Science Translation and Outreach, Institute of the Environment, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona
"A Look Ahead for the Southwest: Hotter and More Arid"
Description: Recent assessments of observed climate changes, including the 3rd National Climate Assessment, and the 2013 Assessment of Climate Change in the Southwest United States demonstrate increases in temperature in the Southwest, and find that the period since 1950 has been warmer than any period of comparable length in the last 600 years. Climate models confidently project continued temperature increases, with longer and hotter summer heat waves and decreased soil moisture. The recently released first volume of the 4th National Climate Assessment mentions substantial reductions in western U.S. winter and spring snowpack, including earlier spring melt and reduced snow water equivalent. The upshot of these studies is the prospect of a more arid region, in which chronic, long-duration hydrological drought is possible during the later decades of this century. Other temperature and moisture-related projections include further increase in large forest fires as the climate warms. This talk will review recent observed and projected climate changes for the region, with a focus on New Mexico.
Biography: Gregg Garfin, Associate Professor in Climate, Natural Resources and Policy, in the University of Arizona’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment, conducts collaborative research and policy planning with decision-makers in the Southwest. His activities focus on climate variability, drought, and adaptation to a changing climate. He was co-convening lead author for the Southwest chapter in the 2014 National Climate Assessment. He directs the Southwest Climate Science Center, a Department of Interior-funded initiative focused on Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah.