UC Berkeley Leads New Assessment of Bay Area Climate Impacts

August 28, 2018

California has issued its latest assessment of the many challenges the state faces from climate change — including wildfires like those still raging throughout the state – and highlighted for the first time the regional impacts with nine deep-dive reports spearheaded by University of California scientists. The new assessment includes updated technical reports, but also nine regional reports, three topical reports – including one on the climate-change impacts on California Indian tribes – plus a statewide wrap-up. “California is a leader on emissions reduction. We need to lead on adaptation as well, to minimize impacts to biodiversity and people in the Bay Area, especially for frontline communities who will bear the brunt of these changes,” said CNR dean David Ackerly, coordinating lead author of the San Francisco Bay Area Summary Report. The North Coast Summary Report, spearheaded by coordinating lead author ESPM assistant CE specialist and assistant adjunct professor Theodore Grantham, highlights similar challenges but more upbeat opportunities to adapt to climate change. The area is more suitable for “green infrastructure” projects to deal with rising sea level, for example. Many of the Berkeley-affiliated authors hail from CNR, including Max Auffhammer, Ted Grantham, John Battles, Greg Biging, Van Butsic, Patrick Gonzalez, Maggi Kelly, Adina Merenlender, Whendee Silver, Jennifer Sowerwine, and more.