COOLER in April 2024

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COOLER UNCO
April 30, 2024

What makes you think of climate change?

We are looking for photos of climate change! What do you notice that makes you think of climate change, or that reminds you that we live in a rapidly changing world?

Blooming crabapple trees coincided with nearly two inches of snow in Greeley on April 20th, 2024.

Enter your favorite photos in our COOLER photo contest! Submit your entry by May 20th to [email protected], and include your name and a caption for your photo. Winning entries will be displayed in our upcoming newsletters!

Peering into the Climate Crystal Ball

What will happen here in Greeley as the world warms?

Climate scientists use numerical models to get an idea of how much warming will occur, depending on how we respond to warming now. There are a range of models to help us make these predictions, from very simple to very complex.

Using a range of models with slightly different parameters can help us get a measure of error in our predictions. We also test the models against different scenarios, to get an idea of how our actions might make a difference. The graph below gives projections of average daily temperature in Greeley, CO from one model for two different scenarios: one called Regional Climate Projection (RCP) 2.6, which assumes we do some stringent mitigation work to reduce carbon in the atmosphere. This leads to a minimal amount of warming in the coming 80 years.

Another scenario, RCP 8.5, assumes we continue to have very high emissions of carbon and represents the maximum warming we might see by the end of the century. While every model will produce slightly different results depending on how physical processes are represented, most models forecast less than about 3F of warming under the best case scenario, and up to 12F warming under the worst case scenario in North America.

Warmer temperatures increase the likelihood of drought and fire in Colorado. While it is unlikely that we will avoid these climate risks entirely, there is still time to mitigate the worst case scenario! As a community, we can work to build our resilience by conserving water, insulating our homes from warm summers, and doing everything we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This summer, the COOLER newsletter will share ways to help you stay COOL, so stay tuned!

Please keep us updated on your own challenges and successes to build resilience to climate change. Email us at [email protected].

Student Scene:

April is Earth Month and it’s a busy time for our environmental-based student groups on campus, and tons of cool events have been happening in the spirit of caring for the Earth!

Earth Guardians hosted a climate strike on Earth Day in collaboration with other local environmental groups in hopes of expanding the sustainable practices of the University of Northern Colorado and Weld County. Some of the initiatives that students support include opposition to Line 1 (an oil pipeline that is scheduled to be built through Weld County), investing in solar power, and creating a composting program at the university.

Also, Student Leaf collaborated with the Astronomy Club for a night of watching the stars earlier this month. There’s nothing better than celebrating Earth Day by appreciating the Earth’s beauty!

While student activities slow down for summer, as most students head away from campus, we will keep you posted on new activities as things get underway in the fall again!

Spotlight: The COOLER Student Team!

A bit about our student team…

As the University of Northern Colorado’s academic year comes to a close, we bid farewell to our graduating COOLER Student Team! Over the next couple of months, we’d like to introduce you to the students who have supported us over the past year and share their aspirations for making the world a better (cooler) place. This month:

Meet Meteorology major, Tyler Oravec!

Role in COOLER: Climate Data Analyst

Tyler Oravec with COOLER Team PI, Cindy Shellito, at UNC’s College of Natural and Health Science’s Research Celebration in April 2024.

Tyler Oravec is a Meteorology student at the University of Northern Colorado. He likes to study climate change and is passionate about taking action. He is also interested in the midnight sun and polar night in polar regions. In the past year, he has taken a detailed look at the data recorded from UNC’s weather station over the past 50+ years to better understand local climate change. He has aspirations to study climate change in the Arctic - and experience long polar days and nights.

One of the things he feels he has learned most from working COOLER is just how hard it is to communicate about climate change, especially when you’re trying to encourage people to change their habits. But he also feels that presenting things in new ways and helping people learn something new is one of the things that helps him stay positive about the changes we are seeing on our planet.

What advice does he have for people wanting to do something about climate change? “Always know the biggest risk of climate change in your area. For Greeley, that would be hottest summers, so it would be best to prepare for those … Make your home more resilient - this reduces strain on the power grid and chances of blackouts.”

Activities

COOLER CLI(mates) - Coming Soon!

There are lots of things brewing at COOLER! Starting in September, we will launch the COOLER Climate Leadership Institute (COOLER-CLI(mates)), a year long professional development program with two UNC cohorts: one for students and one for faculty. Each cohort will spend a year learning about climate, how it impacts their field of study, and how we can build local climate change resilience. There will be stipends for participation.

There will also be opportunities for local community groups to be involved, particularly those interested in working with students to build climate change resilience.

Stay tuned! The call for participants - students, faculty and community - will be in our next newsletter!

Be Sure to Join Our Ask Me Anything Social Media Events!

In our Ask Me Anything (AMA) events each month, Kennedy Dechant, COOLER student Community Manager and student environmental leader at UNC, hosts guests who share their experience working in science and/or climate change resilience. Audience members are invited to ask questions. We welcome and encourage questions that are provided in advance of the event, and these can be posted on our social media.

Our first two sessions have featured COOLER Team members: Dr. Cindy Shellito, meteorologist and climate scientist, shared the science of climate change, future projections, and how we can talk to each other about it in a productive way. Dr. Sharon Bywater-Reyes, environmental scientist and geomorphologist, shared her experiences working in river restoration, and how we can mitigate impacts of flooding in the future.

Kennedy Dechant with Dr. Cindy Shellito at the COOLER AMA event in March.

Kennedy Dechant and Dr. Sharon Bywater-Reyes at the most recent COOLER AMA event in April.

Our Next Event:

About Ecological Management and Climate Change with Dr. Chelsie Romulo: May 22, 2024 at 5:30 - 6:00 PM MT

Events are broadcasted live via our Facebook page, then posted on our YouTube Channel .

We’d love to visit you and share our work!

Whether you're looking for a full-length presentation or a short talk, we are here to share insights and engage with your group on the critical topic of climate change. Email us at [email protected]!

Helpful Resource:

Would you like to play a role in collecting environmental data for a global database? Check out the NASA Globe Observer App! The app will allow you to play a part in collecting global data on changes in: Cloud Cover, Mosquito Habitats, Land Cover, and Trees. Data on the ground is a great way to test how well our satellites are doing at measuring changes in our land surface. All data is available for download for use by students and citizen scientists to examine our rapidly changing land surface.

About Us

Meet the COOLER Team:

COOLER Faculty at UNCO: Cindy Shellito (Climate Science), Sharon Bywater-Reyes (Environmental Science), Chelsie Romulo (Sustainability)

COOLER Community Activator: Arika Virapongse (Middle Path EcoSolutions)

COOLER Evaluation Consultant: Rupu Gupta (Rupu Gupta Consulting)

COOLER Student Team: Kennedy Dechant (Community Manager), Sydnee Klug (Events Coordinator and Graphic Designer), Tyler Oravec (Climate Data Analyst), Jenna Aragon (Climate Communications)