Climate Change in the Lakes Region

Transcription

1 Climate Change in the Lakes Region June 15, 2017 Maine Lake Science Center Presented by: Amanda Pratt, Staff Researcher Lakes Environmental Association

2 Overview About LEA Climate Change Basics Lake Science 101 Expected Effects & What we re seeing now What can we do?

3 About LEA Regional Lake Association Non-Profit, Membershipbased 40+ years of data Diverse Programs & Initiatives

4 GlobalWarming-Facts.info Climate Change Basics

5 Global CO 2 Concentration Increasing

6 Record High Temperatures

7 Paris Climate Accord December 2015 Prevent global average temperature from rising beyond 2 o C (Preferably no more than 1.5 o C) Provide funding for developing nations Voluntary

8 Lake Science 101 Stratification Coldwater Fish & Oxygen Depletion Phosphorus and Lakes Watersheds

9 Lake Stratification

10 Oxygen Depletion

11 Phosphorus and Lakes

12 Watersheds, Erosion and Development

13 Expected Effects to the Northeast Earlier, longer, hotter summers Longer growing seasons Less snow Rising sea surface temperatures and sea levels Increased instances of drought More extreme weather events

14 Heavier Precipitation Warmer Temperatures Drought Increased runoff Later Ice-In/ Earlier Ice-Out Higher water temperatures Lower lake levels Higher nutrient levels Algae blooms Shift in plant and animal communities Changes to flow regime Depleted Oxygen Invasive species Lower property values Loss of Coldwater Fish Poor recreation Effects on Lakes

15 Later Ice-In/Earlier Ice-Out University of Wisconsin-Madison

16 Ice Out is Happening Earlier

17 Coldwater Fish Stressed

18 Invasive Species

19 Water Quality - Drought

20 Water Quality Heavy Storms

21 It s Already Happening

22 Impacts on our Community Rising Sea Levels Tourism Human Health

23 Sea Level Rise

24 Economy/Tourism Impact

25 Human Health

26 Case Study: Stormwater Infrastructure

27 What Can We Do?

28 Individual Changes Reduce Energy Use Use your car less Insulate your home Conserve Water Use your dryer less Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Compost Choose High Efficiency appliances Plant native trees and plants Eat less meat If you live on a lake, do your best to prevent erosion and to treat runoff

29 Collective Action Get Involved in your town State and Federal: call your representatives Get Involved in local environmental groups: LEA, LELT, MLS, NRCM, etc. Get on lists Talk about Climate Change: make it an issue Education is Essential

30 Bottom Line Learn: Know what s coming & educate others Prepare: Put systems in place now Adapt: Factor Climate Change in to decisions

31 Resources Conservation Law Foundation 350.org Maine s Climate Future 2015 report: climatechange.umaine.edu/research/publicati ons/climate-future NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration): toolkit.climate.gov/ cci-reanalyzer.org/

32 Questions and Comments