Weathering the Storm: Understanding Climate's Impact on Our Future

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and the raging fires in California, extreme weather is a topic of wide public concern. When someone asks about the weather, the focus is typically on what is going on now. When someone asks about climate, the focus is much broader – the weather over time. The answers to those questions involve a host of variables: pollutants in the atmosphere, volcanic activity, solar winds, and the salinity and temperature of the oceans, etc. Dr. Shepherd will discuss how these variables shape weather patterns we experience daily and what can be done now to manage and mitigate their most serious consequences over time. It is a discussion that encompasses not only science and technology but political, economic, and social disruption.