Consumer demand for sustainable products is increasingly driving companies to consider the life-cycle carbon emissions of products being sold. Darn Tough, a Vermont-based sock manufacturer, aims to continue their reputation of environmental stewardship through aligning its operations with the 2030 carbon mitigation target set by its largest retailer, Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI). This project streamlines the calculation process with an improved computational method and builds an interactive visualization dashboard that allows the company to calculate yearly emissions and analyze the potential GHG impacts of changes in different fiber types for sock manufacturing.
Climate models are computer simulations that attempt to replicate the complex interactions between Earth’s systems. Improving the accuracy of climate models relies on evaluating uncertainty and minimizing error. The Climate and Global Dynamics Lab at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has recently carried out a Parameter Perturbation Experiment (PPE) to understand how the uncertainty of parameter values affected the output of their model, the Community Land Model (CLM); which simulates terrestrial processes. While the necessary data for the PPE has been collected, the data is stored in a collection of files that are difficult to interpret in their current form. The current website hosts visualizations for a portion of the PPE data, but contains no visualizations for data that more closely simulates Earth system interactions. These issues can be mitigated by developing an emulator with the internal complexity to isolate a one-to-one relationship between a parameter and climate variable, then display the predicted relationship. A publicly available emulator with these capabilities will allow scientists to easily interpret complex climate model outputs and offer insights on parameter-variable relationships that are not being predicted accurately by the model; which can lead to increased accuracy and precision of climate models.
The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is restoring monarch butterfly habitats in the Los Padres National Forest. Using habitat models and accessibility tools, the team identified key areas for milkweed planting to support monarch populations and streamline future surveys.
In Teton County, elk feedgrounds spread disease, impacting cattle and ranchers. This project assessed ways to manage risks from feedground closure, recommending financial tools to support wildlife coexistence and reduce economic losses for ranchers.
Community engagement in planning is essential for effective and just climate adaptation. However, historically underserved communities are often difficult to reach through traditional means of soliciting public input. The Climate Adaptation Solutions Accelerator (CASA) through School-Community Hubs project identifies public schools as promising sites for building both community engagement and community capacity for climate adaptation.
The Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary (CINMS) comprises 1,470 square miles surrounding the Northern Channel Islands: Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara, protecting various species and habitats. However, these sensitive habitats are highly susceptible to climate-driven ‘shock’ events which are associated with extreme values of temperature, pH, or ocean nutrient levels. To better understand the drivers and statistics of climate-driven ecosystem shocks, a ‘large ensemble’ of simulations run with multiple climate models will be used. The objective of this project is to develop an educational toolkit and Python-based web application to visualize ecologically significant climate variables near the CINMS.
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is an insecticide that is resistant to degradation and can cause increased risks of cancer, premature births, developmental abnormalities, and neurological diseases in humans and animals. Although banned in 1972, DDT was dumped into the ocean off the coast of southern California for decades. Recent documentation of the extent of this contamination has captured the attention of the public and raised concerns regarding the consumption of contaminated seafood. The State of California currently issues consumption advisories for coastal communities, but these advisories do not address DDT. To fill this gap and improve advisory accessibility, SaferSeafood has partnered with Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations, who collected data on the incidence of DDT in sediments and fish in nearshore southern California waters. Using this data, we updated and validated their spatiotemporal statistical model to predict DDT concentrations in fish based on species and location. We then integrated this model into an interactive web application that allows anglers to receive predicted DDT concentrations in the fish they have just caught, along with serving size recommendations and other relevant advisories. This project will allow individuals to make well-informed decisions about their seafood choices in the face of environmental challenges and health risks associated with DDT contamination.
This project examines how supply-side oil and gas regulations impact greenhouse gas emissions, employment, and the health of communities in California living near oil wells. The project is especially focused on the implications of Senate Bill 1137 (SB1137), which would prohibit the construction of new oil and gas wells within 3,200 feet of schools, hospitals, and other sensitive receptors.
The chaparral ecosystem is prone to fire, but traditional fuel breaks can lead to some unintended consequences. This team delivers educational materials, talking points, and an op-ed on land management for Los Padres Forest Watch to spread awareness of proper land management.
