{"id":28901,"date":"2017-12-07T12:16:40","date_gmt":"2017-12-07T18:16:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/?p=28901"},"modified":"2017-12-08T12:06:38","modified_gmt":"2017-12-08T18:06:38","slug":"what-scientists-say-a-warming-climate-might-mean-for-oklahoma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2017\/12\/07\/what-scientists-say-a-warming-climate-might-mean-for-oklahoma\/","title":{"rendered":"What Scientists Say A Warming Climate Might Mean For Oklahoma"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_28902\"  class=\"wp-caption module image right\" style=\"max-width: 620px;\"><a class=\"fancybox\" title=\"Volunteer firefighters Christie Smith and David Thompson cool down after extinguishing a hotspot that flared east of Noble, Okla., in 2012. Scientists expect the risk of wildfire to increase as climate change-fueled droughts occur more frequently and last longer.\" href=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2017\/12\/20120112-wildfire-in-the-field103_WEB.jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-28902\" alt=\"Volunteer firefighters Christie Smith and David Thompson cool down after extinguishing a hotspot that flared east of Noble, Okla., in 2012. Scientists expect the risk of wildfire to increase as climate change-fueled droughts occur more frequently and last longer.\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2017\/12\/20120112-wildfire-in-the-field103_WEB.jpg\" width=\"620\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2017\/12\/20120112-wildfire-in-the-field103_WEB.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2017\/12\/20120112-wildfire-in-the-field103_WEB-500x333.jpg 500w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2017\/12\/20120112-wildfire-in-the-field103_WEB-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2017\/12\/20120112-wildfire-in-the-field103_WEB-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Joe Wertz \/ StateImpact Oklahoma<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Volunteer firefighters Christie Smith and David Thompson cool down after extinguishing a hotspot that flared east of Noble, Okla., in 2012. Scientists expect the risk of wildfire to increase as climate change-fueled droughts occur more frequently and last longer.<\/p>\n<\/div><p>A new report from hundreds of experts and more than a dozen federal agencies is stark: Humans are likely responsible for the warmest period in modern civilization.<\/p><p>The consequences of this warming vary regionally, but scientists and researchers forecast significant effects in Oklahoma and other southern plains states.<\/p><p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/366328244&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=false\" height=\"150\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p><p><!--more-->The National Climate Assessment is the U.S. government\u2019s most authoritative statement on climate change. The <a href=\"https:\/\/science2017.globalchange.gov\/\">first part<\/a> of the updated report, released in November 2017, outlines the science of global climate change.<\/p><p>Katharine Hayhoe, one of the report\u2019s lead authors, said the peer-reviewed report is currently \u201cthe most comprehensive, up-to-date, state-of-the-art report on climate science in the entire world.\u201d<\/p><p>In a live Facebook discussion about the report, Hayhoe, the director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University, said the findings can be summed up in a single sentence: \u201cClimate is changing, humans are responsible, the risks are real, and the window of time we have to keep warming below dangerous levels is closing fast.\u201d<\/p><p>The second part of the climate assessment is a report that illustrates how a warming climate could affect different regions of the country. That report is due out next year, but a draft version has been reviewed by government agencies and is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.federalregister.gov\/documents\/2017\/11\/07\/2017-24221\/united-states-global-change-research-program-usgcrp-to-announce-the-availability-of-a-draft-fourth\">now available<\/a> for public comment.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_28909\"  class=\"wp-caption module image right\" style=\"max-width: 620px;\"><a class=\"fancybox\" title=\"Kevin Kloesel, director of the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, is the lead author of the chapter on the Southern Great Plains in the forthcoming National Climate Assessment impact report.\" href=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2017\/12\/20171130-kevin-kloesel024_WEB.jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-28909\" alt=\"Kevin Kloesel, director of the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, is the lead author of the chapter on the Southern Great Plains in the forthcoming National Climate Assessment impact report.\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2017\/12\/20171130-kevin-kloesel024_WEB.jpg\" width=\"620\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2017\/12\/20171130-kevin-kloesel024_WEB.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2017\/12\/20171130-kevin-kloesel024_WEB-500x333.jpg 500w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2017\/12\/20171130-kevin-kloesel024_WEB-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2017\/12\/20171130-kevin-kloesel024_WEB-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Joe Wertz \/ StateImpact Oklahoma<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kevin Kloesel, director of the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, is the lead author of the chapter on the Southern Great Plains in the forthcoming National Climate Assessment impact report.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Frequent extremes<\/h3><p>Kevin Kloesel, director of the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, is the lead author of the forthcoming report\u2019s chapter on the Southern Great Plains, a region that includes Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas. He says warming in Oklahoma is reaching extremes regularly.<\/p><p>\u201cWe&#8217;ve set one record cold in the last 30 years,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd since 2000 we&#8217;ve had 14 different days at record highs. Seven of those have occurred in the last four years.\u201d<\/p><p>Kloesel says precipitation changes will amplify these warming extremes, as Oklahoma appears poised for more frequent, lengthier periods of drought interspersed with floods.<\/p><p>\u201cWe move back and forth from flood to drought very, very quickly,\u201d he says. \u201cThat has implications for water storage, water resources, wildfire and agriculture.\u201d<\/p><p>In the Southern Plains states, how and where people are moving will likely worsen the effects of climate change. As populations shift from rural to urban areas, researchers predict new and more serious conflicts over water, and energy and food production.<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-documentcloud\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"\/\/assets.documentcloud.org\/note_embed\/note_embed.css\" type=\"text\/css\">\n<div class=\"DC-embed DC-embed-note DC-note-container\">\n<div class=\"DC-note\" style=\"background-image:url('https:\/\/assets.documentcloud.org\/documents\/4324279\/pages\/NCA4-TOD-23-SGP-PublicReview-p2-normal.gif')\">\n<div class=\"DC-note-header\"> <a class=\"DC-note-embed-resource\" title=\"View the note \u201cFive key impacts for OK, KS, TX \u00bb\u201d in its original document context on DocumentCloud in a new window or tab\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/4324279-NCA4-TOD-23-SGP-PublicReview.html#document\/p2\/a391931\"><span class=\"DC-note-title\">Five key impacts for OK, KS, TX \u00bb<\/span> <span class=\"DC-note-page-number\">(p. 2)<\/span><\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"DC-note-image-max-bounds\" style=\"max-height:513px;max-width:685px;\">\n<div class=\"DC-note-image-aspect-ratio\" style=\"padding-bottom:74.8905109489051%;\"> <iframe class=\"DC-note-image-space-filler\" src=\"\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/4324279-NCA4-TOD-23-SGP-PublicReview\/annotations\/391931.html?embed=true&maxheight=750&maxwidth=500\" title=\"Note \u201cFive key impacts for OK, KS, TX \u00bb\u201d on document \u201cNCA4 TOD 23 SGP PublicReview\u201d\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"DC-note-body\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"DC-note-credit\"> <a title=\"View the note \u201cFive key impacts for OK, KS, TX \u00bb\u201d in its original document context on DocumentCloud in a new window or tab\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/4324279-NCA4-TOD-23-SGP-PublicReview.html#document\/p2\/a391931\">View entire document on <span class='DC-note-logotype-link'>DocumentCloud<\/span><\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"DC-note-background-fader\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><p>\u201cThose are inextricably linked, so what happens with one ultimately impacts the others,\u201d Kloesel says.<\/p><p>Throughout the region, researchers expect extreme heat, drought and flooding to stress roads, bridges, railroads and dams \u2014 and put a strain on pipelines and the electric grid. They also expect extreme heat will harm people directly \u2014 and increase exposure to diseases spread through food, water and insects.<\/p><p>Native American communities are particularly vulnerable.<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-documentcloud\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"\/\/assets.documentcloud.org\/note_embed\/note_embed.css\" type=\"text\/css\">\n<div class=\"DC-embed DC-embed-note DC-note-container\">\n<div class=\"DC-note\" style=\"background-image:url('https:\/\/assets.documentcloud.org\/documents\/4324279\/pages\/NCA4-TOD-23-SGP-PublicReview-p31-normal.gif')\">\n<div class=\"DC-note-header\"> <a class=\"DC-note-embed-resource\" title=\"View the note \u201cNative American communities are &quot;particularly vulnerable&quot; \u00bb\u201d in its original document context on DocumentCloud in a new window or tab\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/4324279-NCA4-TOD-23-SGP-PublicReview.html#document\/p31\/a391949\"><span class=\"DC-note-title\">Native American communities are &quot;particularly vulnerable&quot; \u00bb<\/span> <span class=\"DC-note-page-number\">(p. 31)<\/span><\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"DC-note-image-max-bounds\" style=\"max-height:142px;max-width:672px;\">\n<div class=\"DC-note-image-aspect-ratio\" style=\"padding-bottom:21.13095238095238%;\"> <iframe class=\"DC-note-image-space-filler\" src=\"\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/4324279-NCA4-TOD-23-SGP-PublicReview\/annotations\/391949.html?embed=true&maxheight=750&maxwidth=500\" title=\"Note \u201cNative American communities are &quot;particularly vulnerable&quot; \u00bb\u201d on document \u201cNCA4 TOD 23 SGP PublicReview\u201d\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"DC-note-body\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"DC-note-credit\"> <a title=\"View the note \u201cNative American communities are &quot;particularly vulnerable&quot; \u00bb\u201d in its original document context on DocumentCloud in a new window or tab\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/4324279-NCA4-TOD-23-SGP-PublicReview.html#document\/p31\/a391949\">View entire document on <span class='DC-note-logotype-link'>DocumentCloud<\/span><\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"DC-note-background-fader\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><p>Congress mandated the National Climate Assessment in 1990; The science report and the impact report are designed to give governments and the public the information they need to make an action plan. And while the White House approved the 2017 science report\u2019s release, the findings run counter to many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2017\/10\/28\/560554685\/epa-cancels-scientist-discussion-of-climate-change\">Trump administration positions<\/a> on climate change.<\/p><p>Even with maps and graphs, and studies packed with data and analysis, Kloesel says researchers are often working against people\u2019s intuition and daily experiences with what is often a climate scientist\u2019s biggest foe: the weather.<\/p><p>\u201cAs soon as you get a snowstorm or an ice storm, people will be like, \u2018So much for the climate folks because they told me it was going to get warm,\u2019\u201d he says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A new report from hundreds of experts and more than a dozen federal agencies is stark: Humans are likely responsible for the warmest period in modern civilization.The consequences of this warming vary regionally, but scientists and researchers forecast significant effects in Oklahoma and other southern plains states.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":28902,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[491],"tags":[549,615,590],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28901"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28901"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28901\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28916,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28901\/revisions\/28916"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28902"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}