2017 SWCS Annual Conference July 30-August 2, 2017 Monona Terrace Convention Center

1. USING “WEATHER” TO DISCUSS
“CLIMATE”- THE WEATHER OBSERVERS
PROGRAM
Duane Friend
University of Illinois Extension

2. MOST PEOPLE CARE ABOUT
CLIMATE CHANGE BUT
DON’T WANT TO TALK
ABOUT IT
• Confirmation bias- Already strong beliefs
• Theory of Persuasion- People take cues from how good
they think the source is
• Cognitive Dissonance- If shown previous beliefs may not
be correct, it is taken as a personal insult
http://www.ecology.com/2013/01/07/why-doesnt-public-respond-to-climate-change/

3. WEATHER OBSERVERS
Duane Friend
University of Illinois Extension
Weather Observers
Duane Friend
University of Illinois Extension

4. WHAT IS COVERED
• Why we have seasons
• The Composition of the Atmosphere
• Heat and Temperature

5. WHAT IS COVERED
• Air Pressure and Winds (Why does most of our storms
come from the west?)
• Clouds and Precipitation (What do different clouds mean
for future weather?)
• Climate and Weather (How do scientists predict future
climate, and which predictions will directly affect me?)

6. SUNLIGHT TRAVELS AS A
WAVE
• There is an infinite range of
wavelengths of sunlight (solar energy).
• The human eye only can detect a small
range of this energy- the visible
spectrum.

7. Courtesy NASA

8. (millionths of a meter)

9. Majority of Sunlight Reaching Earth’s
Surface is in the Visible Spectrum
Incoming Outgoing
Courtesy NASA

10. GREENHOUSE GASES
• Gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and
nitrous oxides have the ability to absorb
heat that is trying to escape into space.
• The heat is released by the gases, but a
lot of it is sent back towards earth
instead of heading out to space.

11. WHEN THE HEAT IS
RELEASED, IT GOES OUT IN
ALL DIRECTIONS

12. WHAT HAPPENS IF
GREENHOUSE GASES
INCREASE?
• Increases of Greenhouse gases have
increased the Greenhouse effect, leading
to warming of the lower atmosphere.
• Cause and Effect- we’ll talk about this
more when we discuss Climate
Change……

13. MIDWEST:
INCREASING
TREND IN
TEMPERATURE
Winter Spring
Summer Fall
Slide courtesy Dr. Don Wuebbles, University of Illinois

14. 14
Observed Increasing Trend in U.S.
Precipitation
Both in Decadal trends and 1991-2011 relative to 1901-1960
Based on NOAA NCDC

15. MIDWEST: INCREASING TREND IN
PRECIPITATION
Especially Spring and Summer

16. OBSERVATIONS SHOW MAJOR INCREASE IN
VERY HEAVY PRECIPITATION EVENTS OVER
LAST 50 YEARS
Slide courtesy Dr. Don Wuebbles, University of Illinois

17. EXTREME PRECIPITATION IN
MIDWEST
17
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
1895 1910 1925 1940 1955 1970 1985 2000
ExtremePrecipitationIndex
Year
Blue = 1-yr storms, highest value: 1998
Red = 5-yr storms, highest value: 2004

18. http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/sectors/agriculture

20. EXTREME PRECIPITATION
DOES NOT ALWAYS
CORRELATE TO BIG
INCREASES IN STREAMBANK
EROSION

21. "OUR WORK SUGGESTS THAT RIVER CHANNELS MAY SET
THE SPEED LIMIT ON EROSION," SAID DOUGLAS J.
JEROLMACK, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN PENN'S
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
IN THE SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES. "WE SHOWED THAT
THE FORCES OF THE BIGGEST FLOOD EVENTS WERE
REALLY ONLY INCREMENTALLY LARGER THAN THE
MODERATE EVENTS BECAUSE RIVER CHANNELS ADJUST
THEIR SIZE TO BE CLOSE TO THE SO-CALLED 'THRESHOLD
OF MOTION,
READ MORE AT: HTTPS://PHYS.ORG/NEWS/2016-05-EXTREME-RAINFALL-
DOESNT-EROSION.HTML#JCP

22. PROJECTED CHANGES IN KEY CLIMATE VARIABLES
AFFECTING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY-
CHANGE IN NUMBER OF CONSECUTIVE DRY DAYS
http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/sectors/agriculture

23. INCREASED NEED FOR RISK
MANAGEMENT OPTIONS TO
REDUCE EROSION SUCH AS
COVER CROPS

24. HAS THIS COURSE CHANGED
YOUR BELIEFS IN CLIMATE
CHANGE?
• Yes, it is much more imminent to address. I thought it was a
political battle.
• Very much so-
• Yes. I knew very little about climate change before, and
(now) I have confidence in knowing what I am explaining to
others.
• No (??)