Climate change a priority for new Senator Brian Schatz
On Dec. 26, Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie announced his selection to fill the US Senate seat left vacant by Senator Daniel K. Inouye’s passing on Dec. 17. Lt. Governor Brian Schatz will assume the position and will serve through 2014, at which time the seat will be up for re-election.
In his acceptance speech, Lt. Governor Schatz named just a couple of top issues that he will tackle. Among them was climate change. “I believe global climate change is real and it is the most urgent challenge of our generation,” said the soon-to-be Senator.
Earlier this month, Lt. Governor Schatz gave the opening address at the Pacific Islands Regional Climate Forum held at the East-West Center, which convened over 200 scientists, decision makers, and interested members of the public to review and discuss findings of the 2012 Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment report. A champion of climate change adaptation, Schatz also supported the development of priority guidelines to address climate change, which were added to the State Planning Act through Hawaii’s Act 286 last year.
Lt. Governor Schatz will leave tonight for Washington D.C. to assume the Senate seat representing Hawaii. He promised in his remarks that he would continue to stay in contact with and work with the University of Hawaii and other groups here in the islands.
Gov. Abercrombie announces Lt. Gov. Schatz as next US Senator
Over 200 attend the Pacific Islands Regional Climate Forum
The Pacific Islands Regional Climate Forum was held on December 10, 2012 at the East-West Center’s Imin International Conference Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. The forum brought together researchers, sector leaders, and other interested individuals to share information about climate change in the Pacific Islands. To kick-start the two-day meeting, a public forum drew over 200 public participants on the morning of December 10. The public form also served as the official release of the 2012 Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment (PIRCA) report.
Hawai’i Lieutentant Governor Brian Schatz giving the opening remarks at the PIRCA Forum, Dec. 10, 2012
The forum opened with remarks from Hawai‘i Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz. “Climate change is real, and it’s already having an impact on Hawai‘i and throughout the Pacific,” said the Lieutenant Governor before the forum. “We islanders must make the necessary preparations for warmer, unstable weather. It will affect every aspect of our society and economy, including agriculture, real estate and tourism. The time is now for serious change.”
Following the Lieutenant Governor’s remarks, Dr. Victoria Keener, Fellow at the East-West Center and Lead Editor of the PIRCA report, presented a summary of the findings and responded to questions from the audience. To focus discussion on local and regional issues, a panel of experts and decision-makers from a range of sectors presented their perspectives and engaged in dialogue with the audience.
Honolulu Star-Advertiser features the 2012 PIRCA and scientist perspectives
An article that appeared in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Monday, Dec. 10, featured findings from the 2012PIRCA report, released last week, and quoted PIRCA co-editors Dr. John Marra and Dr. Victoria Keener. The article discusses sea-level rise, changes in availability of freshwater resources, and other effects of global climate change that impact Hawai‘i. “Over time, extreme events are going to be more frequent, lasting longer,” said Dr. Marra. “That will have a cumulative impact.” Dr. Marra also discussed the increased flooding expected in low-lying areas such as Mapunapuna on O‘ahu.
Dr. Keener, East-West Center Fellow and lead editor for the PIRCA, talked with the Star-Advertiser about the decreasing frequency of high-intensity rainfall and increasing drought and dry days that Hawai‘i is expected to experience. She also pointed toward the potential for policies to adapt to climate change. “I think Hawai‘i has a good chance to be a leader in the field of proactive climate change adaptation,” she said.
The article, “Climate-change scientists predict sea to rise 1 foot by 2050,” appeared in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s “Local” section on Monday, Dec. 10.
Reporters from Hawai‘i ’s TV news channel KHON interviewed Dr. Victoria Keener, Pacific RISA Program Manager and Research Fellow at the East-West Center, as well as Ms. Deanna Spooner, Coordinator of the Pacific Islands Climate Change Cooperative (PICCC), and Mr. Stanton Enomoto, PICCC’s Cultural Adaptation Coordinator. The interviews took place at the Dec. 10 Pacific Islands Regional Climate Forum at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i . The forum convened decision-makers and scientists from across the Pacific Islands region and U.S. mainland to discuss the findings of the 2012 Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment, for which Dr. Keener and Ms. Spooner are co-editors.
The news segment aired Dec. 10 on KHON’s News at 5. You can watch the video clip of the segment here:
To learn more about the 2012 PIRCA and download PDF versions of the report, executive summary, and case studies, visit our PIRCA page.
HONOLULU (December 4, 2012)—The Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment (PIRCA) today released its first report, Climate Change and Pacific Islands: Indicators and Impacts (Island Press). The report highlights the findings of more than 100 scientists and other experts who assessed the state of knowledge about climate change and its impacts on the Hawaiian archipelago and the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands. The report also examines the adaptive capacity of island communities in the region.
Click to download PDF 41.1 MB
“Climate change is real, and it’s already having an impact on Hawai‘i and throughout the Pacific,” said Hawai‘i Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz, who leads the state’s clean energy efforts and Asia Pacific relations. “We islanders must make the necessary preparations for warmer, unstable weather. It will affect every aspect of our society and economy, including agriculture, real estate and tourism. The time is now for serious change.”
Among the major concerns for Pacific Islands discussed in the report are:
Decreased freshwater supplies in the future
Higher air temperatures, especially at high elevations
Higher sea-surface temperatures causing coral bleaching and linked to the increased prevalence of certain coral diseases
Threats to traditional lifestyles of indigenous Pacific Island communities
Rising sea levels, causing coastal flooding and erosion that are likely to damage coastal infrastructure and agriculture, impact tourism, and negatively affect ecosystems and endangered species.
“The effects of climate change are already being seen across the Pacific, and now the PIRCA report provides a foundation for prioritizing adaptation measures,” said Dr. Victoria Keener, East-West Center Fellow and Lead Editor for the report. “The report is a truly collaborative effort, incorporating many perspectives to create a clear picture of what is known about climate change in the Pacific Islands to date, and what we still need to study.”
Free Public Forum Dec. 10
To highlight and discuss the report’s findings, PIRCA will hold a free public forum on Monday, December 10 from 9:00 AM to noon at the Hawai’i Imin International Conference Center, 1777 East-West Road, Honolulu. Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz will give an opening address, followed by a presentation on PIRCA’s findings and a panel discussion with leaders from diverse sectors across Hawai’i and the Pacific region. Please visit http://tinyurl.com/pircaforum to RSVP for this event.
The 2012 PIRCA report is one in a series of technical contributions to the 2013 National Climate Assessment (NCA). The NCA is conducted under the auspices of the Global Change Research Act of 1990, which requires a report to the US President and Congress every four years on the status of climate change science and impacts. The 2012 PIRCA and the 2013 NCA will inform the nation about already observed changes and anticipated trends. Policymakers will use the NCA to set federal science priorities. Government agencies, communities, and businesses will utilize both reports to make decisions and plans for the future.
For more information about specific aspects of the report, please contact the following people:
NEW: Sign up to receive Pacific RISA newsletters and updates via email
We are pleased to invite you to join the new Pacific RISA)mailing list. You can subscribe to our newsletter to receive periodic updates about the state of climate knowledge in the Pacific Islands region and Pacific RISA’s research, publications, and events.
There are two ways to sign up. You can click here to subscribe, or just enter your email address in the “subscribe to our mailing list” box in the homepage footer.
Climate Change and Pacific Islands: Indicators and Impacts, the report of the Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment (PIRCA), is currently in publication, expected to be released late Fall 2012. As part of the report, a number of case studies were developed, focusing on unique issues and areas within the Pacific region. To view the individual case studies in PDF format, click the thumbnail images below to download.
For more information about these case studies, please see the Case Studies / Impactsweb page. For more information about the full PIRCA report, see the Report & Materials web page. And for more information about the ongoing PIRCA project, please see the PIRCA Project page.
Majuro Water ResourcesHawaiian BirdsPacific Coral Reef ManagementFreshwater DisputeFish PopulationsMapping Honolulu SLRExtreme Water LevelsClimate Forecasts
Hawaii Public Radio program discusses adaptive water management with Richard Wallsgrove
“Can you weather a white paper on climate change?” Beth-Ann Kozlovich, host of Hawaii Public Radio’s weekday morning talk show The Conversation, asked this question by means of an introduction for Wednesday morning’s guest. Ms. Kozlovich spoke with ICAP’s Senior Attorney, Richard Wallsgrove, about the recent ICAP white paper that he co-authored, titled, Water Resources and Climate Change Adaptation in Hawai‘i: Adaptive Tools in the Current Law and Policy Framework.
Market-based adaptive tools and conservation measures recommended in the white paper were main topics of the conversation. Mr. Wallsgrove explained, “In the state right now, we use more than 300 million gallons per day. If we put that into milk jugs and laid them end to end, they would wrap around the earth twice every day.” This level of current water use, paired with observed climate trends such as decreasing rainfall, rising temperatures, and rising sea-levels, led him to conclude that Hawai‘i’s water future is “very scary.”
Mr. Wallsgrove explained that cost-effective measures, such as a rebate system for water-conserving retrofits and online water use reporting, could have cost saving benefits now and allow for a more secure water future.
You can listen to the show in The Conversation’s archive. The interview with Mr. Wallsgrove begins at 35:30. The show airs weekday mornings from 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. local time on KIPO FM89.3 and KIPM FM89.7.
Resilient and sustainable Pacific Island communities using climate information to manage risks and support practical decision-making about climate variability and change.
Climate Change a Priority
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Posted on December 26, 2012 by pacrisa
Climate change a priority for new Senator Brian Schatz
On Dec. 26, Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie announced his selection to fill the US Senate seat left vacant by Senator Daniel K. Inouye’s passing on Dec. 17. Lt. Governor Brian Schatz will assume the position and will serve through 2014, at which time the seat will be up for re-election.
In his acceptance speech, Lt. Governor Schatz named just a couple of top issues that he will tackle. Among them was climate change. “I believe global climate change is real and it is the most urgent challenge of our generation,” said the soon-to-be Senator.
Earlier this month, Lt. Governor Schatz gave the opening address at the Pacific Islands Regional Climate Forum held at the East-West Center, which convened over 200 scientists, decision makers, and interested members of the public to review and discuss findings of the 2012 Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment report. A champion of climate change adaptation, Schatz also supported the development of priority guidelines to address climate change, which were added to the State Planning Act through Hawaii’s Act 286 last year.
Lt. Governor Schatz will leave tonight for Washington D.C. to assume the Senate seat representing Hawaii. He promised in his remarks that he would continue to stay in contact with and work with the University of Hawaii and other groups here in the islands.
Pacific Regional Climate Forum
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Posted on December 20, 2012 by pacrisa
Over 200 attend the Pacific Islands Regional Climate Forum
The Pacific Islands Regional Climate Forum was held on December 10, 2012 at the East-West Center’s Imin International Conference Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. The forum brought together researchers, sector leaders, and other interested individuals to share information about climate change in the Pacific Islands. To kick-start the two-day meeting, a public forum drew over 200 public participants on the morning of December 10. The public form also served as the official release of the 2012 Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment (PIRCA) report.
The forum opened with remarks from Hawai‘i Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz. “Climate change is real, and it’s already having an impact on Hawai‘i and throughout the Pacific,” said the Lieutenant Governor before the forum. “We islanders must make the necessary preparations for warmer, unstable weather. It will affect every aspect of our society and economy, including agriculture, real estate and tourism. The time is now for serious change.”
Following the Lieutenant Governor’s remarks, Dr. Victoria Keener, Fellow at the East-West Center and Lead Editor of the PIRCA report, presented a summary of the findings and responded to questions from the audience. To focus discussion on local and regional issues, a panel of experts and decision-makers from a range of sectors presented their perspectives and engaged in dialogue with the audience.
Media organizations were present, and stories about the PIRCA report and forum appeared in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and on Honolulu Civil Beat’s website. A news segment featuring interviews with the report’s editors and contributors aired on the network KHON in Hawai‘i the evening of December 10.
For more information about the Honolulu forum, visit our PIRCA subregional fora page.
PIRCA Featured in Star-Advertiser
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Posted on December 13, 2012 by pacrisa
Honolulu Star-Advertiser features the 2012 PIRCA and scientist perspectives
An article that appeared in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Monday, Dec. 10, featured findings from the 2012 PIRCA report, released last week, and quoted PIRCA co-editors Dr. John Marra and Dr. Victoria Keener. The article discusses sea-level rise, changes in availability of freshwater resources, and other effects of global climate change that impact Hawai‘i. “Over time, extreme events are going to be more frequent, lasting longer,” said Dr. Marra. “That will have a cumulative impact.” Dr. Marra also discussed the increased flooding expected in low-lying areas such as Mapunapuna on O‘ahu.
Dr. Keener, East-West Center Fellow and lead editor for the PIRCA, talked with the Star-Advertiser about the decreasing frequency of high-intensity rainfall and increasing drought and dry days that Hawai‘i is expected to experience. She also pointed toward the potential for policies to adapt to climate change. “I think Hawai‘i has a good chance to be a leader in the field of proactive climate change adaptation,” she said.
The article, “Climate-change scientists predict sea to rise 1 foot by 2050,” appeared in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s “Local” section on Monday, Dec. 10.
If you have a Star-Advertiser subscription, you can click here to log in and read the full article.
KHON Interview
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Posted on December 11, 2012 by Laura Brewington
KHON interviews PIRCA researchers
Reporters from Hawai‘i ’s TV news channel KHON interviewed Dr. Victoria Keener, Pacific RISA Program Manager and Research Fellow at the East-West Center, as well as Ms. Deanna Spooner, Coordinator of the Pacific Islands Climate Change Cooperative (PICCC), and Mr. Stanton Enomoto, PICCC’s Cultural Adaptation Coordinator. The interviews took place at the Dec. 10 Pacific Islands Regional Climate Forum at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i . The forum convened decision-makers and scientists from across the Pacific Islands region and U.S. mainland to discuss the findings of the 2012 Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment, for which Dr. Keener and Ms. Spooner are co-editors.
The news segment aired Dec. 10 on KHON’s News at 5. You can watch the video clip of the segment here:
To learn more about the 2012 PIRCA and download PDF versions of the report, executive summary, and case studies, visit our PIRCA page.
PIRCA Release
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Posted on December 4, 2012 by Laura Brewington
PIRCA releases report on climate change
HONOLULU (December 4, 2012)—The Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment (PIRCA) today released its first report, Climate Change and Pacific Islands: Indicators and Impacts (Island Press). The report highlights the findings of more than 100 scientists and other experts who assessed the state of knowledge about climate change and its impacts on the Hawaiian archipelago and the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands. The report also examines the adaptive capacity of island communities in the region.
41.1 MB
“Climate change is real, and it’s already having an impact on Hawai‘i and throughout the Pacific,” said Hawai‘i Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz, who leads the state’s clean energy efforts and Asia Pacific relations. “We islanders must make the necessary preparations for warmer, unstable weather. It will affect every aspect of our society and economy, including agriculture, real estate and tourism. The time is now for serious change.”
Among the major concerns for Pacific Islands discussed in the report are:
“The effects of climate change are already being seen across the Pacific, and now the PIRCA report provides a foundation for prioritizing adaptation measures,” said Dr. Victoria Keener, East-West Center Fellow and Lead Editor for the report. “The report is a truly collaborative effort, incorporating many perspectives to create a clear picture of what is known about climate change in the Pacific Islands to date, and what we still need to study.”
Free Public Forum Dec. 10
To highlight and discuss the report’s findings, PIRCA will hold a free public forum on Monday, December 10 from 9:00 AM to noon at the Hawai’i Imin International Conference Center, 1777 East-West Road, Honolulu. Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz will give an opening address, followed by a presentation on PIRCA’s findings and a panel discussion with leaders from diverse sectors across Hawai’i and the Pacific region. Please visit http://tinyurl.com/pircaforum to RSVP for this event.
The 2012 PIRCA report is one in a series of technical contributions to the 2013 National Climate Assessment (NCA). The NCA is conducted under the auspices of the Global Change Research Act of 1990, which requires a report to the US President and Congress every four years on the status of climate change science and impacts. The 2012 PIRCA and the 2013 NCA will inform the nation about already observed changes and anticipated trends. Policymakers will use the NCA to set federal science priorities. Government agencies, communities, and businesses will utilize both reports to make decisions and plans for the future.
For more information about specific aspects of the report, please contact the following people:
Work: 808-944-7220
Work: 808-944-7453
Work: 808-944-7254
Cell: 808-783-8787
Work: 808-687-6148Cell: 808-343-0223
Work: 808-587-2415
Work: 808-587-2406
Work: 808-956-6161
Work: 808-944-7672
Work: 808-792-9400
Cell: 808-349-0544
Work: 301-713-3020 x155
Pacific RISA News and Updates
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Posted on November 29, 2012 by Laura Brewington
NEW: Sign up to receive Pacific RISA newsletters and updates via email
We are pleased to invite you to join the new Pacific RISA)mailing list. You can subscribe to our newsletter to receive periodic updates about the state of climate knowledge in the Pacific Islands region and Pacific RISA’s research, publications, and events.
There are two ways to sign up. You can click here to subscribe, or just enter your email address in the “subscribe to our mailing list” box in the homepage footer.
We hope you enjoy our informative updates!
Pacific regional case studies now online
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Posted on November 7, 2012 by Laura Brewington
Pacific regional case studies are online
Climate Change and Pacific Islands: Indicators and Impacts, the report of the Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment (PIRCA), is currently in publication, expected to be released late Fall 2012. As part of the report, a number of case studies were developed, focusing on unique issues and areas within the Pacific region. To view the individual case studies in PDF format, click the thumbnail images below to download.
For more information about these case studies, please see the Case Studies / Impacts web page. For more information about the full PIRCA report, see the Report & Materials web page. And for more information about the ongoing PIRCA project, please see the PIRCA Project page.
Adaptive Water Management
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Posted on November 5, 2012 by Laura Brewington
Hawaii Public Radio program discusses adaptive water management with Richard Wallsgrove
“Can you weather a white paper on climate change?” Beth-Ann Kozlovich, host of Hawaii Public Radio’s weekday morning talk show The Conversation, asked this question by means of an introduction for Wednesday morning’s guest. Ms. Kozlovich spoke with ICAP’s Senior Attorney, Richard Wallsgrove, about the recent ICAP white paper that he co-authored, titled, Water Resources and Climate Change Adaptation in Hawai‘i: Adaptive Tools in the Current Law and Policy Framework.
Market-based adaptive tools and conservation measures recommended in the white paper were main topics of the conversation. Mr. Wallsgrove explained, “In the state right now, we use more than 300 million gallons per day. If we put that into milk jugs and laid them end to end, they would wrap around the earth twice every day.” This level of current water use, paired with observed climate trends such as decreasing rainfall, rising temperatures, and rising sea-levels, led him to conclude that Hawai‘i’s water future is “very scary.”
Mr. Wallsgrove explained that cost-effective measures, such as a rebate system for water-conserving retrofits and online water use reporting, could have cost saving benefits now and allow for a more secure water future.
You can listen to the show in The Conversation’s archive. The interview with Mr. Wallsgrove begins at 35:30. The show airs weekday mornings from 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. local time on KIPO FM89.3 and KIPM FM89.7.
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Resilient and sustainable Pacific Island communities using climate information to manage risks and support practical decision-making about climate variability and change.
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