EPA Climate Change Programs in New England

EPA New England Climate Change Forum

Working Together to Respond to Climate Change: Researchers, Regulators and Resource Managers
Thursday, June 19, 2008
at the University of New Hampshire's Dimond Library
Durham, NH

New England has long been at the forefront of innovation to address environmental challenges. The June 19, 2008 forum convened EPA scientists, experts from academia, and regional, state and municipal officials to examine the latest scientific research on the impacts of climate change on our natural resources, and the science tools under development or still needed to help government officials plan for these impacts. The specific goals of the forum included:

1. Presenting the latest research on the impacts of temperature change, sea level rise, erosion, storm damage, and precipitation changes on coastal beaches, estuaries, wetlands and marshes, ports, communities, industry and shorefront property; stormwater, air quality, dams and fisheries; and on drinking water supply and treatment and wastewater treatment;
2. Identifying and discussing science-based tools, such as predictive coastal impact and watershed computer models, needed by environmental regulators to adequately plan for these impacts; and
3. Establishing a dialogue between government officials and scientists, to ensure that policymakers have ready access to the best science and science-based tools in their climate change planning.

Presentations from the Forum

Listed below are PDF copies of the federal presentations that were given during the Forum. In the coming days, we'll provide a link all of the non-federal presentations.

Presentations from the Forum Opening Presentation   Joel Scheraga "Science to Support Decision Making in New England" (PDF) (38 pp., 2.78 MB, About PDF)   Coastal Impacts   S. Jeffress Williams "New England Climate Change: Coastal Effects and Vulnerability to Sea-level Rise, Erosion, and Storms" (PDF) (30 pp., 5.4 MB, About PDF) Bob Thompson "Future Coastal Storms" (38 pp., 6.5 MB, About PDF) Paul Kirshen "Climate Change and Coastal Flooding of Infrastructure in New England; Impacts and Adaptation Planning"   Health & Air Impacts   Praveen Amar "Impact of Global Climate Change and Future Emission Changes on Regional Ozone and Fine PM2.5 Levels in North America" Anne Grambsch "Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Regional Air Quality" (PDF) (32 pp., 1.72 MB, About PDF) Paul Epstein "Climate Change Health Consequences & Healthy Solutions"   Impacts on Water Resources   Karen Metchis "National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change" (PDF) (25 pp., 79 KB, About PDF) Robert Roseen "Climate Change and Stormwater Management Challenges: LID and Community Resiliency" Thomas Johnson "Factoring the Impacts of Climate Change into Combined Sewer Overflow Mitigation" (PDF) (18 pp., 414 KB, About PDF)   Decision Tools   Thomas Johnson "Use of EPA’s BASINS Modeling System to Assess Watershed Sensitivity to Climate Change" (PDF) (20 pp., 649 KB, About PDF) Peter Slovinsky "Developing Municipal Hazard Resiliency Tools and Responses: Planning for Sea Level Rise " Dan Loughlin "Use of MARKAL to Assist Regional Energy Decision-Making" (PDF) (18 pp., 991 KB, About PDF) Gary Kleiman "Applying Science Decision Tools: Regional Climate Planning Tools for the Northeast"   Opportunities at the State and Local Level   Mikaela Engert "Adapting to Climate Change: Planning a Climate Resilient Community" Ken Moraff "The EPA Community Energy Challenge" (PDF) (12 pp., 1.3 MB, About PDF) Wes Shaw "StormSmart Coasts: Helping coastal communities cope with floods, storms, sea level rise, and climate change"   Plenary   Cameron Wake "Changing Our Institutions to Face Tomorrow’s Climate: Working Together to Address the Challenge?" Roger Stephenson "New England Climate Change Forum" Rona Birnbaum "Leveraging Impact & Adaptation Research for Policy Analysis and Program Development" (PDF) (22 pp., 1.6 MB, About PDF) John Sayles "Changing Our Institutions to Face Tomorrow’s Climate"

Cosponsors

This conference is being cosponsored by EPA Office of Research and Development, EPA New England, the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) , the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC) and Carbon Solutions New England (UNH).

Questions

Please contact
Paul Wintrob (wintrob.paul@epa.gov)
EPA New England
617.918.1514