Jesse Schomberg University of Minnesota Sea Grant Program

1. Engagement and Barriers to Climate Adaptation in the Great Lakes Jesse Schomberg University of Minnesota Sea Grant Program

2. Three Recent Assessments • Survey • Focus Group • Interviews

3. Great Lakes Regional Climate Adaptation Survey • 784 respondents from across the Great Lakes; 64 in the Lake Superior watershed • Web-based • Report coming…

4. Duluth Area Climate and Stormwater Focus Group • Conducted Jan 2011 with members of the Regional Stormwater Protection Team • 14 participants from: • MN DOT*, City of Duluth*, Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program, St. Louis River Alliance, Duluth Township*, City of Hermantown*, Lake Superior College*, University of Minnesota Duluth*.

5. Grand Marais Community Readiness Assessment - Interviews • Face-to-face structured interviews with 13 community leaders • Role climate plays in community, views on potential effects of climate change, and changes they think their community should take

6. Points of Engagement • Issues/Impacts to Community or Resources • Benefits of Adaptation • Knowledge/Tools Needed to Act • Impacts on Job Image: currengroup.com

7. 1. Issues, Impacts to Community or Resources • What particular weather events lead to the greatest impacts to your work and decision-making relating to stormwater? • Large rain events • Winter/late season rainfalls • Early spring rains on frozen ground

8. 1. Issues, Impacts to Community or Resources • Would changes… affect any built or natural infrastructure that you manage? If so, how? • Negatively affected: Culverts, ditches, roadbeds, stream channels, catchbasins, rooftops (esp. flat), retention basins and other SW Mgt systems, docks/piers, emergency overflows, dams, retaining walls • Positively affected: none

9. 1. Issues, Impacts to Community or Resources • What particular climate-related events do you think are most challenging for Grand Marais to deal with currently? • Forest fire risk – 6 of 11 • Storms/Rainfall/Flooding – 6 of 11 • Reduced winter snowpack – 6 of 11 Photo: Greg Seitz

10. 1. Issues, Impacts to Community or Resources How do you think… • More frequent intense storms • Higher wind speeds • Fluctuating or dropping lake levels • Warmer temperatures/winters • More frequent summer droughts …would affect Grand Marais?

11. 1. Issues, Impacts to Community or Resources How do you think… would affect Grand Marais? • Forest impacts • Fires • Blowdowns • Species shift (Loss of boreal forest) • Flood risks/infrastructure damage • Tourism impacts • Especially snow cover/winter tourism What was not mentioned? Joan Farnham

12. Benefits of Adaptation • Improved quality of life for future generations • Reduced risk to human health & safety • More secure water supply • Improved environmental quality • Conserving habitat for wildlife Mod/Signif Not/Slight Don’t Know

13. Benefits of Adaptation • Protecting public infrastructure and services • Reduced economic losses or increased econ. benefits (longer tourism season) • Meeting political and public demand • Job creation • Compliance with federal and state mandates Mod/Signif Not/Slight Don’t Know

14. Knowledge/Tools Needed How Well Informed do you feel about… • The causes of climate change • The impacts of climate change in your region • Ways to reduce climate change • Ways to prepare for climate change Fairly/Very Well Not/Not Very Don’t Know

15. Knowledge/Tools Needed How much information do you need in the following areas to effectively do your job? Most saying they need no more info: • The science of climate change (causes, evidence) • Scientific projections of climate change phenomena… nationally Some/a lot more No/a little more Don’t Know

16. Knowledge/Tools Needed How much information do you need in the following areas to effectively do your job? Those with most saying they need some or a lot more information (81-89% ) • Financial assistance &/or incentives… • Lessons learned… • Examples of… preparing… • Economic costs & benefits • Monitoring impacts… • Assessment of… vulnerability • Potential local impacts

17. Knowledge/Tools Needed How much information do you need related to climate change impacts on the following in order to effectively do your job? • Some more of everything…

18. Knowledge/Tools Needed • Endpoint to plan for; published technical standards; local data • Guidance for smaller communities with few resources • Public support for action

19. Knowledge/Tools Needed To what extent are you interested in obtaining climate change knowledge and planning skills through any of the following formats: • Fact sheets • Web sites (50% somewhat or strongly distrust internet) • One-day workshop • Short intro presentations • Specific webcasts • Multi-day advanced training

20. Knowledge/Tools Needed Any changes Grand Marais should make to prepare…? • Many mentions of energy use/local sustainability • Diversification of economy • Emergency management

21. Knowledge/Tools Needed How Should Grand Marais go about determining what changes might be needed to address climate change? • No consistent responses; ideas include: • Do nothing • Incorporate into existing responsibilities • Public process • Need outside help

22. Knowledge/Tools Needed • Followup: are there particular needs for Grand Marais to do this? • Local impacts • Outside help • Political Leadership/Public Demand

23. Impacts on job • To what extent will climate change impact your job? 60%

24. Barriers to adaptation • Terms and vocabulary, sources of information • Barriers to access, planning, taking action

25. Terms and Vocabulary Not Accepted Accepted Neither Most unaccepted: • Global Warming • Climate Change Least unaccepted: • Community Sustainability • Community Resilience ability to respond to and quickly recover from catastrophic events such as natural disasters and terrorist attack (wikipedia)

26. Sources of Information Strongly Distrust Strongly Trust Highest Distrust: • Television • Federal Agencies • Internet Greatest Trust: • University Scientists • Peer-reviewed journals • Peers or colleagues

27. Sources of Information particular sources of information you deem trustworthy for making [climate adaptation] decisions? • University (3 of 8 responses) • influenced by interviewee? Other responses: • “don’t listen to anybody” • Alternative science • Local (community) radio station

28. Barriers to access, planning, taking action What factors prevent or limit your access to… tools? • Funding • Staff Time • Knowledge about available tools • Technical Capacity • Access to data

29. Barriers to access, planning, taking action • To what extent do you see the following as BARRIERS to climate change? All 20 of them!

30. Barriers to access, planning, taking action To what extent do you see the following as BARRIERS to climate change? Funding Not a Priority Uncertainty… mgt options Political Support Public Support Too far in future Staff Time Denial Uncertainty… impacts

31. Summary… • The words we use matter… • So do the sources of information! • Benefits of adaptation are recognized • Existing issues and information needs are potential bridges • Barriers exist, but not insurmountable! Jesse Schomberg Minnesota Sea Grant jschombe@umn.edu 726-6182 Photo from Joan Farnham

32. IPCC 2001

33. Low Water Levels