Best of: The future of extreme climate events

As fall arrives, many regions experience dramatic weather shifts—think early frosts, storms, or unusual temperature swings. Last year, we sat down with Noah Diffenbaugh, an expert on climate change. We discussed the fact that extreme weather is becoming more frequent. Noah pointed out that there are still things we can do to mitigate the impacts of severe weather. We hope you’ll take another listen to this episode to learn about the solutions that are within reach. 

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Episode Reference Links:

• Stanford Profile: Noah Diffenbaugh

Connect With Us:

• Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website
• Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon
• Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Introduction

Russ Altman introduces guest Noah Diffenbaugh, a professor of Earth System Science at Stanford University.

(00:02:07) Global Impact of Climate Change

The areas where climate change is having the greatest impact globally.

(00:03:00) Climate Phenomena and Humans

Connecting climate science with localized human impacts.

(00:05:49) Understanding Climate Forcing

The concept of "climate forcing" and its significance in Noah’s research.

(00:09:34) Geoengineering & Pinatubo Cooling

The risks associated with reflecting sunlight to cool the planet.

(00:13:23) Climate Interventions

Why manipulating the climate could have unforeseen outcomes.

(00:20:51) Adaptation to Climate Change

Humanity’s response to climate change as impacts accelerate.

(00:24:53) Increase in Extreme Events

Why extreme climate events are more frequent and severe.

(00:28:08) AI in Climate Research

How AI enables testable, data-driven climate predictions.

(00:32:02) Conclusion

Connect With Us:

Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website

Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon

Connect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook

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