>>WELL, DR. ARIANA SUTTON-GRIER
IS AN ECO-SYSTEM ECOLOGIST WITH
EXPERTISE IN WETLAND ECOLOGY AND
RESTORATION, BIO-DIVERSITY,
BIO-GEOCHEMISTRY, CLIMATE CHANGE
AND ECO-SYSTEM SERVICES. A
RESEARCH FACULTY MEMBER AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND IN THE
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE
INTRA-DISCIPLINARY CENTER. SHE
ALSO SERVES AS THE ECO-SYSTEM
SCIENCE ADVISOR FOR NOAAS
NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE. SHE
HOLDS HONORS BACHELOR'S DEGREES
FROM OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY IN
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, AS WELL
AS, INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AND
SHE HOLDS HER DOCTORAL DEGREE
FROM DUKE UNIVERSITY IN ECOLOGY.
HER RESEARCH INTERESTS INCLUDE
THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN
NATURE, BIO-DIVERSITY, HUMAN
HEALTH, COASTAL BLUE CARBON AND
NATURAL AND NATURE BASED COASTAL
RESILIENT STRATEGIES. A FORMAL
SMITHSONIAN FELLOW AND TRIPLE AS
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY
FELLOW, DR. SUTTON-GRIER WAS
RECENTLY SELECTED AS AN EARLY
CAREER FELLOW BY THE ECOLOGICAL
SOCIETY OF AMERICA AND ONE OF
HER PAPERS WON THE ESAS 2016
INNOVATIONS IN SUSTAINABILITY
SCIENCE AWARD. SHE GETS
ESPECIALLY EXCITED ABOUT SEEKING
AND DISCOVERING INNOVATIVE
OPPORTUNITIES TO COMBINE SCIENCE
AND POLICY TO SOLVE
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AND
PROMOTE ECO-SYSTEM CONSERVATION.
SHE'S AUTHORED OVER 30
PUBLICATIONS IN MANY
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY JOURNALS
AND HER RESEARCH HAS BEEN
FEATURED IN NEWS STORIES, AS
WELL AS, CHILDREN'S SCIENCE TV
SHOWS. NOW, IF YOU'D LIKE MORE
INFORMATION AND LINKS TO DR.
SUTTON-GRIER'S RESEARCH,
TEACHING, EDUCATION AND OUTREACH
ACTIVITIES, YOU CAN GO TO HER
WEBSITE: SUTTONGRIER.ORG AND
WITH THAT, DR. SUTTON-GRIER THE
MIC IS YOURS, TAKE IT AWAY.
>>GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH,
BRUCE. I AM REALLY EXCITED TO BE
HERE TONIGHT WITH EVERYBODY AND
LOOKING FORWARD TO ALL THESE
TOPICS WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT
TONIGHT. BUT, I'M ACTUALLY GOING
TO START WITH A SLIGHTLY
DIFFERENT INTRO AND THIS IS ONE
I HAVE DEVELOPED RECENTLY AFTER
THE ELECTION WHEN I REALIZED
THAT MANY OF US, ALL OF US
PROBABLY NEED TO -- OUR FRIENDS,
OUR STUDENTS, EVERYBODY, OUR
FAMILY MEMBERS ABOUT CLIMATE
CHANGE. AND SO, I WANTED TO SHOW
THIS GROUP IN PARTICULAR THE SET
OF SLIDES I'VE PULLED TOGETHER
TO TRY TO TELL THAT STORY
QUICKLY AND MOSTLY IN IMAGERY,
TO TRY TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND
WHAT IS IT, AND WHY IS IT SO
IMPORTANT. SO WE'RE GOING TO
START THERE TONIGHT, AND I LOVE
THIS IMAGE TAKEN BY NASA,
BECAUSE IT SHOWS OBVIOUSLY THE
BEAUTY OF THE PLANET BUT IF YOU
LOOK AT THAT HAZY AREA RIGHT
AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF THE GLOBE
IT REALLY SHOWS YOU OUR
ATMOSPHERE AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT
IT THIS WAY YOU CAN REALLY SEE
ONE, HOW SMALL IT IS. IT'S VERY,
VERY THIN AND IT ACTUALLY LOOKS
KIND OF FRAGILE LIKE SOMETHING
THAT ONE MIGHT ACTUALLY BE ABLE
TO IMPACT AND YET IT'S THAT
ATMOSPHERE THAT MAKES THIS
PLANET HABITABLE FOR US AND FOR
ALL LIVING THINGS. SO IT'S
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT PART OF
WHAT MAKES EARTH, EARTH. SO WHEN
WE'RE THINKING ABOUT WHAT'S IN
THE ATMOSPHERE, ONE OF THE
THINGS IN THE ATMOSPHERE IS
CARBON DIOXIDE. AND I THINK WHAT
REALLY STARTS TO FRUSTRATE
PEOPLE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE IS
THEY UNDERSTAND SORT OF, A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT CARBON DIOXIDE,
AND ONE THE MESSAGES I LIKE TO
SEND IS THAT CARBON DIOXIDE IS
NOT INHERENTLY BAD. WHAT YOU SEE
HAPPENING HERE AND WHEN I'M
GIVING THIS TO A LIVE AUDIENCE I
ACTUALLY ASK PEOPLE, WHAT'S
GOING ON HERE? WHAT ARE THEY
DOING? AND THE ANSWER IS, ALL OF
THOSE ANIMALS YOU SEE INCLUDING
THE PERSON EATING HOT DOGS, IS
THERE EATING OR THEY'RE
RESPIRING? THEIR DOING AEROBIC
RESPIRATION IS HOW A
BIO-GEOCHEMIST WOULD TALK ABOUT
THAT. AND SO, THEY ARE TAKING
FOOD HERE SHOWN BY A SIMPLE
SUGAR, BUT FOOD, COMBINING IT
WITH OXYGEN AND PRODUCING CO2.
SO HERE'S ONE WAY IN WHICH WE
ALL USE CO2 EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AND AGAIN, IT'S NOT INHERENTLY
BAD. OKAY. SO THEN AGAIN WITH A
LIVE AUDIENCE, AND I LOVE ASKING
THIS WITH A MIXED AUDIENCE, --
PANICKY FACES PARTICULARLY THOSE
WHO HAVEN'T HAD HIGH SCHOOL
BIOLOGY IN A LONG TIME AND
ACTUALLY ITS TYPICALLY A HIGH
SCHOOLER WHO'S ABLE TO ANSWER
THIS RIGHT OFF THE BACK. OH,
THAT'S PHOTOSYNTHESIS GOING ON.
AND AGAIN, CARBON DIOXIDE PLAYS
A REALLY IMPORTANT ROLE IN
PHOTOSYNTHESIS. COMBINE IT
WITH WATER AND ENERGY, OBVIOUSLY
FROM THE SUNS LIGHT AND THIS IS
WHAT PLANTS ARE DOING THAT FORMS
THE BASIS OF ALL OF OUR FOOD
CHAINS ON THE PLANET, BASICALLY.
AND SO, YOU THEN ARE CREATING
THAT SIMPLE SUGAR AGAIN AND
OXYGEN. SO AGAIN, CARBON
DIOXIDE, VERY IMPORTANT PROCESS
THAT WE ALL DEPEND ON IN ORDER
TO BE ABLE TO EAT. ALL RIGHT. SO
IT'S ALSO AS I MENTIONED, ONE OF
THE PRIMARY GASES IN OUR
ATMOSPHERE. AND AGAIN, NOT
INHERENTLY BAD, ITS ACTUALLY
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT FOR MAKING
THE EARTH HABITABLE, YOU'VE
PROBABLY HEARD ABOUT THE
GREENHOUSE EFFECT AND THAT'S THE
PROCESS BY WHICH THESE GASES
ACTUALLY TRAP SOME SUNLIGHT THAT
HITS THE EARTH AND REFLECTS BACK
INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. SOME OF IT
GETS TRAPPED BY THAT ATMOSPHERE
BY THAT CO2 AND OTHER GASES.
AGAIN, CREATING A TEMPERATURE ON
EARTH THAT MAKES THIS PLANET
LIVABLE, AT LEAST ON MOST PARTS
OF THE PLANET. SO AGAIN, A VERY
IMPORTANT ROLE FOR CARBON
DIOXIDE. SO WHAT'S REALLY
HAPPENING THEN WITH CLIMATE
CHANGE? THE PROBLEM HERE IS THAT
WE ARE BURNING A WHOLE BUNCH OF
OLD CARBON. CARBON THAT WAS
TAKEN UP AND STORED BY PLANTS A
VERY LONG TIME AGO THAT GOT
BURIED UNDERGROUND AND THAT
TURNED INTO THINGS LIKE OIL AND
GAS THAT HAVE BEEN BURIED LONG,
A LONG, LONG, LONG TIME AGO.
MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO IN THE
EARTH, WE'RE NOW PUMPING IT OUT,
BURNING IT AND THAT'S THE
PROBLEM. SO ITS TOO MUCH CARBON
DIOXIDE AND IT'S REALLY TOO MUCH
OF THAT OLD CARBON
THAT IS A BAD THING. AND SOME OF
THE BEST EVIDENCE I KNOW OF THIS
ACTUALLY OCCURRING IS THE
KEELING CURVE. NOW, I LOVE TO
TELL THE STORY -- SO THIS WAS A
POST-DOCTORAL PROJECT FOR
KEELING AND HE STARTED MEASURING
THE CO2 LEVELS AT THE MAUNA LOA
OBSERVATORY IN HAWAII. -- WE
WERE ABLE TO ZOOM IN RIGHT THERE
AT THE VERY FIRST PART OF THAT.
HE THOUGHT HE WAS HAVING
INSTRUMENTATION PROBLEMS WHEN
THAT CURVE STARTED TO GO UP AND
THEN THE CURVE STARTED TO GO
DOWN AND HE THOUGHT, OH MY GOSH,
NOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE
INSTRUMENTS. LIKE WHAT IS GOING
ON AND HE THOUGHT WELL THIS IS
GOING TO BE THE SHORTEST POST
DOC EVER BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS
GOING WRONG AND I DON'T KNOW
WHAT'S GOING ON AND THEN IT
STARTED TO GO BACK UP AGAIN AND
HE STARTED TO REALIZE, OH MY
GOSH, I'M SEEING A POTENTIAL
PATTERN HERE. AND SURE ENOUGH,
LOW AND BEHOLD, NOW WE'VE GOT
THOSE DATA GOING BACK ALL THE
WAY TO 1960, THAT ACTUALLY SHOW
THAT UP AND DOWN EVERY SINGLE
YEAR. AND WHAT'S REALLY NEAT
HERE IS WHAT WE'RE REALLY SEEING
IS THE EARTH BREATHING THE SAME
WAY WE BREATHE. THIS IS THE
EARTH BREATHING EXCEPT IT
HAPPENS IN A SEASONAL WAY. AND
SO BECAUSE THERE'S MORE LAND
MASS IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
AND MORE PLANTS IN THE NORTHERN
HEMISPHERE, WHEN THE PLANTS
GREEN UP RIGHT NOW DURING THIS
TIME OF YEAR, AS WE HIT SPRING
AND THEN INTO SUMMER THE PLANTS
ARE ALL GREENING UP AND THEIR
TAKING UP A WHOLE BUNCH OF CO2
WHICH ACTUALLY CREATES
THAT -- AND AS WE HIT OUR FALL
IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE THEN
THE PLANTS -- OR MANY OF THE
PLANTS START TO LOSE THEIR
LEAVES AND YOU HAVE
DECOMPOSITION OCCURRING OF THOSE
LEAVES AND A BUNCH OF THAT
CARBON GETS DECOMPOSED BY
MICROBES AND RETURNS TO THE
ATMOSPHERE. AND THAT'S HOW YOU
GET THAT LITTLE UP AND DOWN, UP
AND DOWN, UP AND DOWN EVERY
YEAR. SO THAT'S THE BACKGROUND,
THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING THAT'S
THE EARTH BREATHING EVERY YEAR
AND THEN WHAT YOU SEE ON TOP OF
THAT IS THAT STEADY MOUNTING
INCREASE, THAT IS THE INCREASE
DUE TO THE BURNING OF THAT OLD
CARBON. SO OTHERWISE, YOU'D BE
SEEING THAT UP AND DOWN AND IT
WOULD BE FLAT IF WE WEREN'T
ADDING ANY CO2 TO THE
ATMOSPHERE. SO LET'S STEP BACK
EVEN FARTHER BECAUSE THIS IS
WHAT REALLY HELPS TO PUT THINGS
INTO PERSPECTIVE. SO YOU OFTEN
HEAR ONE OF THE REASONS THAT
SOME PEOPLE DENY THAT CLIMATE
CHANGE IS HAPPENING IS BECAUSE
THEY SAY, THERE IS A LOT OF
VARIABILITY IN AN ATMOSPHERIC
CO2 OR ATMOSPHERIC GASES IN
GENERAL, AND I WHOLE HEARTEDLY
AGREE WITH THEM. THIS IS
ACTUALLY DATA SHOWING YOU MOSTLY
ICE CORE DATA ALL THE WAY BACK
800,000 YEARS AGO AND THEN THE
VERY, VERY, VERY TINY END PART
IS ACTUALLY MAUNA LOA DATA,
ADDED ONTO THE END THERE. AND I
WILL DEFINABLY NOT DENY THAT
THERE IS A LOT OF VARIABILITY
GOING ON IN THE EARTH'S CO2
CONCENTRATION SHOWN HERE ON THE
Y-AXIS, BUT WHAT I THINK IS
REALLY POWERFUL IS TO NOTE THAT
IN THAT 800,000-YEAR
PERIOD EVEN THOUGH CO2 LEVELS
HAVE GONE UP AND DOWN,
REPEATEDLY, THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN
ANYWHERE NEAR WHAT THEY ARE
TODAY. AND YOU CAN REALLY SEE
THAT WE ARE IN ANOMALOUS PATTERN
WHERE SUDDENLY ITS GOING UP AND
UP AND UP AND THERE IS NO SIGN
OF IT TURNING AROUND. SO YES,
CO2 LEVELS ARE VARIABLE IN
HISTORY, BUT THEY AREN'T
VARIABLE LIKE WE'RE SEEING
TODAY, LIKE THE EXTREME VALUE WE
ARE SEEING TODAY. AND I THINK
THIS IS A REALLY BEAUTIFUL IMAGE
FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY VISUAL
LEARNERS BECAUSE THIS SHOWS YOU
STARTING WAY BACK IN THE 1850'S,
IN THE TOP LEFT CORNER, AND
GOING ALL THE WAY DOWN TO 2016
OR '17. I THINK IN THE BOTTOM --
THE TEMPERATURE CHANGES. SO THIS
IS THE DIFFERENCE FROM THE MEAN
OVER TIME, FROM 1850 ALL THE WAY
TO 2016. AND REALLY ALL YOU HAVE
TO DO IS START TO SEE THAT BACK
IN THE 1850S THROUGH THE 1900S
MOSTLY YOUR SEEING, YOU KNOW, A
LITTLE BIT COLD, LITTLE BIT OF
HOT, YOU KNOW, CHANGES IN THOSE
TEMPERATURE EACH YEAR A LITTLE
BIT, BUT THEN YOU START GETTING
INTO THE 1900S AND A LOT OF THE
BLUE GOES AWAY, AND YOU START
SEEING NOTHING BUT RED. AND BY
THE 90S AND THE 2000S AND THE
2010S YOUR SEEING NOT JUST
BASICALLY ALL RED, BUT YOU'RE
SEEING LOTS OF RED WHICH MEANS
LOTS OF WARMING TEMPERATURE FOR
THE ENTIRE GLOBE. AND I THINK
THIS IS A REALLY POWERFUL IMAGE
FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T SURE IF WE
REALLY ARE SEEING CHANGES IN
TEMPERATURE. OKAY. SO THAT'S
SOME OF THE BASIC
INTRO TO CLIMATE CHANGE I HAVE
USED EFFECTIVELY IN
COMMUNICATING TO A WIDE VARIETY
OF AUDIENCES. IF THAT'S HELPFUL
TO ANY OF YOU, PLEASE FEEL FREE
TO CONSIDER USING THOSE SLIDES
IN ANY OF YOUR EDUCATIONAL OR
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO TALK
ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE WITH
PEOPLE. TODAY I'M GOING TO FOCUS
MOSTLY ON COASTAL -- THAT WE'RE
DEALING WITH THERE ARE ISSUES OF
SEA LEVEL RISE AND STORM SURGE.
SO WE'LL BE TALKING A LITTLE BIT
MORE ABOUT THAT TODAY. BUT I
WANTED TO SET THE STAGE, THIS IS
A PAPER BY COLLEAGUES AND A
FRIEND OF MINE, KATY ARKEMA CAME
OUT IN NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE,
WHERE THEY WERE LOOKING AT THE
EXPOSURE OF THE U.S. COAST LINE
AND COASTAL POPULATIONS TO SEA
LEVEL RISE BY 2100. AND WHAT YOU
NEED TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE IMAGE
FIRST, IS THAT WE GOT BLUE,
YELLOW AND RED. BLUE SHOWING THE
LOWEST COASTAL HAZARD INDEX, RED
SHOWING THE HIGHEST. SO THE
MAJORITY OF WHERE WE SEE COASTAL
HAZARD INDEX AFFECTING PEOPLE BY
2100 IS ON THE EAST COAST AND IN
THE GULF. PRIMARILY, BUT ALSO
OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY AND
THEN IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE
BARS IN THE CENTER OF THE GRAPH,
THEY ACTUALLY DID THE ANALYSIS
AND THEY LOOKED AT HOW MANY
PEOPLE POPULATION IN THOUSANDS.
SO YOU'VE GOT SORT OF HUNDREDS
OF THOUSANDS ON THAT Y-AXIS. HOW
MANY PEOPLE WOULD BE IMPACTED BY
SEA LEVEL RISE IN 2100 IF THERE
WERE HABITATS PRESENT, SO
COASTAL ECO-SYSTEMS PRESENT,
THOSE ARE THE BLACK
BARS AND THEN IF THOSE HABITATS
WERE LOST AND THAT'S THE WHITE
BARS. -- WE LOSE COASTAL
HABITATS THERE'S GOING TO BE
MORE PEOPLE AT RISK OF SEA LEVEL
RISE AND IN SOME CASES LIKE
CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA, NEW JERSEY
AND NEW YORK IN PARTICULAR, THE
POPULATION THAT'S EXPOSED GOES
SIGNIFICANTLY UP WHEN WE LOSE
THOSE COASTAL HABITATS. SO THIS
WAS ONE OF THE PUBLICATIONS THAT
CAME OUT RECENTLY REALLY
SUGGESTING THERE'S AN IMPORTANT
ROLE FOR OUR COASTAL
ECO-SYSTEMS. THIS IS REALLY
RECENT, THIS WAS IN THE NEW YORK
TIMES ON APRIL 18TH AND IT WAS
AN ARTICLE ALL ABOUT WHEN RISING
SEAS TRANSFORM RISK INTO
CERTAINTY. AND I THOUGHT THE TAG
LINE WAS FASCINATING ALONG PARTS
OF THE EAST COAST THE ENTIRE
SYSTEM OF INSURING COASTAL
PROPERTY IS BEGINNING TO BREAK
DOWN. SO ANOTHER THING YOU OFTEN
HEAR ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE
PARTICULARLY FROM THOSE WHO
REALLY DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH
IT IS, IT'S NOT HAPPENING YET. I
DON'T KNOW ANYBODY WHO'S
AFFECTED BY IT. AND THE ANSWER
IS, ACTUALLY YOU PROBABLY DO
BECAUSE IF YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW
ANYBODY WHO LIVES IN A COASTAL
AREA, MANY OF OUR COASTAL
COMMUNITIES ARE ALREADY FEELING
THIS AND THIS MAY INCLUDE MANY
OF YOU OUT THERE. WHERE FLOODING
IS NOT JUST AN ISSUE WHEN WE'RE
FACING MAJOR STORMS THESE DAYS,
IT'S ACTUALLY BECOMING A MUCH
MORE REGULAR PROBLEM. AND THIS
ARTICLE HAD THIS INTERESTING
STATEMENT, I HADN'T REALLY HEARD
THIS BEFORE, BUT FLOODING IS THE
MOST COMMON AND MOST EXPENSIVE
NATURAL DISASTER IN THE UNITED
STATES. SO THIS IS ALREADY A
PROBLEM THAT WE ARE DEALING
WITH. THIS ISN'T CLIMATE CHANGE
ITS GONNA BE A PROBLEM IN 100
YEARS, IT'S LIKE, NO CLIMATE
CHANGE IS A PROBLEM RIGHT NOW,
FOR A NUMBER OF PEOPLE. THIS
PAPER'S ALSO VERY RECENT, A
COUPLE OF PAPERS THAT HAVE COME
OUT REALLY RECENTLY IN AGUS
EARTH'S FUTURE, AND THIS IS
ACTUALLY DEALING WITH WHAT I WAS
STARTING TO TALK ABOUT THERE
WHERE IT ISN'T JUST THE EXTREME
EVENTS, LIKE HURRICANE SANDY OR
KATRINA, FOR EXAMPLE, BUT WE'RE
STARTING TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH
FLOODING THAT WE CALL NUISANCE
FLOODING. THIS IS THE BLUE SKIES
FLOODING. THE FLOODING CAN OCCUR
WHEN THERE'S ACTUALLY NO STORM,
IT'S JUST THAT WE GET PARTICULAR
HIGH TIDES. AND THIS ARTICLE --
CUMULATIVE COST OF NUISANCE
FLOODING MAY ACTUALLY EXCEED THE
COST OF EXTREME EVENTS LIKE
HURRICANES. AND YET, AS A
SOCIETY WE AREN'T VERY PREPARED
FOR THAT. AN EXAMPLE THEY GAVE
IN THE PAPER WAS WASHINGTON DC,
BETWEEN 1930 AND 1970 WAS
EXPERIENCING ABOUT 19 HOURS OF
NUISANCE FLOODING. NOW, THAT WAS
SPREAD OVER SEVERAL DAYS, BUT
ABOUT 19 HOURS. IT'S INCREASED
IN THE LAST TWO DECADES TO BE
MORE LIKE 94 HOURS AND ITS
PREDICTED BY 2050 THAT IT COULD
BE AS HIGH AS 700 HOURS A YEAR.
SO THAT IS LOTS AND LOTS OF DAYS
PER YEAR WHERE PEOPLE WILL BE
DEALING WITH NUISANCE FLOODING
ON A VERY REGULAR BASIS. SO
THAT BRINGS ME TO THE WORK I'VE
BEEN WORKING ON, WHICH IS REALLY
TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW MY
BACKGROUND IN ECO-SYSTEM ECOLOGY
AND RESTORATION CAN POTENTIALLY
BE USED TO SUPPORT THE
MANAGEMENT OF OUR COASTAL
COMMUNITIES AND ECO-SYSTEMS,
POLICY AND CONSERVATION, WHERE
POSSIBLE. SO TONIGHT, WE'RE
GOING TO TALK ABOUT THREE
THINGS; COASTAL BLUE CARBON,
NATURAL OR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
AND ALSO HYBRID INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THEN LASTLY, THE NATURE
BIODIVERSITY AND HUMAN HEALTH
RELATIONSHIP. SO LET'S GO AHEAD
AND DIVE RIGHT IN. SO I DON'T
KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE EVER
HEARD THE TERM, COASTAL BLUE
CARBON. FOR MANY PEOPLE IT IS A
BRAND-NEW THING THEY'VE NEVER
HEARD OF AND SO JUST TO MAKE
SURE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME
PLAYING FIELD I'M GOING TO MAKE
SURE YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING
ABOUT WHEN I SAY COASTAL WETLAND
BLUE CARBON. SO WHEN WE TALK
ABOUT GREEN CARBON THERE'S A
LITTLE BIT OF A RAINBOW HERE.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GREEN CARBON,
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CARBON
THAT'S TAKEN UP AND STORED IN
TERRESTRIAL PLANTS LIKE FOREST
OR GRASSLANDS. NOW, WHEN WE TALK
ABOUT BLACK CARBON, THAT'S THE
CARBON THAT EITHER IS PRODUCED
FROM WHEN WE BURN FOSSIL FUELS
OR IN THE PRODUCTION OF FOSSIL
FUELS. AND ALSO, THE CARBON THAT
IS PRODUCED WHEN WE HAVE LAND
USE CHANGE AND FOR EXAMPLE,
WE'RE BURNING OUR FOREST OR
GRASSLANDS ETC. SO THAT'S ALL
BLACK CARBON. SO THEN WE GET TO
BLUE CARBON, AND IT'S CALLED
BLUE CARBON BECAUSE
WE'RE TRYING TO EQUATE IT IN
PEOPLE'S MINDS WITH COAST AND
OCEAN. SO THIS IS THE CARBON
THAT IS TAKING UP IN STORED IN
COASTAL AND MARINE ECO-SYSTEMS.
SO THE -- BLUE CARBON PIECE. SO
THIS IS THE CARBON TAKEN UP AND
STORED IN SALT MARSHES,
MANGROVES AND SEA GRASSES. SO
WHERE ARE THESE ECO-SYSTEMS ALL
AROUND THE WORLD? TURNS OUT IT
IS REALLY KIND OF COOL, THEIR
PRETTY MUCH EVERYWHERE IN THE
WORLD, EXCEPT MAYBE THE VERY
POLES. AND SO, WHAT YOU SEE HERE
IS SEA GRASS AND GREEN AND SALT
MARSH IN YELLOW AND MANGROVES IN
ORANGE. SO MANGROVES ARE
TROPICAL, SO THEY'RE GOING TO BE
IN THE TROPICAL AREAS, BUT WHAT
YOU CAN REALLY SEE IS THAT THERE
ARE THESE ECO-SYSTEMS PRETTY
MUCH ON EVERY CONTINENT SPREAD
AROUND THE WORLD. NOW, SO WHAT'S
THE REALLY BIG DEAL? WHY ARE WE
SUDDENLY TALKING ABOUT COASTAL
BLUE CARBON? WELL, THE REASON
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT IS THAT
IT'S BEEN FAIRLY RECENTLY
REALIZED THAT COASTAL HABITATS
TAKE UP OR SEQUESTER A WHOLE LOT
OF CARBON. SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING
IN THIS GRAPHIC HERE IS ON THE
Y-AXIS, YOU'RE SEEING THE CARBON
BURIAL RATE IN SOILS AND THEN ON
THE X-AXIS YOU'RE SEEING THE
THREE FOREST TYPES; TROPICAL,
BOREAL AND TEMPERATE ON THE LEFT
AND THEN SALT MARSHES, MANGROVES
AND SEA GRASSES ON THE RIGHT. I
WANT YOU TO NOTE THE LOG SCALE
ON THE -- THAT WETLAND
ECO-SYSTEMS, SALT MARSHES,
MANGROVES AND SEA GRASSES, ARE
ACTUALLY TAKING UP OVER TEN
TIMES AS MUCH CARBON ON A PER
AREA BASIS THEN THOSE FORESTED
SYSTEMS. SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS
THAT EVEN THOUGH THESE COASTAL
HABITATS REPRESENT A MUCH
SMALLER AREA OF THE WORLD, THEY
ARE IN APPROXIMATELY EQUIVALENT,
MEANING APPROXIMATELY THE SAME
ORDER OF MAGNITUDE ANNUAL SINK
TO OUR FORESTED SYSTEMS. ALL
RIGHT. SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT --
HERE I'LL GO BACK JUST FOR A
SECOND. IF YOU THINK ABOUT
CARBON AND EQUATE IT TO YOUR
BANK ACCOUNT. THINK ABOUT YOUR
BANK ACCOUNT AS CARBON IN
INSTEAD OF DOLLARS IN AND THIS
IS WHAT'S GOING INTO YOUR
ACCOUNT EVERY YEAR. OKAY. SO
THAT MATTERS BUT AS ALL OF US
ALSO RECOGNIZE IT MATTERS ALSO
NOT JUST WHAT'S IN YOUR CHECKING
ACCOUNT BUT WHAT'S IN YOUR
SAVINGS ACCOUNT. WHAT'S BEEN
THERE FOR A WHILE THAT YOUR
COUNTING ON OR THAT YOU'RE JUST
STORING AWAY AND NOT PLANNING TO
SPEND? WELL, SO IN THE CASE OF
THESE COASTAL HABITATS THAT'S
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE
BECAUSE THIS IS THE CARBON --
SYSTEMS. AND SO WHAT YOU'RE
SEEING IS CO2 EQUIVALENTS TONS
OF CO2 EQUIVALENTS ON THIS
X-AXIS AND YOU SEE TROPICAL
FOREST IN THE BOTTOM AND THEN
THOSE WETLAND ECO-SYSTEMS IN THE
TOP BARS. FIRST THING I WANT YOU
TO RECOGNIZE IS BROWN IS THE
CARBON STORED IN SOILS, GREEN IS
THE CARBON STORED IN BIO-MASS,
LIKE WOOD, TREES FOR EXAMPLE.
AND SO, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT
TROPICAL FOREST BAR, THE
MAJORITY OF THE CARBON IN A
TROPICAL FOREST IS STORED IN THE
TREES, IN THE BIOMASS IN THAT
GREEN BAR. AND THIS IS PROBABLY
NO SURPRISE TO ANYONE
BECAUSE WE KNOW THERE IS A LOT
OF WOOD IN A TROPICAL FOREST.
AND I THINK HONESTLY, THIS IS
WHY EVERYBODY HAS BEEN THINKING
ABOUT FOREST AS REALLY IMPORTANT
NATURAL THINGS. WE CAN SEE THE
CARBON IN THESE SYSTEMS. WE CAN
ACTUALLY SEE THAT IT IS THERE.
NOW, IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE
WETLANDS SYSTEMS THE FIRST THING
TO NOTICE, OF COURSE, IS THAT
THE MAJORITY OF THE CARBON IS IN
THE SOILS AND SO THE CARBON IS
IN A PLACE WHERE WE DON'T SEE
IT. IT'S UNDERGROUND, BUT IF YOU
LOOK AT THE LENGTH OF THOSE BARS
IN MANY CASES THEY ACTUALLY ARE
STORING FAR MORE CARBON, OR AT
LEAST AS MUCH, AS MANY OF OUR
TROPICAL FOREST SYSTEMS. AND SO,
AGAIN I THINK THIS IS PART OF
THE REASON WHY WETLANDS, COASTAL
WETLANDS ARE BECOMING PART OF
CLIMATE MITIGATION DISCUSSIONS
NOW, BUT HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN
PART OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS
BECAUSE WE CAN'T SEE WHERE THE
MAJORITY OF THE CARBON IS IN
THESE SYSTEMS BECAUSE IT'S BELOW
GROUND. NOW, ANOTHER NOTE HERE
CARBON STORED IN SOILS TENDS TO
BE VERY OLD CARBON. TO GET A
FULL METER OF CARBON STORED YOUR
OFTEN-TALKING HUNDREDS OF YEARS,
MAYBE EVEN A THOUSAND. AND THIS
IS A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE
BECAUSE MANY OF THESE COASTAL
WETLANDS SYSTEMS WE KNOW ARE
MULTIPLE METERS DEEP, AT LEAST
TWO OR THREE METERS. SOME OF
THEM FIVE OR SIX METERS DEEP AND
THIS IS ONLY SHOWING YOU A
CARBON COMPARISON TO THAT TOP
METER SOIL. SO IF ANYTHING THIS
IS A VERY CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE
OF HOW MUCH CARBON IS IN THE
BANK ACCOUNT, IF YOU WILL, OF
THESE SYSTEMS. -- IS NOT BLUE
IT'S BROWN BECAUSE IT'S BEING
STORED AS OLD ORGANIC MATTER IN
THESES SOILS. SO THIS IS A SALT
MARSH UP AT THE WAQUOIT BAY
NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH
RESERVE IN MASSACHUSETTS. AND
THIS IS THE SALT MARSH
VEGETATION ON TOP OF THAT REALLY
CARBON RICH DARK BROWN SOIL THAT
EXTENDS MANY METERS DOWN, IN
THIS CASE. SO OF COURSE, IT'S A
BIT OF A MISNOMER THAT IT'S BLUE
CARBON BECAUSE IT REALLY IS
BROWN. AND I'VE BEEN ASKED BY
PEOPLE, SO IS THERE PURPLE
CARBON IS THERE PINK CARBON, NOT
SO FAR. BUT -- SO HOW DOES THIS
REALLY WORK? WHY ARE THESE
SYSTEMS REALLY GOOD CARBON
SINKS? SO THIS IS A GRAPHIC FROM
A PAPER THAT I HELPED TO
CO-AUTHOR RECENTLY AND WHAT I
WANT YOU TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS
IS LIKE ANY VEGETATED SYSTEM YOU
HAVE CO2 COMING IN AND BEING
TAKEN UP BY THE PLANTS, THAT'S
THE GREEN ARROW IN. BUT YOU ALSO
HAVE SOME BEING RESPIRED BY THE
PLANTS BECAUSE THEIR GROWING AND
RESPIRING JUST THE WAY ANY
ORGANISM IS AND SO THAT'S THE
LITTLE BLACK BAR HEADED BACK OUT
OF THE PLANTS. BUT IN THIS CASE,
A WHOLE BUNCH OF THAT CARBON IS
MAKING ITS WAY INTO EITHER WOODY
TISSUE. AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE
MANGROVE RED ARROW THERE,
SEQUESTRATION INTO THE WOODY
BIOMASS OR INTO THE SOILS WE'RE
GETTING SEQUESTRATION INTO THE
SOILS. AND SO, IT'S THAT RED
ARROW IN ALL THREE SYSTEMS
THAT'S REALLY THE KEY HERE,
WHERE THIS IS WHY THERE SUCH
GOOD SEQUESTERS OF
CARBON. AND THE REASON THAT THE
CARBON STAYS BURIED IN THESE
SOILS IS THESE SYSTEMS STAY WET.
THEY ARE INUNDATED WITH SEA
WATER, OCEAN WATER USUALLY
TIDALLY INFLUENCED OR COMPLETELY
COVERED MOST OF THE TIME AS IN
THE CASE OF SEA GRASSES, SO THEY
STAY WET THEY STAY ANAEROBIC.
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF OXYGEN IN
THESE SOILS AND THAT IS A VERY
GOOD WAY TO BURY AND KEEP CARBON
STORED FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DISTURB OR
DEGRADE OR DESTROY THESE
SYSTEMS, EITHER BY MODIFYING THE
HYDROLOGY FOR EXAMPLE? BY
DRAINING THESE SYSTEMS OR BY
CUTTING THEM DOWN -- WELL, WHAT
YOU FIND IS NOT ONLY HAVE YOU
LOST THAT PATHWAY IN, ALL THOSE
RED ARROWS ARE GONE, RIGHT?
WE'RE NO LONGER SEQUESTERING
CARBON, BUT WE'VE ACTUALLY NOW
CREATED NEW SOURCES OF CARBON
BECAUSE NOW THAT STORED CARBON
THAT WAS IN THE SOILS OR IN THE
BIOMASS IN THE CASE OF THE
MANGROVES IN PARTICULAR, THAT'S
NOW BEING BURNED OFF BECAUSE YOU
HAVE DISTURBED THE HYDROLOGY ON
THE SYSTEM TO A POINT WHERE NOW
YOU'RE PROBABLY GETTING MORE
OXYGEN INTO THE SYSTEM. AND, AS
A RESULT, YOU ARE LOSING NOT
ONLY THE ABILITY TO SEQUESTER
CARBON BUT YOU'RE STARTING TO
LOSE THOSE HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS
OF YEARS' WORTH OF BURIED CARBON
THAT WERE IN THE SOIL. SO WHAT
IS A TREMENDOUS NATURAL SINK
BECOMES AN ADDITIONAL HUMAN
SOURCE OF GREENHOUSE GASES WHEN
WE DEGRADE OR DESTROY THESE
COASTAL WETLANDS. OKAY. SO WHY
IS THIS SUCH A BIG DEAL? WELL,
BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY, THESE
COASTAL SYSTEMS ARE SOME OF THE
MOST THREATENED ECO-SYSTEMS ON
THE PLANET. GLOBAL RATES HAVE
LOST RANGE FROM ABOUT.7 TO 7
PERCENT OF THEIR GLOBAL AREA PER
YEAR. AND SO AGAIN AS I SAID
THESE IMPRESSIVE THINGS BECOME
SOURCES. ONE ESTIMATE SAYS THAT
COASTAL CARBON EMISSIONS COULD
BE AS HIGH AS 19 PERCENT OF
THOSE FROM DEFORESTATION. I
THINK IT'S EASIER TO THINK OF
THIS STATISTIC THAT I HEARD FROM
CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL
RECENTLY WHICH IS THAT THE LOSS
OF BLUE CARBON COASTAL WETLANDS
IS ABOUT THE EQUIVALENT ANNUAL
EMISSIONS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.
SO ON A GLOBAL SCALE THE LOSS OF
THESE ECO-SYSTEMS EVERYWHERE IS
ABOUT THE SAME AS A COUNTRIES
EMISSIONS. SO THIS IS A GLOBALLY
RELEVANT AMOUNT OF AN EMISSION
THAT WE NEED TO BE TRACKING. SO
MY WORK AT NOAA BASICALLY HAS
BEEN FOCUSING ON WHAT ARE THE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEVERAGING
THIS BLUE CARBON SERVICE. NOW,
THAT WE BETTER UNDERSTAND THE
IMPORTANT ROLE OF THESE WETLANDS
PLAY IN CLIMATE MITIGATION, HOW
CAN WE USE THAT IN MITIGATION
ADAPTATION OR COASTAL
CONSERVATION POLICIES? WHAT ARE
OUR OPPORTUNITIES? SO ONE OF THE
FIRST THINGS I WAS ASKED BY NOAA
LEADERSHIP ABOUT SIX YEARS AGO,
WHEN NOAA WAS FIRST STARTING TO
THINK ABOUT WHAT KIND OF WORK WE
MIGHT WANT TO DO IN THIS AREA
WAS, OKAY. WELL, DO WE ACCOUNT
FOR THIS IN OUR POLICIES AND IF
WE DON'T COULD WE? -- LOOKED AT
COULD WE INCLUDE THIS BENEFIT,
THIS SERVICE, IN THINGS LIKE OUR
CLEAN WATER ACT OR OUR NATURAL
RESOURCES DAMAGE ASSESSMENT,
COASTAL'S OWN MANAGEMENT ACT OR
THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL
POLICY ACT? AND WHAT WE
DETERMINED IS THAT THE CARBON
SERVICES ARE NOT CURRENTLY BEING
INCLUDED IN MOST CASES, BUT THAT
THEY COULD BE AND THAT THEY
PROBABLY SHOULD BE. BECAUSE THE
SPIRIT OF ALL THIS LEGISLATION,
MOST OF IT WRITTEN A WHILE AGO,
SO BEFORE WE WERE REALLY TALKING
ABOUT ECO-SYSTEMS SERVICES
SPECIFICALLY, BUT MUCH OF IT
TALKS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF
PROTECTING FUNCTIONING
ECO-SYSTEMS AND ALL THE
FUNCTIONS OF AN ECO-SYSTEM. SO
THAT REALLY CAPTURES THE ESSENCE
OF THIS CARBON BENEFIT. THE
OTHER IMPORTANT THING WE
LEARNED, IS THAT THE
INCORPORATION OF CARBON SERVICES
COULD LEAD TO MORE HABITAT
CONSERVATION AND CLIMATE
MITIGATION. NOW, I WANT TO GIVE
YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THAT. SO FOR
EXAMPLE, WHEN WE DO A CLEAN
WATER ACT ASSESSMENT, WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON A
WETLANDS SOMEWHERE AND WE'RE
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH
MITIGATION NEEDS TO OCCUR IN
ORDER TO OFF-SET THAT IMPACT TO
A WETLAND, WE TEND TO FOCUS ON
THE LIVING RESOURCES. SO WE
THINK ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, HOW
MANY HECTARES OF SALT MARSH ARE
GOING TO BE DISTURBED AND MAYBE
THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT FOR
EXAMPLE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF
BIRDS NEST OR A CERTAIN AMOUNT
OF FISHERY HABITAT AND WE TRY TO
OFF-SET THAT LIVING RESOURCE AND
FIGURE OUT WHAT
ARE RESTORATION SHOULD BE. THAT
USUALLY MEANS OUR RESTORATION
RATIOS ARE SOMETHING LIKE 2 TO 1
OR 3 TO 1. NOW, IF WE WERE TO
ACTUALLY INCLUDE THE FACT THAT
IN DISTURBING THOSE TWO TO THREE
ACRES, SAY OF WETLAND, WE'RE
GOING TO LOSE A THOUSAND YEARS'
WORTH OF SOIL CARBON WE HADN'T
PREVIOUSLY REALIZED TO OFF-SET
THAT, WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT
MITIGATION RATIOS THAT MIGHT BE
AS HIGH AS 20 TO 1, 50 TO 1.
NOBODY DOES THIS RIGHT NOW, AND
SO AS A RESULT, THIS REALLY
OPENS THE DOOR THAT IF WE FOCUS
ON NOT JUST THE LIVING
RESOURCES, BUT ALSO THAT BENEFIT
THAT THE SOIL IS PROVIDING WE
COULD ACTUALLY BE LEADING TO
MORE CONSERVATION AND MORE
CLIMATE MITIGATION. NOW, WE --
THIS IS ALL HYPOTHETICAL, THESE
FIRST ANALYSIS -- TRY AND TAKE
THIS TO THE NEXT STEP AND
IMPLEMENT IT AND SO WE HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY AT SEARS POINT,
WHICH IS IN THE CALIFORNIA, SAN
FRANCISCO BAY AREA, THEY WERE
GOING TO DO A NATIONAL
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT, A NEPA
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR A
RESTORATION PROJECT THERE. AND
WE WORKED ON THE DOCUMENT AND
LOOKED AT ALL THE DIFFERENT
RESTORATION SCENARIOS AND
CALCULATED WHAT WOULD BE THE
CARBON BENEFITS OF THOSE
DIFFERENT RESTORATIONS SCENARIOS
AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY PART OF
THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT,
BUT THEN WENT THROUGH SOME
PUBLIC COMMENT AND HAS NOW BEEN
FINALIZED. SO WE SAW THIS AS A
REALLY IMPORTANT FIRST STEP IN
TERMS OF SETTING A PRECEDENT,
SAYING HEY, WE CAN
CONSIDER CARBON AS -- IN ONE OF
THESE PROCESSES. THESE
ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE
PROCESSES AND LOOK WE'VE ALREADY
DONE IT, HERE'S AN EXAMPLE. THE
REALLY GREAT STORY WAS THAT AS
MY COLLEAGUE AND I WERE DOING
THIS, WE WERE WORKING WITH THE
RESTORATION CENTER AT NOAA, AND
THE FOLKS IN THE RESTORATION
CENTER SAID, HEY, WE'RE ACTUALLY
RIGHT NOW REDOING OUR
PROGRAMMATIC ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT STATEMENT OR PEIS, WHICH
IS THE DOCUMENT THAT GUIDES ALL
OF OUR RESTORATION WORK AND IT
WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR YOU GUYS TO
HELP US INCLUDE CARBON INTO THAT
DOCUMENT SO THAT IT BECOMES PART
OF WHAT WE CONSIDER FOR CERTAIN
PROJECTS. NOW, IN THIS CASE WE
MAKE IT VERY CLEAR YOU DON'T
WANT TO NECESSARILY WANT TO
CONSIDER THE CARBON BENEFITS OF
EVERY PROJECT. REALLY, COASTAL
WETLANDS ARE ONE OF THE PLACES
WHERE YOU HAVE A VERY BIG
NATURAL CARBON SINK, BUT YOU
DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO BE
DOING THIS FOR ALL PROJECTS, AND
WE MAKE THAT CLEAR IN THIS
DOCUMENT. BUT IT'S REALLY
EXCITING THAT NOW THIS DOCUMENT,
WHICH HAS ALSO BEEN THROUGH
PUBLIC COMMENT AND HAS BEEN
COMPLETED AND IS AVAILABLE ON
NOAAS WEBSITE. IT INCLUDES
CARBON BENEFITS AS ONE OF THE
THINGS YOU CAN BE THINKING ABOUT
WHEN YOU ARE PLANNING
RESTORATION, FOR EXAMPLE. SO
THIS WAS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE
ACTUALLY TOOK IT FROM
HYPOTHETICAL TO BEGINNING TO
INFORM ACTUAL IMPLEMENTATION OF
OUR U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES.
ALL
RIGHT. SO AT THE SAME TIME I'VE
BEEN WORKING ON THAT, THERE WAS
STUFF MOVING AT THE NATIONAL
LEVEL, TOO. SO WE HAD THE
PRIORITY AGENDA FOR CLIMATE
RESILIENCE OF AMERICA'S NATURAL
RESOURCES. THIS CAME OUT UNDER
THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION --
BUNCH OF OTHER PEOPLE TO DEVELOP
THE U.S. MID-CENTURY STRATEGY
FOR DECARBONIZATION. NOW, THIS
WAS A VERY EXCITING DOCUMENT TO
WORK ON BECAUSE IT REALLY WAS
SAYING OKAY, THE U.S. WE KNOW IS
ONE OF THE MAJOR ADMITTERS OF
GREENHOUSE GASES, BUT IF WE
REALLY WANT TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT
DEEP DECARBONIZATION, HOW CAN WE
DO IT? WHAT ARE THE STRATEGIES
THAT WE AS A COUNTRY CAN
IMPLEMENT? AND WE INCLUDED A
SMALL SECTION ON COASTAL
WETLANDS AND RESTORATION AND
PROTECTION OF THOSE WETLANDS IN
THIS STRATEGY. NOW,
REALISTICALLY THIS STRATEGY IS
PROBABLY NOT GOING ANYWHERE OVER
THE NEXT FEW YEARS, BUT IT IS MY
HOPE THAT THIS STRATEGY WILL AT
SOME POINT BE REVIVED AND THAT
ALL THE WORK THAT MANY OF US PUT
INTO THAT DOCUMENT WILL ACTUALLY
STILL BE CAPITALIZED ON AT SOME
POINT. BUT I AM VERY EXCITED
THAT COASTAL WETLANDS ALSO OVER
THE PAST TWO YEARS NOAA HAS BEEN
SUPPORTING AND WORKING WITH A
BUNCH OF OTHER AGENCIES AND
ACADEMICS AND NON-PROFITS TO GET
COASTAL WETLANDS INCLUDED IN OUR
U.S. NATIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS
INVENTORY FOR THE VERY FIRST
TIME. -- IS AVAILABLE ON EPAS
WEBSITE. YOU CAN GET THERE BY
THE LINK AT THE BOTTOM THERE.
AND WHAT'S REALLY EXCITING
ABOUT THIS STEP, IS NOT JUST
THAT WE'VE DONE IT, WE ARE ONE
OF ONLY ABOUT FIVE COUNTRIES
AROUND THE WORLD THAT RESPONDED
TO A CALL FROM THE INNER
GOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE
CHANGE. TWO, TO BEGIN TO TRY AND
IMPLEMENT INCLUDING WETLANDS IN
OUR INVENTORY. THEY ASKED US TO
TRY DOING THIS, IT WAS NOT A
REQUIREMENT AND THE U.S. IS ONE
OF A FEW COUNTRIES THAT DID
THIS, AND WE WILL NOW HAVE TO
KEEP DOING THIS BECAUSE ONCE YOU
INCLUDE SOMETHING IN YOUR
INVENTORY EVERY YEAR,
THEREAFTER, YOU HAVE TO TRACK
IT, WHICH MEANS THE U.S. IS
GOING TO HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB
OF MONITORING WHERE WE'RE DOING
RESTORATION AND WHERE WE'RE
LOSING WETLANDS, COASTAL
WETLANDS, SO WE CAN INCLUDE THAT
IN EITHER OUR SINKS OR OUR
EMISSIONS FACTORS IN THE
INVENTORY GOING FORWARD INTO THE
FORESEEABLE FUTURE. SO I'M VERY
EXCITED ON THE PROGRESS THERE
BECAUSE THIS IS NOT SOMETHING
THAT CAN BE UNDONE OR WILL
CHANGE, NO MATTER WHAT ELSE IS
GOING ON ACROSS THE GOVERNMENT.
OKAY. AT THE SAME TIME, BECAUSE
WE DON'T HAVE THE U.S.
COMPLIANCE MARKET AT THE
NATIONAL SCALE, THERE'S BEEN
SOME EFFORTS SUPPORTED BY NOAA
AND OTHERS TO INCLUDE COASTAL
WETLANDS IN THE VOLUNTARY CARBON
MARKET. AND IT'S VERY EXCITING
THAT WE NOW HAVE A VERIFIED
CARBON STANDARD, VCS METHODOLOGY
THAT ALLOWS YOU TO GET CARBON
CREDITS FOR COASTAL WETLAND
RESTORATION, AND THIS INCLUDES
SEA GRASSES OR SALT MARSHES,
MANGROVES ETC. ANYWHERE IN THE
WORLD. SO ANYONE CAN USE THAT
METHODOLOGY WHICH WAS
VALIDATED AND COMPLETELY DONE
AND AVAILABLE ONLINE AS OF
NOVEMBER 2015. AND THEN IT'S
VERY EXCITING TO ME THAT RIGHT
NOW WE HAVE A VCS METHODOLOGY
FOR CARBON CREDITS FOR THE
PROTECTION OF COASTAL WETLANDS
THAT IS IN REVIEW AND THAT IS
JUST GONE THROUGH ITS FIRST
PUBLIC REVIEW COMMENT PERIOD AND
HOPEFULLY WILL BE AVAILABLE. I'M
HOPING BY THE END OF 2017, SO
THAT YOU CAN GET CREDITS FOR
PROTECTING A THREATENED WETLAND
INSTEAD OF HAVING TO WAIT FOR IT
TO GET DESTROYED AND THEN
PLANNING TO RESTORE IT BECAUSE
REALLY YOU GET THE BIGGEST BANG
FOR YOUR BUCK IN THESE SYSTEMS
IF YOU NEVER LET THAT INITIAL
DEGRADATION WHICH LEADS -- IN
THE FIRST PLACE. OKAY. ANOTHER
MESSAGE I THINK IS REALLY
IMPORTANT, PARTICULARLY RIGHT
NOW AS THINGS ARE UNCERTAIN
MOVING FORWARD IN THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT, IS THAT THERE'S A
LOT THAT CAN BE HAPPENING AT THE
LOCAL AND STATE AND REGIONAL
LEVEL AS WELL. AND THIS IS
ACTUALLY WHERE WE PROBABLY ARE
GOING TO SEE THE MOST AMAZING
PROGRESS OVER THE NEXT FOUR
YEARS, HOPEFULLY SETTING THE
STAGE FOR NATIONAL ACTION IN THE
FUTURE. SO AN EXAMPLE I WANT TO
GIVE IS CALIFORNIA'S ASSEMBLY
BILL AB32, THIS WAS PASSED IN
2006. IT WAS CALLED THE GLOBAL
WARMING SOLUTIONS ACT, AND
CALIFORNIA COMMITTED TO REDUCING
TO 1990 EMISSIONS LEVELS BY
2020. AND THEY SAID, ALL RIGHT
WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS USING A
VARIETY OF APPROACHES INCLUDING
POLICIES, REGULATION AND
MARKET-BASED APPROACHES. SO THE
MARKET-BASED APPROACHES IS A CAP
AND TRADE PROGRAM WHICH BEGAN IN
2012 AND COMPANIES THAT NEED TO
CAN OFF-SET EIGHT PERCENT OF
THEIR COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS
USING OFF-SET. NOW, AN OFF-SET
IS WHERE YOU PAY TO HAVE SOME
OTHER PLACE DO THE CARBON SINK
OR SEQUESTRATION. SO IN THIS
CASE, THE OFF-SETS AVAILABLE ARE
CURRENTLY FORESTRY, DAIRY
DIGESTERS AND THE DESTRUCTION OF
OZONE DEPLETING SUBSTANCES. THE
MONEY THAT THEY PAY TO DO THIS
GOES INTO THEIR GREENHOUSE GAS
REDUCTION FUND IN CALIFORNIA AND
CALIFORNIA IS REALLY BEING
SOMEWHAT INNOVATIVE WITH THOSE
GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION FUNDS.
SO IN THE SPRING OF 2015, THEY
FUNDED 12 PROJECTS AND THIS
INCLUDED FOUR COASTAL WETLAND
PROJECTS, ONE OF THEM IN ELKHORN
SLOUGH, WHICH IS PICTURED HERE.
AND MY HOPE IS THAT THOSE
PROJECTS ARE GOING TO HELP TO
DEMONSTRATE THAT AT SOME POINT
IN THE FUTURE IT MIGHT BE
POSSIBLE TO HAVE WETLAND
OFF-SETS, AS WELL, IF THEY CAN
GATHER THE DATA FROM THOSE
PROJECTS THAT PROVIDES ENOUGH
CONFIDENCE THAT WHEN WE DO THESE
PROJECTS WE CAN RESTORE CARBON
SINKS AND ACTUALLY GET THOSE
CARBON BENEFITS THAT WE'RE
SEEKING. SO AGAIN, THIS IS A
REALLY EXCITING REGIONAL EXAMPLE
OF PROGRESS AT A TIME WHEN I
KNOW IT IS HARD FOR A LOT OF US
BECAUSE WE'RE NOT SEEING THE
KIND OF FEDERAL PROGRESS WE
MIGHT HAVE HOPED FOR BUT THERE
IS STILL A LOT THAT CAN BE DONE
AT THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVELS.
SO I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO
SUPPORT YOUR STATE AND
LOCAL INITIATIVES. OKAY. I ALSO
HAD A STUDENT WORK WITH ME,
LOOKING AT INTERNATIONAL POLICY
AND BLUE CARBON PROJECTS AND
WHAT SHE CAME TO IS THAT THERE'S
ACTUALLY A FAIR AMOUNT OF
INTEREST IN LEVERAGING THIS BLUE
CARBON IN ORDER TO DO
RESTORATION AND THEN TO PROMOTE
COMMUNITY RESILIENCE. SO A LOT
OF COMMUNITIES ARE INTERESTED IN
RESTORING MANGROVES AS A WAY OF
HELPING TO PROTECT THEIR
COMMUNITIES FROM THINGS LIKE
EROSION AND WAVES. SO IT
BASICALLY PROVIDES CLIMATE
ADAPTATION AT THE SAME TIME THAT
YOU CAN PROVIDE CLIMATE
MITIGATION. AND IN SOME CASES IT
-- LIVELIHOOD CREATION. IN A LOT
OF THESE VILLAGES THERE ARE NOT
A LOT OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES
PARTICULARLY FOR WOMEN AND WOMEN
HAVE BECOME VERY INVOLVED IN
THESE PROJECTS HELPING TO GROW
AND MAINTAIN THE SEEDLING, AS
YOU SEE IN THAT UPPER RIGHT
PICTURE, AT A SITE IN INDIA. AND
ALSO, TO HELP ACTUALLY DO
CITIZEN SCIENCE WHERE THEY ARE
HELPING TO RESTORE AND PLANT THE
MANGROVES AND THEN ALSO TO TRACK
THEM, TO MEASURE THEM AND MAKE
SURE THAT THEY ARE GROWING
APPROPRIATELY ETC, AND THAT'S
WHAT YOU SEE IN THOSE LOWER TWO
PICTURES. SO I FIND THIS
INCREDIBLY EXCITING THAT AT
LEAST IN SOME CASES BLUE CARBON
IS LEADING TO LIFTING THE ENTIRE
COMMUNITY UP PROVIDING JOB
OPPORTUNITIES, TOURISM,
RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES AT THE
SAME TIME THAT IT'S PROVIDING
CARBON FINANCE TO SUPPORT THE
COMMUNITY AND PROVIDING
OBVIOUSLY THAT THAT BLUE
CARBON BENEFIT. OKAY. SO JUST A
COUPLE OF MORE THINGS BECAUSE I
KNOW THIS AUDIENCE HAS A REALLY
INTRIGUE SOMETIMES WITH SOME OF
THE SCIENCEY STUFF. WHAT'S GOING
ON HERE? WELL, SO THERE'S SOME
REALLY COOL CUTTING-EDGE
RESEARCH THAT WE DON'T HAVE A
LOT OF DATA ON YET, SO I SEE
THIS AS A FRONTIER HERE. BUT
RECALL THAT FOR OCEAN
ACIDIFICATION ANY GREENHOUSE GAS
SINK IS GOOD FOR REDUCING OCEAN
ACIDIFICATION BECAUSE BASICALLY
CARBON MIXES GLOBALLY, SO ANY
CARBON WE TAKE OUT OF THE
ATMOSPHERE HELPS TO PREVENT
OCEAN ACIDIFICATION, WHICH WE
KNOW IS ONE OF OUR BIG STRESSORS
ON OUR OCEANS RIGHT NOW. SO IN
THIS CASE THOUGH, THERE IS
ACTUALLY EVIDENCE THAT THERE
COULD BE A LINK BETWEEN BLUE
CARBON SYSTEMS AND OCEAN
ACIDIFICATION. SO FOR EXAMPLE,
THERE'S EVIDENCE THAT SEA GRASS
BEDS CAN ACT AS AN OCEAN
ACIDIFICATION REFUGE. AND SO
THERE'S BEEN SOME WORK ON THIS
IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PLACES
IN THE COUNTRY, BUT THERE'S A
PANEL, A BLUE RIBBON PANEL IN
WASHINGTON STATE THAT LOOKED AT
THIS AND THEY FOUND THAT
EELGRASS WAS ABLE TO RAISE THE
PH, WHICH MEANS IT'S BECOMING
LESS ACIDIC AND THAT'S BECAUSE
THESE PLANTS ARE ACTUALLY
DRAWING CO2 LEVELS DOWN BY
TAKING CO2 OUT OF THE WATER
COLUMN THROUGH PHOTOSYNTHESIS.
AND SO, THERE'S -- LAND GROWTH
INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE EELGRASS
BEDS. NOW, THIS IS STILL CUTTING
EDGE AND NEW AS I MENTIONED, BUT
THERE'S REAL INTEREST IN HOW
MUCH BLUE
CARBON HABITATS MIGHT BE ABLE TO
BUFFER SOME OF OUR SHELLFISH AND
OR OUR CORAL REEFS TO PROVIDE
THAT EXTRA PROTECTION FROM OCEAN
ACIDIFICATION. THEN IN ADDITION,
THERE WAS THIS RECENT PAPER JUST
A FEW WEEKS AGO IN SCIENCE THAT
LOOKED AT SEAGRASS AND DISEASE
PREVENTION. AND SO, WHAT THIS
PAPER FOUND IS THAT THERE WAS A
50 PERCENT REDUCTION IN THE
ABUNDANCE IN POTENTIAL BACTERIAL
PATHOGENS. THESE PATHOGENS THAT
CAUSE DISEASES IN BOTH HUMANS
AND MARINE ORGANISMS WHEN SEA
GRASS WAS PRESENT. SO WHEN THERE
WAS SEAGRASS THERE WAS THIS
REDUCTION IN THESE PATHOGENS AND
THAT'S WHAT THIS GRAPH SHOWS
YOU. SO TWO OF THE FIVE GLOBAL
CORAL DISEASES WERE
SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED IN CORALS
ADJACENT TO SEAGRASS. SO WHAT
YOU SEE IN THE BLACK BARS IS THE
MEAN CORAL DISEASE PREVALENCE IN
PERCENT AND THE BLACK BARS WHERE
THERE WAS NO SEAGRASS AND THEN
IN THE WHITE BARS WHERE THERE
WAS SEAGRASS PRESENT. AND SO,
THIS IS REALLY EXCITING BECAUSE
THIS IS DRAWING A LINK THEN
BETWEEN THE PRESENCE OF
SEAGRASSES AND BOTH MARINE
ORGANISMAL AND HUMAN HEALTH. AND
THE RESEARCHERS ACTUALLY CAME UP
WITH THIS QUESTION PARTLY
BECAUSE THEY WERE DIVING IN
CERTAIN AREAS AND THEY GOT SICK
AFTERWARDS AND THEY STARTED TO
ASK, WHY ARE WE GETTING SICK IN
CERTAIN PLACES AND NOT OTHERS?
AND AT LEAST RIGHT NOW THERE
APPEARS TO BE A LINK BETWEEN
SEAGRASSES. NOW, THE EXACT
MECHANISM OF HOW THIS IS WORKING
HAS YET TO
BE WORKED OUT, BUT THIS IS
INCREDIBLY EXCITING AND VERY
CUTTING EDGE, BLUE CARBON
CO-BENEFITS. SO COASTAL WETLAND
BLUE CARBON, IT'S A TRIPLE WIN
IN MY OPINION, YOU GET THE
CLIMATE MITIGATION, YOU GET THE
CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND THEN YOU
HAVE ALL THESE BENEFITS OF
CONSERVATION. AND THOSE
CO-BENEFITS NOW, AS WE'RE
LOOKING HERE INCLUDE THINGS LIKE
POTENTIAL IMPLICATIONS FOR
IMPROVING HUMAN HEALTH, WHICH IS
SUPER EXCITING. SO I TEND TO
CALL COASTAL BLUE CARBON THE
BEST CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION
AND ADAPTATION OPPORTUNITY THAT
YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF, EXCEPT
THAT NOW, ALL OF YOU HAVE AND I
HOPE THAT YOU WILL BE SHARING
THIS INFORMATION WITH YOUR
FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES AND
STUDENTS. ALL RIGHT. SO WE ARE
GOING TO THEN -- THAT ACTUALLY
TAKES ME TO -- REMEMBER ALL
THESE CO-BENEFITS THAT WE GET,
THINGS LIKE RECREATIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES AND HABITAT FOR
IMPORTANT SPECIES AND STORM AND
EROSION RISK REDUCTION. THESE
ARE THE CO-BENEFITS YOU GET
BECAUSE WHEN YOU PROTECT THE
CARBON IN THE SYSTEM YOU ARE
PROTECTING A HEALTHY INTACT
COASTAL WETLAND. AND SO, THAT
TAKES ME VERY NICELY TO MY
SECOND TOPIC, WHICH IS NATURAL
OR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE. SO
HURRICANE SANDY WAS, I BELIEVE,
A TURNING POINT IN THE WAY THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS THINKING
ABOUT -- COASTAL RESILIENCE BUT
ALSO HOW WE APPROACH COASTAL
RESILIENCE. SO IN THE PAST WHEN
YOU THOUGHT ABOUT NEEDING TO
PROTECT A COMMUNITY FROM STORM
SURGE, WAVES ETC. THIS WAS
ALWAYS WHAT PEOPLE THOUGHT OF,
GRAY OR BUILT INFRASTRUCTURE,
SEA WALLS, RIPRAP, LEVEES,
DIKES, ETC. AND DON'T GET ME
WRONG, THERE WILL PROBABLY
ALWAYS BE A ROLE FOR THESE KINDS
OF SYSTEMS WHEN WE'RE THINKING
ABOUT SOME OF OUR COASTAL
RESILIENCE NEEDS. HOWEVER,
WHAT'S REALLY EXCITING IS THAT
POST HURRICANE SANDY, THERE HAS
BEEN A REAL GROWING INTEREST IN
WHAT'S THE RULE OF NATURAL OR
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN
PROVIDING COASTAL RESILIENCE.
AND HERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
HEALTHY COASTAL HABITATS, LIKE
MARSHES, CORAL AND OYSTER REEFS,
MANGROVES, BEACHES AND DUNES AND
BARRIER ISLANDS. AND SO, I WAS
ACTUALLY ASKED BY MY LEADERSHIP
TO INVESTIGATE THIS AND COME UP
WITH WHAT'S THE STATE OF OUR
SCIENCE ON HOW THESE SYSTEMS
WORK. SO HOW DO THESE SYSTEMS
WORK TO PROVIDE WAVE ATTENUATION
AND EROSION RISK REDUCTION? SO
IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOP GRAPH
HERE YOU SEE THAT AS THE WAVES
HAVE TO GO OVER THE OYSTER REEF
AND THEN THROUGH ALL THAT
VEGETATION IN THE TIDAL MARSH,
THAT WAVE HEIGHT IS DECREASING
AND DECREASING AND DECREASING SO
THAT BY THE TIME IT REACHES LAND
THOSE WAVES HAVE LOST A LOT OF
THEIR ENERGY. NOW, IF YOU LOOK
AT THE BOTTOM GRAPH ITS EXACTLY
THE OPPOSITE. WE DON'T HAVE --
WE HAVE DEGRADED OYSTER REEFS
AND ALMOST NO TIDAL MARSH AND
THOSE WAVES JUST BASICALLY KEEP
ON CRASHING ALL THE WAY UNTIL
THEY REACH THE COASTAL COMMUNITY
AND OF COURSE THEN
YOU END UP WITH POTENTIAL
FLOODING. SO THAT'S HOW NATURAL
INFRASTRUCTURE WORKS. HERE IS
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A STUDY THAT
ACTUALLY TRIED TO QUANTIFY THIS,
AND THEY SPENT A LOT OF TIME.
THERE'S A REALLY NEAT VIDEO
ONLINE, IF YOU HAVE ANY INTEREST
IN CHECKING IT OUT, OF HOW THEY
ACTUALLY BROUGHT A CHUNK OF
TIDAL MARSH INTO THIS HUGE FLUME
WHERE THEY COULD BASICALLY RUN A
WHOLE BUNCH OF WAVES OVER IT AND
MEASURE WHAT WAS GOING ON. AND
SO, THIS SHOWED THIS PARTICULAR
GRAPHIC -- SORRY, THIS PROJECT
SHOWED THAT UP TO 60 PERCENT OF
WAVE REDUCTION CAN BE ATTRIBUTED
TO VEGETATION -- EVEN WHEN THE
VEGETATION HAD BROKEN COMPLETELY
IN HALF, WHAT YOU SEE SORT OF IN
THAT BOTTOM GRAPHIC THERE IN THE
PICTURE, THE MARSH SUBSTRATE,
THE SOIL REMAINS STABLE EVEN
ONCE THE WAVES HAD BROKEN THE
STEMS. AND THEY WERE REALLY
THROWING BIG WAVES AT THIS
SYSTEM. SO THEY CONCLUDED, THAT
THE EFFECTIVENESS A STORM WAVE
DISSIPATION AND THE RESILIENCE
OF TIDAL MARSHES, EVEN AT
EXTREME CONDITIONS, SUGGEST THAT
SALT MARSH ECO-SYSTEMS CAN BE A
VALUABLE COMPONENT OF COASTAL
PROTECTION SCHEMES. NOW, WHAT
WAS REALLY IMPORTANT ABOUT THIS
PAPER WAS IT BEGAN TO TRULY
QUANTIFY HOW MUCH WAVE REDUCTION
CAN WE ACTUALLY EXPECT FROM A
NATURAL SYSTEM, LIKE A SALT
MARSH. AND THE REASON THAT'S
IMPORTANT IS THAT WHEN WE HAVE
COMMUNITIES THAT NEED
PROTECTION, ENGINEERS TYPICALLY
ARE INVOLVED IN HELPING TO THINK
ABOUT THINGS LIKE, DIKES OR
SEA WALLS. AND THEY HAVE VERY
SPECIFIC MODELS AND MEASUREMENTS
OF HOW MUCH WAVE REDUCTION YOU
GET FOR WHAT KIND OF STRUCTURE
AND WHAT HEIGHT OF STRUCTURE,
ETC. WE DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE
THE SAME KINDS OF COMPARABLE
DATA FOR NATURAL SYSTEMS. SO
THIS KIND OF STUDY IS STARTING
TO BUILD THAT DATABASE -- AND
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT IS THE STORM
RISK REDUCTION OR THE WAVE
ATTENUATION THAT WE CAN GET FROM
A NATURAL SYSTEM. OKAY, SO IN MY
REVIEW OF WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT OUR
STATE OF THE KNOWLEDGE, THERE
ARE MANY FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE
THE AMOUNT OF COASTAL PROTECTION
YOUR LIKELY TO GET FROM YOUR
NATURAL SYSTEM. SO IT MATTERS
HOW MUCH AREA OF HABITAT THERE
IS AND ALSO HOW MUCH CONTIGUOUS
AREA. SO IF YOU HAVE A SALT
MARSH, LET'S SAY IN THE GULF,
BUT IT HAS BEEN CUT THROUGH BY
MULTIPLE PIPELINES IN ORDER TO
GET OIL FROM THE GULF YOU KNOW,
INTO THE CITY OR INTO THE
REFINERY, THAT MARSH THAT'S BEEN
CUT THROUGH SEVERAL TIMES IS NOT
GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE
SAME AMOUNT OF WAVE ATTENUATION
AS A MARSH THAT WAS NEVER
IMPACTED, THAT HASN'T BEEN CUT
THROUGH BY MULTIPLE CHANNELS. IF
IT IS A VEGETATIVE MARSH, IT
ALSO MATTERS THE DENSITY OF THE
VEGETATION AND IN THE CASE OF A
REEF ECO-SYSTEM THAT VERY FRONT
REEF CREST, THE SIZE OF THAT
REEF CREST, FOR EITHER CORALS OR
OYSTER REEFS, HAS AN IMPORTANT
IMPACT ON HOW MUCH OF THAT WAVE
ENERGY IS LOST AS IT GOES OVER
THAT INITIAL REEF CREST.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE FACTORS
THAT WE KNOW ABOUT -- WHAT DOES
IT LOOK LIKE WHEN I'M TALKING
ABOUT NATURAL INFRASTRUCTURE? I
THINK IT HELPS TO HAVE A PICTURE
IN MIND. SO HERE'S A COMMUNITY
THAT SAID, WOW, WE REALLY NEED
TO INCREASE OUR COASTAL
RESILIENCE. WHAT ARE OUR
OPTIONS? AND THIS COMMUNITY SAID
WELL, WE USE TO HAVE A BARRIER
ISLAND, BUT IT GOT BREACHED IN
THE LAST BIG STORM, LET'S
RESTORE OUR BARRIER ISLAND, BUT
IN ADDITION THERE'S NO REASON WE
CAN'T DO A LAYERING APPROACH
WITH THIS NATURAL
INFRASTRUCTURE. WE USED TO HAVE
OYSTER BEDS, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN
RESTORE OUR OYSTER BEDS AND
LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN
THAT HEALTHY SALT MARSH OUT
FRONT AND MAYBE WE CAN EVEN DO
SOME SALT MARSH RESTORATION AT
THE SAME TIME AND IN ESSENCE
THEN CREATE THIS TRIPLE NATURAL
BARRIER. OKAY. SO WHAT ARE SOME
OF THE BENEFITS OF THIS KIND OF
AN APPROACH? WELL, WHAT'S REALLY
NEAT ABOUT THESE NATURAL SYSTEMS
IS THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY
STRENGTHEN WITH TIME. THIS IS
NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN SAY ABOUT
BUILT INFRASTRUCTURE. WHICH IS
STRONG AS THE DAY YOU WALK AWAY
FROM IT AND IT ONLY WEAKENS WITH
TIME AS IT AGES. THESE NATURAL
SYSTEMS CAN BE SELF-MAINTAINING,
AND THEY HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR
SELF-REPAIR AFTER STORMS IN SOME
CASES. YOU MAY NOT EVEN HAVE TO
GO IN AND DO MAINTENANCE AFTER A
STORM. THEY CAN ALSO, IN MANY
CASES, GROW AND KEEP PACE WITH
SEA
LEVEL RISE. THAT IS DEFINITELY
NOT THE CASE FOR BUILT
INFRASTRUCTURE. IN SOME CASES,
THESE SYSTEMS CAN BE MORE COST
EFFECTIVE, AND THEY PROVIDE
CO-BENEFITS ALL THE TIME,
WHEREAS, GRAY INFRASTRUCTURE
ONLY PROVIDES THAT STORM RISK
REDUCTION WHEN A STORM IS
APPROACHING. SO WHAT DO I MEAN
BY THOSE CO-BENEFITS? WE TALKED
ABOUT SOME OF THESE ALREADY IN
THE SECTION ON COASTAL BLUE
CARBON, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
THINGS LIKE THESE COASTAL
SYSTEMS PROVIDE REALLY IMPORTANT
FISHERY HABITAT SUPPORTING BOTH
OUR RECREATIONAL AND OUR
COMMERCIAL FISHERIES. THEY
PROVIDE RECREATION AND TOURISM
OPPORTUNITIES, THEY ALSO PROVIDE
WATER FILTRATION, EDUCATION AND
CULTURAL SERVICES, OPPORTUNITIES
TO GO LEARN AND STUDY AND ALSO,
OFTEN TIMES, VERY IMPORTANT
RELIGIOUS OPPORTUNITIES. THEY
PROVIDE HABITAT FOR OTHER
SPECIES AND AS WE TALKED ABOUT
IN THE CASE OF WETLANDS THEY
PROVIDE VERY IMPORTANT CARBON
SEQUESTRATION AND STORAGE. SO AS
I WAS DOING THE RESEARCH ON
NATURAL INFRASTRUCTURE, I
STARTED -- EXCITING STUFF
HAPPENING IN THE HYBRID
APPROACH. SO WHAT DO I MEAN WHEN
I SAY HYBRID INFRASTRUCTURE? SO
THIS IS WHERE YOU COMBINE SOME
KIND OF A NATURAL OR GREEN
FEATURE WITH A BUILD OR GRAY
FEATURE. SO IN THIS CASE HERE,
YOUR SEEING IT'S ANOTHER
COMMUNITY THAT ALSO HAS THOSE
TRIPLE BARRIERS OF NATURAL
FEATURES, BUT IN ADDITION THE
COMMUNITY SAID WELL THERE'S SOME
OTHER
THINGS WE CAN DO. WE CAN MOVE
HOMES AWAY FROM THE WATER, WE
CAN RAISE SOME HOMES UP ON
STILTS TO MAKE THEM LESS LIKELY
TO FLOOD, WE ALSO CAN INSTALL AN
OPERABLE FLOOD GATE THAT WILL
THEN CLOSE AS NEEDED WHEN A
STORM IS APPROACHING. SO AGAIN,
WE'VE COMBINED GREEN AND GRAY
FEATURES TO BUILD THIS
COMMUNITIES RESILIENCE. NOW,
WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS HERE?
WHAT THIS ALLOWS YOU TO DO IS
REALLY CAPITALIZE ON THE
BENEFITS PROVIDED BY BOTH GREEN
AND GRAY. YOU CAN USE GRAY
ACTUALLY TO HELP PROTECT THE
GREEN AS IT ESTABLISHES IN SOME
CASES. BUT ACTUALLY, I THINK ONE
OF THE MOST IMPORTANT USES OF
THIS IS YOU CAN USE GREEN
INFRASTRUCTURE TO REDUCE THE
NECESSARY GRAY INFRASTRUCTURE
THAT YOU HAVE TO BUILD. SO IF
YOU ARE GOING TO BUILD THE SEA
WALL, IF YOU HAVE -- ALREADY
ATTENUATED SOME OF THE WAVE
ENERGY, YOU CAN BUILD -- A
SMALLER SEA WALL. WHICH MEANS
YOU CAN KEEP COST DOWN, YOU CAN
KEEP MAINTENANCE COST DOWN. AND
SO, YOU REALLY CAN BENEFIT FROM
BOTH THE STRENGTHS OF GREEN AND
GRAY. SO I WANTED TO SHARE WITH
YOU SOME OF WHAT I THINK IS THE
REALLY COOL INNOVATION HAPPENING
IN THESE HYBRID LANDSCAPES. SO
AFTER HURRICANE SANDY THERE WAS
THIS REBUILD BY DESIGN
COMPETITION, AND I ENCOURAGE YOU
TO GO LOOK UP, REBUILD BY
DESIGN, BECAUSE THERE WERE A
WHOLE BUNCH OF PROJECTS
SUBMITTED BUT SIX WINNERS AND
THERE IN THE NEW YORK, NEW
JERSEY AREA. AND IT IS VERY
EXCITING TO SEE THE PROGRESS
BEING MADE IN THE THINKING
ABOUT, HOW DO WE
BECOME MORE RESILIENT? BECAUSE
PEOPLE ARE REALLY THINKING ABOUT
THE WHOLE SYSTEM, ABOUT THE
ECOLOGY, THE SOCIAL
INFRASTRUCTURE AND THEN OF
COURSE THE BUILT INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SO, HERE'S AN EXAMPLE WHERE
THIS IS A WATERFRONT AREA, WHERE
THERE THINKING ABOUT WHAT ELSE
CAN WE BE DOING TO MAKE
OURSELVES MORE RESILIENT. SO YOU
SEE PERMEABLE PAVEMENT AND BIOS
WALES, YOU SEE BIORETENTION
WETLANDS AND YOU SEE BASICALLY A
REALLY NICE USE OF BOTH NATURAL
AND BUILT FEATURES IN A VERY
PEDESTRIAN AND HUMAN FRIENDLY
SETTING. AND SO, THIS IS ONE OF
MY VERY FAVORITE PROJECTS COMING
OUT OF REBUILT BY DESIGN. THIS
ONE'S CALLED, THE BIG U AND THIS
IS ACTUALLY IN MANHATTAN. AND IF
I FIGURE IF YOU CAN DO THIS KIND
OF WORK IN MANHATTAN, WHICH IS
ONE OF THE MOST BUILT UP PLACES
I KNOW, YOU CAN DO IT ANYWHERE.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS A COMBINATION
OF HARD AND SOFT OR BUILT AND
NATURAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND THEY
REALLY FOCUSED ON WANTING TO
HAVE RECREATIONAL BENEFITS FOR
THE COMMUNITY OF MANHATTAN. SO
IT'S CALLED THE BIG U BECAUSE IF
YOU LOOK IN THE BOTTOM PICTURE
THERE'S A GREEN LINE THAT RUNS
ALL AROUND MANHATTAN GETTING
BIGGER AT THE TIP AND THEN GOES
ON THE OTHER SIDE. AND THE WHOLE
IDEA WAS THAT EITHER BUILDS OR
MORE NATURAL FEATURES WOULD
SURROUND THE ENTIRE TIP OF THAT
MANHATTAN ISLAND. SO THE REALITY
IS THAT EVEN THE SIX WINNERS OF
THE REBUILD BY DESIGN
COMPETITION WERE UNABLE TO BE
FULLY FUNDED AND SO THEY GOT
PARTIAL FUNDING. AND SO, WHAT IS
BEING IMPLEMENTED RIGHT NOW IS
THE EAST-SIDE COASTAL -- REALLY,
REALLY EXCITING. THEY ARE
INTEGRATING THE FLOOD PROTECTION
INTO THE COMMUNITY AND AT THE
SAME TIME THEY ARE IMPROVING
WATER ACCESS BECAUSE THIS IS
ACTUALLY A PART OF THE COAST
LINE THAT HAD A BIG ROAD RUNNING
RIGHT ALONG IT WHICH MADE IT
VERY DIFFICULT FOR ANYONE TO
MAKE IT OUT TO THE COASTLINE. SO
THEY ARE ACTUALLY INCLUDING, AS
PART OF THE DESIGN, A LOT OF
PEDESTRIAN CROSSOVERS, SO THAT
PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY GET TO THIS
WONDERFUL WALKABLE COASTAL AREA
THAT THEIR CREATING. AND SO,
WHAT I THINK IS SO EXCITING
ABOUT THIS PROJECT IS MANHATTAN
WAS HIT FAIRLY HARD BY HURRICANE
SANDY. YOU'VE SEEN PROBABLY SOME
OF THOSE AMAZING PHOTOS WHERE A
GOOD CHUNK OF MANHATTAN HAS JUST
GONE COMPLETELY BLACK BECAUSE
THERE WAS NO POWER. AND INSTEAD
OF HAVING THE REACTION OF, WOW,
WE NEVER WANT TO HAVE THAT
HAPPEN AGAIN, BUILD US A REALLY
BIG SEA WALL, PROTECT US, SHUT
THE WATER OUT. THIS COMMUNITY
SAID, NO ACTUALLY WE WOULD LOVE
TO HAVE BETTER WATER ACCESS. WE
WOULD LOVE TO BE BETTER
CONNECTED. THERE IS A REASON WE
ARE A COASTAL COMMUNITY AND WE
LIKE LIVING BY THE COAST, BUT WE
STILL WANT TO BE MORE RESILIENT.
SO HOW DO WE DO THAT? AND THE
WAY THEIR DOING IT IS BY
COMBINING BERMS AND FLOOD WALLS
AND BARRIERS. SO THERE DOING IT
WITH THIS BUILD AND NATURAL
APPROACH AND I CAN
TELL YOU I'M SUPER EXCITED TO
WATCH THIS PROJECT GO IN. SO
THEN I CAN GO VISIT AND GET REAL
PICTURES AND SEE HOW WELL THEIR
MANAGING TO ACCOMPLISH THESE
DUAL GOALS. ALL RIGHT, HERE'S
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF LIVING
SHORELINES, THIS IS ACTUALLY ON
NOAA PROPERTY. IT'S A MUCH
SMALLER SCALE SO THIS MIGHT BE A
LITTLE MORE IMAGINABLE FOR MANY
OF YOU. HYBRIDS, HERE'S AN
EXAMPLE OF LIVING SHORELINE. SO
LIVING SHORELINES USE A
COMBINATION OF HABITAT CREATION
OR RESTORATION AND THEN SOME
KIND OF BUILT INFRASTRUCTURE AND
IT'S USUALLY -- THESE ARE
USUALLY DONE TO PREVENT EROSION.
SO YOU GET SOME OF THE BENEFITS
THAN OF NATURAL HABITAT. SO THE
TOP PHOTO SHOWS YOU WHAT THE
BEACH LOOKED LIKE BEFORE THEY
PUT IN THE LIVING SHORELINE. AND
THIS BEACH WAS ERODING AWAY AND
JUST OUTSIDE THE PICTURE ON THE
RIGHT-HAND SIDE IS A NOAA
BUILDING. AND SO THERE WAS REAL
NEED TO PROTECT SOMETHING IN
FRONT OF THAT BUILDING AND NOT
JUST HAVE THE BEACH COMPLETELY
ERODE AWAY. SO WHAT THEY DID WAS
ESTABLISH THE BOTTOM PICTURE,
WHICH ACTUALLY IS A -- WITHIN AN
OYSTER SILL RUNNING RIGHT ALONG
THE FRONT OF THE MARSH, WHICH I
REALIZE IS HARD TO SEE IN THE
PICTURE. THEY ACTUALLY HAD
OYSTER FROM THE SITE THAT THEY
COULD USE TO BUILD THE SILL, IF
THEY HADN'T HAD OYSTER THEY
COULD HAVE USED SOMETHING LIKE
CONCRETE TO BUILD THE SILL OR
BLOCKS. SO IT COULD HAVE BEEN A
LITTLE BIT MORE BUILT BUT THIS
HAS BEEN A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE
PROJECT WHERE THEY HAVE
BASICALLY STOPPED THE EROSION
USING THIS NATURAL OR THIS
HYBRID DESIGN. SO AS I WAS
DEVELOPING THIS RESEARCH AND
ANSWERING QUESTIONS OF NOAA
LEADERSHIP, WE DISCOVERED THAT
THERE ARE SOME REALLY IMPORTANT
RESEARCH NEEDS THAT WILL HELP TO
SUPPORT POLICY AND BASICALLY THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF MORE OF THESE
NATURAL SOLUTIONS. ONE EXAMPLE
IS, WE NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND
THE BENEFITS PROVIDED BY NATURAL
AND HYBRID SYSTEMS. WE NEED TO
ACTUALLY KNOW HOW MUCH FLOOD
RISK PRODUCTION OCCURS, WE NEED
TO KNOW THE VALUE OF BOTH THOSE
BENEFITS, AND THE CO-BENEFITS
PROVIDED BY THOSE SYSTEMS.
THINGS LIKE FISHERY HABITAT OR
RECREATION. WE NEED TO ACTUALLY
HAVE BEST PRACTICES FOR DESIGN.
THERE IS NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL
SOLUTION WHEN IT COMES TO THESE
NATURAL OR HYBRID OPPORTUNITIES
BECAUSE EVERY COMMUNITY HAS A
SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SETTING AND
DIFFERENT NEEDS. SO WE REALLY
NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DESIGN
DIFFERENT SYSTEMS FOR DIFFERENT
COMMUNITIES AND THEN IN SOME
CASES WE NEED TO REMOVE HURDLES
FOR IMPLEMENTATION. RIGHT NOW,
IT TENDS TO BE EASIER TO GET A
PERMIT TO PUT IN A BULKHEAD OR A
SEA WALL THAN IT IS TO GET A
PERMIT TO PUT IN ONE OF THESE
MORE GREEN SOLUTIONS, BUT THERE
IS WORK BEING DONE TO TRY TO
FACILITATE THE POLICY END OF
THINGS. IN FACT, THE ARMY CORE
HAS A LIVING SHORELINES
REGULATION THAT IS -- I CAN'T
REMEMBER IF IT ACTUALLY
IMPLEMENTED YET BUT
THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THAT
REGULATION THAT WILL FACILITATE
THE ABILITY TO PUT IN LIVING
SHORELINES, INSTEAD OF OTHER
MORE BUILT STRUCTURES. SO THERE
IS PROGRESS BEING MADE HERE,
VERY EXCITING, BUT THERE'S
DEFINITELY STILL RESEARCH TO
HELP SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION
OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES. OKAY. I
KNOW IT'S GETTING LATE SO WE'RE
GOING TO COVER THIS LAST TOPIC
FAIRLY QUICKLY. SO FOR MANY OF
US WHO ARE INTERESTED IN
CONSERVATION AND THE
ENVIRONMENT, WE GENERALLY --
PHYSICALLY VALUABLE AND THAT'S
ONE OF THE PRIOR REASONS FOR
CONSERVING BIODIVERSITY. THERE'S
ALSO OTHER REASONS, LIKE THE
PROVISIONING OF FOOD AND
MEDICINES AND CLIMATE
REGULATION. THESE ARE ALL VERY
GOOD REASONS, BUT I WOULD ALSO
ARGUE THEY AREN'T DOING ENOUGH
YET BECAUSE WE CONTINUE TO LOSE
HABITATS AROUND THE WORLD AT
AMAZINGLY FAST RATES. SO I'M
EXCITED THAT THERE IS NEW
EVIDENCE SUGGESTING THAT THERE
ARE ADDITIONAL REASONS TO
PRESERVE BIODIVERSITY. IN FACT,
THERE'S A REALLY IMPORTANT
CONNECTION TO HUMAN HEALTH AND
WELL-BEING. IF YOU WANT TO THINK
ABOUT IT OUR HEALTH IS REALLY
SORT OF THE ULTIMATE ECO-SYSTEM
SERVICE. IT'S ALL OF THOSE OTHER
SERVICES COMBINED IN TERMS OF,
THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY CARE ABOUT
IS HUMAN HEALTH. AND WHEN I'M
TALKING ABOUT HUMAN HEALTH HERE
I'M TALKING REALLY BROADLY,
WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE
ABSENCE OF DISEASE BUT REALLY
THIS STATE OF PHYSICAL, MENTAL
AND SOCIAL
WELL-BEING AND IT INCLUDES
THINGS LIKE PERSONAL SECURITY
AND FREEDOM OF CHOICE,
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES,
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, ETC.
SO WE'RE TALKING SORT OF BROADLY
HUMAN HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. AND
SO, MY COLLEAGUES AND I ASKED
THREE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS IN A
PAPER. FIRST, WAS THERE
CONVINCING EVIDENCE THAT
EXPERIENCING -- PHYSICAL HEALTH.
DOES EXPOSURE TO BIODIVERSE
NATURE RESULT IN MEASURABLE
HEALTH RESPONSES? SO HOW MUCH
DOES IT MATTER WHETHER IT'S JUST
NATURE OR WHETHER IT'S
BIODIVERSE NATURE AND THEN CAN
BIODIVERSITY PROVIDE HUMANS AND
ANIMALS PROTECTION FROM ALLERGIC
AND INFLAMMATORY DISEASES? SO IN
ANSWERING THAT FIRST QUESTION,
YES IT'S BIG RESOUNDING, YES.
EXPERIENCING NATURAL SETTINGS
HELP REDUCE STRESS AND BLOOD
PRESSURE, IT IMPROVES RECOVERY
FROM SURGERY, IT IMPROVES MOOD
AND SELF-ESTEEM AND ENERGY, AND
IT DECREASES THE PREVALENCE OF
ASTHMA AND ANXIETY. SO A BIG
RESOUNDING YES. THEN WHEN WE GET
TO THAT SECOND QUESTION ABOUT
BIODIVERSITY, THERE'S A LOT LESS
EVIDENCE HERE, BUT THERE IS
GROWING EVIDENCE THAT CONTACT
WITH DIVERSE NATURAL HABITATS
HAS IMPORTANT POSITIVE BENEFITS
FOR HUMAN HEALTH. SO FOR EXAMPLE
ONE STUDY FOUND THAT REFLECTION
AND SENSE OF IDENTITY AND SENSE
OF PLACE ALL INCREASE AS PEOPLE
EXPERIENCE MORE PLANTS AND MORE
BIRD DIVERSITY. IN THE ONLY
STUDY I HAVE REALLY FOUND THAT
DEALS WITH A COASTAL ENVIRONMENT
AT ALL AND
IT WAS IN AN AQUARIUM SETTING.
THEY FOUND AT GREATER DECREASE
IN -- MOOD WITH FISH DIVERSITY
THAT PEOPLE WERE VIEWING. AND I
DON'T ACTUALLY FIND THAT
SURPRISING, BUT IT'S SO COOL
THAT THEY FOUND THAT RESULT. AND
THEN A PREFERENCE FOR OUTDOOR
ACTIVITY IN BIODIVERSE
ENVIRONMENTS. SO AGAIN, WE HAVE
GROWING, BUT STILL LIMITED
EVIDENCE HERE. OKAY, GETTING TO
THAT THIRD QUESTION ABOUT
CHRONIC DISEASE AND
BIODIVERSITY. SO IT USE TO BE
THAT DOCTOR'S THOUGHT THAT
ALLERGY WAS CONSIDERED A
RESPONSE TO EXPOSURE TO TOO MUCH
BAD STUFF. THAT'S WHAT HAS LED
US TO HAVING SOAP THAT HAS
ANTIBACTERIAL STUFF IN IT AND
ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF,
EVERYWHERE. AND UNFORTUNATELY,
WE'VE REALLY GONE QUIT FAR IN
THAT DIRECTION AND NOW DOCTORS
ARE BEGINNING TO RECOGNIZE THAT
ALLERGY OFTENTIMES RESULTS FROM
A LACK OF EXPOSURE TO MICROBES.
AND THIS LEADS TO A HYPER
RESPONSIVENESS OF OUR BODIES TO
BIO PARTICLES. SO BASICALLY,
WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT MICRO
RICH ENVIRONMENTS ACTUALLY
CONFER THE HEALTH BENEFITS TO
PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY TO CHILDREN.
AND SO, THIS HAS REALLY
IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS. SO THIS
IS CALLED THE BIODIVERSITY OR
HYGIENE HYPOTHESIS AND THE IDEA
IS THAT AS WE LOSE
MACRO-DIVERSITY, AS WE LOSE
HABITATS AND AS PEOPLE MOVE INTO
THE CITY AND ARE NO LONGER
EXPERIENCING A BUNCH OF NATURAL
SETTINGS, THIS LEADS TO A LOSS
OF MICRO DIVERSITY THAT WE'RE
EXPERIENCING WHICH THEN LEADS TO
CHANGES IN OUR
OWN HUMAN MICROBIOTAS. ALL THE
MICROBES LIVING IN US AND THIS
ACTUALLY RESULTS IN A VARIETY OF
DIFFERENT DISORDERS. EVERYTHING
FROM HEART DISEASE AND ACTUALLY
SOME FORMS OF CANCER
POTENTIALLY, TOO. SO THIS IS ONE
OF THE STUDIES I FIND THE MOST
FASCINATING AND IT'S ONE OF THE
EASIEST TO EXPLAIN THAT WE COVER
IN THE PAPER. SO THIS WAS DONE
IN FINLAND, IT WAS A STUDY OF
ADOLESCENTS IN A COMMUNITY. THEY
ACTUALLY STUDIED JUST BASICALLY
EVERY ADOLESCENT IN THIS ONE
COMMUNITY AND WHAT THEY FOUND,
THEY LOOKED AT KIDS, THEY LOOKED
AT A THREE-KILOMETER RADIUS
AROUND EACH KID'S HOUSE TO
FIGURE OUT WHAT KIND OF NATURAL
DIVERSITY WERE THEY GENERALLY
EXPERIENCING. AND THEN THEY ALSO
TEST THE KIDS SKIN AND WHAT THEY
FOUND IS THAT THEY TENDED TO --
ENVIRONMENTAL DIVERSITY AROUND
THEIR HOUSE AND THEY HAD FEWER
KINDS OF GOOD BACTERIA ON THEIR
SKIN, PROTEOGAMA BACTERIA IS
WHAT THEIR CALLED. AND SO
BASICALLY, THE POINT OF THIS IS
THAT THE LOSS OF CONTACT WITH A
DIVERSE NATURAL WORLD IS
ACTUALLY IN SOME CASES, MAKING
US SICK, BECAUSE OUR IMMUNE
SYSTEM DON'T THEN FUNCTION THE
WAY THEIR SUPPOSED TO AND OUR
OWN MICROBIOTA AREN'T
FUNCTIONING THE WAY THEY ARE
INTENDED TO. SO AS WE WERE DOING
THIS WE ACTUALLY DISCOVERED A
BUNCH OF RESEARCH NEEDS HERE,
LOTS OF RESEARCH NEEDS HERE.
THIS IS REALLY A CUTTING EDGE,
BUDDING FIELD HERE WHICH MAYBE
SOME OF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GO AND
START EXPERIMENTING. I'M HOPING
I
CAN DO MORE WORK IN THIS AREA
TOO. ONE THING WE NEED A BETTER
UNDERSTANDING IS, WHAT IS THE
MECHANISM BY WHICH BIODIVERSITY
IS AFFECTING HUMAN HEALTH? HOW
DOES THAT WORK? AND THEN THE
ECOLOGIST IN ME IS VERY
INTERESTED IN THIS QUESTION,
WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS TO
MEASURE BIODIVERSITY,
PARTICULARLY IF WE'RE TRYING TO
THINK ABOUT HUMAN EXPOSURE TO
THAT BIODIVERSITY? WHAT METRICS
DO WE USE? AND THEN WHICH METRIC
OF HUMAN HEALTH WOULD ACTUALLY
BE THE BEST INDICATORS OF THAT
BIODIVERSITY HUMAN HEALTH
RELATIONSHIP. SO -- TO THAT
BIODIVERSITY EXPOSURE. WE THEN
NEED TO BETTER MONITOR
BIODIVERSITY AND TRY TO FIGURE
OUT HOW TO INTEGRATE IT INTO OUR
PUBLIC HEALTH AND INTO OUR
NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT. AND
THAT FINLAND STUDY IS A REALLY
EXAMPLE OF WHY WE NEED LARGE
COMMUNITY WIDE HEALTH DATA SETS
OVER LONGER PERIODS OF TIME THAT
ALLOW US TO ASK THOSE KINDS OF
QUESTIONS. NOW, IN THE U.S. WE
HAVE A REALLY HARD TIME WITH
THIS BECAUSE OF OUR PRIVACY
LAWS, BUT I FIGURE THERE HAS TO
BE A WAY THAT WE CAN GET THESE
KINDS OF DATA MADE AVAILABLE TO
RESEARCHERS, SO WE CAN ASK THESE
KINDS REALLY BIG, LARGE-SCALE
QUESTIONS WHERE YOU NEED A WHOLE
COMMUNITIES WORTH OF DATA. AND
THEN OBVIOUSLY, WE NEED MORE
WORK IN AQUATIC COASTAL AND
WETLAND ECO-SYSTEMS ON THIS
WHOLE BIODIVERSITY AND NATURE
EXPOSURE RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE
THERE REALLY ARE ALMOST NO
STUDIES OUT THERE, PARTICULARLY
WHEN LOOKING AT
BIODIVERSITY IN THESE OTHER
SETTINGS. SO THE POINT OF
BASICALLY ALL OF THIS, BUT
PARTICULARLY THIS LAST PART, IS
SCIENCE REALLY CAN HELP SOCIETY.
IN THE 19TH CENTURY WE HAD POOR
CONDITIONS WHICH ACTUALLY LED TO
REALLY IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENTS IN
OUR URBAN SETTINGS SO THAT WE
WERE PROVIDING BETTER CLEAN
WATER AND TAKING CARE OF SEWAGE
IN A DIFFERENT WAY. AND SO
REALLY, WE WANT HUMAN HEALTH TO
BE THE CENTRAL PART OF URBAN
PLANNING AND WHAT WE'RE LEARNING
HERE, IS THAT THERE NOW NEEDS TO
BE A ROLE FOR, HOW DO WE
UNDERSTAND THE WAY NATURE NEEDS
TO BE INCLUDED IN OUR URBAN
PLANNING SO THAT HUMAN HEALTH IS
IMPROVED. SO WHAT I THINK THESE
RESULTS ARE SUGGESTING IS THAT
THERE IS THIS POTENTIAL
BIODIVERSITY MAY HAVE THIS
DIRECT AND POSITIVE IMPACT ON
HUMAN HEALTH WHICH THEN MEANS
THERE'S THE POTENTIAL TO
IMPLEMENT THESE FINDINGS TO
ENHANCE BOTH HUMAN WELL-BEING
AND TO DEVELOP INCREASED PUBLIC
SUPPORT FOR BIODIVERSITY
CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION,
WHICH I FIND REALLY EXCITING. SO
I FIND THAT THIS IS A VERY
EXCITING TIME WHEN THERE'S A LOT
OF SCIENCE THAT CAN BE DONE TO
HELP INFORM POLICY AND LOTS OF
OPPORTUNITIES THAT COMBINE
CONSERVATION WITH IMPROVING
COMMUNITY AND ECO-SYSTEM HEALTH.
THAT SAID, IT'S ALSO A VERY
CHALLENGING TIME. AS YOU ALL
KNOW, AS THE -- WHAT DIRECTION
DO WE REALLY WANT TO GO IN AND
HOW DO WE TRY TO INCLUDE LOTS OF
DIFFERENT PARTS OF OUR SOCIETY
IN THE
WAY WE MOVE FORWARD AS A
COUNTRY. AND I THINK NOW IS THE
TIME THAT ALL OF US MUST BE
INCREDIBLY VIGILANT AND VOCAL AS
WE MOVE FORWARD. SO HERE'S SOME
SUGGESTION WAYS THAT YOU MIGHT
WANT TO CONSIDER GETTING
INVOLVED AND HELPING TO MOVE
SOME OF THESE EFFORTS FORWARD.
AND I'M HOPING THAT AT LEAST ONE
OF THESE WILL RESONATE WITH EACH
OF YOU LISTENING TONIGHT. SO ONE
OF THESE, AS I SAID, IS BE VOCAL
AND I'M ALSO WE REALLY NEED TO
WORK ON LIMITING OUR GREENHOUSE
GAS EMISSIONS. SO TELL YOUR
REPRESENTATIVES THAT THE U.S.
MUST STICK TO ITS CLIMATE
MITIGATION COMMITMENTS FROM THE
PARIS MEETING. I'M PUTTING THIS
YELLOW PHONE NUMBER DOWN BECAUSE
I DISCOVERED RECENTLY THAT THIS
PHONE NUMBER -- YOU DON'T HAVE
TO KNOW YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
PHONE NUMBERS, IF YOU CALL THIS
ONE PHONE NUMBER, IT WILL TAKE
YOU TO THE HILL AND THEN YOU SAY
WHETHER YOU WANT THE SENATE OR
THE HOUSE AND THEN IT ASK YOU
FOR YOUR ZIP CODE AND IT TAKES
YOU TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVES. SO
WHAT IS SO GREAT IS THAT FOR
ANYBODY OUT THERE, YOU DON'T
HAVE TO EVEN KNOW YOUR
REPRESENTATIVES NAME. WHICH I
LAUGH AT THAT NOW, BUT I NEVER
USE TO KNOW MY REPRESENTATIVES
NAME AND THEN I MOVED TO THE
D.C. AREA AND I SUDDENLY
REALIZED I REALLY NEEDED TO HAVE
A BETTER SENSE OF WHAT THAT EVEN
MEANT. BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO
KNOW YOUR REPRESENTATIVES NAME,
THIS WILL GET YOU THERE AND THEN
THERE ARE VERY NICE PEOPLE ON
THE END OF THE PHONE. DOESN'T
MATTER WHAT
PARTY, THEY ARE ALWAYS NICE, AND
THEY TAKE YOUR MESSAGE DOWN AND
CALLING HAS A MUCH BIGGER IMPACT
THEN SENDING EMAILS OR EVEN
LETTERS. SO I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE
YOU TO VOICE YOUR OPINION ABOUT
EVERYTHING FROM LIMITING OUR
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS TO
ANYTHING ELSE THAT MIGHT BE ON
YOUR MIND BECAUSE THERE ALWAYS
THERE AND THEY REALLY DO WANT TO
HEAR FROM YOU AND THEY KEEP A
TALLY. AND EVEN IF YOUR
REPRESENTATIVE IS ALREADY VERY
MUCH IN LINE WITH YOUR OWN
POLITICAL BELIEFS THEY ARE
KEEPING A TALLY OF HOW MANY
PEOPLE CALL. SO I HAVE NOW
PROGRAMMED THIS NUMBER INTO MY
PHONE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.
AND I AM PLANNING TO CALL THIS
-- PROBABLY AS OFTEN AS ONCE A
WEEK, AS NEEDED IN ORDER TO
CONTINUE TO VOICE MY OPINION AND
TO USE MY RIGHT AS A CITIZEN TO
KEEP MY REPRESENTATIVES
INFORMED. -- OTHERS CLIMATE
CHANGE IS NOT SOMETHING WE
BELIEVE IN, IT IS A FACT,
THERE'S A LOT OF EVIDENCE BEHIND
IT AND QUITE HONESTLY, IT IS
SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY BEING
FELT BY MANY OF US AND IF WE'RE
NOT FEELING IT ONE OF OUR
NEIGHBORS LIKELY IS FEELING IT.
AND SO, THIS IS NOT SOME FAR OFF
THREAT IN THE FUTURE, IT IS
HAPPENING, IT IS NOW, AND IT IS
REAL. HELP OTHER PEOPLE TO
UNDERSTAND THAT. WHEN POSSIBLE,
INVEST IN CLEAN ENERGY, WIND AND
SOLAR. MAYBE BUY CARBON OFF-SETS
IF YOU'VE FOUND SOME WAY THAT
YOU'D LIKE TO DO THAT. AND RIGHT
NOW, EVERYONE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY
TO AGAIN PARTICIPATE IN YOUR
DEMOCRACY, WHICH IS THAT -- SO
IS PART OF THIS ADMINISTRATIONS
RETHINKING OF ALL OF OUR
REGULATIONS IN THIS COUNTRY,
UNDER THE REGULATORY REFORM THAT
ONE OF THE EXECUTIVE ORDERS HAS
CALLED FOR. EPA HAS THIS
OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC
PARTICIPATION IN REGULATORY
REFORM. AND SO, IF YOU GO TO
THIS PAGE AGAIN, THE WEBSITES UP
THERE ON THE TOP OF THE SCREEN,
YOU CAN SEND AN EMAIL. IT SAYS,
HOW TO COMMENT. YOU CAN EMAIL,
OR YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEND SNAIL
MAIL TOO AND YOU CAN COMMENT ON
WHAT ABOUT THE EPA YOU THINK IS
REALLY VALUABLE FOR THE AMERICAN
PUBLIC. AND SO, THIS IS YOUR
CHANCE TO SAY, HEY, THE CLEAN
WATER ACT MATTERS A GREAT DEAL,
NO I DON'T WANT TO SEE IT
WEAKENED. THE CLEAN AIR ACT IS
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, AND I
DON'T WANT TO SEE IT WEAKENED.
BECAUSE IF WE DON'T VOICE OUR
OPINION AT THIS POINT THEN
DECISIONS ARE GOING TO BE MADE.
THIS IS OUR CHANCE, THIS IS THE
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN EPAS
REGULATORY REFORM. SO I REALLY
ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO GO AND
COMMENT AND ENCOURAGE YOUR
FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS AND
STUDENTS TO COMMENT AS WELL.
BECAUSE THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY
TO PARTICIPATE IN DEMOCRACY.
OKAY. SO WE CAN ALSO BE WORKING
TO PROTECT AND RESTORE COASTAL
NATURAL INFRASTRUCTURE, BOTH FOR
ITS BLUE CARBON BENEFITS AND
IT'S COASTAL RESILIENCE
BENEFITS. AND IF YOU CONTACT
YOUR LOCAL ESTUARY COMMUNITY OR
YOUR NATIONALIST RESEARCH
RESERVE OR OTHER COMMUNITIES ON
THE COAST, THERE ARE OFTEN TIMES
OPPORTUNITIES -- INTEREST TO
YOU. THIS CAN BE A LOT OF FUN
AND YOU CAN FEEL REALLY GOOD
ABOUT THE WORK YOU DID. WE NEED
TO BE THINKING ABOUT
INCORPORATING NATURAL
ECO-SYSTEMS INTO OUR URBAN AND
COMMUNITY PLANNING, SO IF ANY OF
YOU ARE CONNECTED TO
OPPORTUNITIES TO INFORM YOUR
COMMUNITIES DECISIONS. WE HAVE
TO BE THINKING MORE ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF OPEN SPACE, THE
IMPORTANCE OF GREEN SPACE AND
GETTING REALLY CREATIVE, LIKE
MAYBE GROWING PLANTS ON THE SIDE
OF OUR BUILDING, THIS IS AN
OPPORTUNITY OR MORE GREEN ROOFS.
THEN FINALLY, IF ANY OF YOU WORK
WITH CHILDREN OR HAVE KIDS OF
YOUR OWN, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT
THAT THEY GET OUTSIDE AND THAT
THEY ARE EXPOSED TO A DIVERSITY
OF NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS BECAUSE
THIS IS ACTUALLY HOW THE HUMAN
IMMUNE SYSTEM EVOLVES. AND IF WE
DON'T EXPOSE THEM TO ALL OF
THOSE VARIOUS SETTINGS THEIR
IMMUNE SYSTEM MAY NOT FUNCTION
PROPERLY. BOTH AS KIDS, BUT ALSO
AS ADULTS AND DISEASES WILL
EMERGE LATER IN LIFE THAT COULD
HAVE POTENTIALLY BEEN PREVENTED
BY HAVING THAT EXPOSURE EARLIER
AND LIFE. SO GET YOUR KIDS
OUTSIDE, LET THEM GET DIRTY. I
SOMETIMES HAVE PEOPLE SAY, WAIT
DO YOU MEAN WHEN YOU SAY EXPOSE
THEM, YOU DON'T MEAN LIKE TAKE
THEM TO A HOSPITAL. NO, I DON'T
MEAN -- HOSPITAL. I DO MEAN
EXPOSE THEM TO A WHOLE BUNCH OF
DIFFERENT NATURAL SETTINGS.
FARMS AND GO FOR A HIKE AND GO
TO THE BEACH AND DO IT ALL,
BECAUSE THAT'S ALL REALLY GOOD
FOR YOUR KID'S IMMUNE SYSTEMS.
OKAY. SO WE MADE IT, WE'RE
HERE. WE'RE AT THE END AND SO
BASICALLY, I LIKE TO WRAP UP MY
PRESENTATION SAYING, WE HAVE A
LOT OF INFORMATION AT THIS POINT
AND IT REALLY IS UP TO SOCIETY
NOW. WHAT DO WE WANT THE FUTURE
OF OUR PLANET AND THE FUTURE OF
OUR COAST TO LOOK LIKE BECAUSE
WE HAVE A LOT OF CHOICES AND WE
NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN THE
MAKING OF THOSE DECISIONS AS WE
MOVE FORWARD? ALL RIGHT. AND
WITH THAT, I AM HAPPY TO TAKE
QUESTIONS, MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS
THERE ON THE SCREEN, MY WEBSITE
IS RIGHT THERE, TOO. IF YOU HAVE
ANY DIFFICULTY GETTING TO ANY OF
THE PUBLICATIONS I MENTIONED
THEN YOU WANT TO SEE MORE
DETAILS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO
SEND ME AN EMAIL BUT MANY OF
THEM ARE AVAILABLE OPEN ACCESS
AT MY WEBSITE. ALTHOUGH, NOT ALL
OF THEM, SO FEEL FREE TO SHOOT
ME AN EMAIL IF YOU WANT ANY OF
THE ONES YOU'RE HAVING TROUBLE
GETTING TO. AND WITH THAT, I
THANK YOU.