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Evidence of global climate in Southern Hemisphere
Aug 22nd
Aug. 22, 2011
SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICAN WILDFIRES
EXPECTED TO INCREASE, SAYS CU STUDY
A new University of Colorado Boulder study indicates a major climate oscillation in the Southern Hemisphere that is expected to intensify in the coming decades will likely cause increased wildfire activity in the southern half of South America.
The research team used tree rings dating to 1506 to track past wildfire activity in the forests of Patagonia tied to the Southern Annular Mode, or SAM, a climate oscillation that creates low atmospheric pressure in the Antarctic that is tied to warmer and drier conditions in southern South America. The tree rings showed that when SAM was in its positive phase, there were widespread fires in both dry woodlands and rainforests in Patagonia, a region that straddles Argentina and Chile, said CU-Boulder Research Associate Andres Holz, lead study author.
“Our study shows for about the past 250 years, the Southern Annular Mode has been the main driver in creating droughts and fires in two very different ecosystems in southern South America,” said Holz. “Climate models suggest an increase in SAM beginning in the 1960s due to greenhouse gas increases and Antarctic ozone depletion probably will cause this region to be drought-prone and fire-prone for at least the next 100 years.”
A paper on the subject by Holz and CU-Boulder geography Professor Thomas Veblen was published in Geophysical Research Letters.
Holz and Veblen compared past wildfire records for two ecologically distinct regions in Patagonia — the relatively dry region of southern Patagonia in Argentina and the temperate rainforest of Patagonia in northern Chile. While the tree ring historical record showed increased fires in both regions correlated with a positive SAM, the trend has been less pronounced in northern Patagonia in the past 50 years, likely because of fire-suppression efforts there, Holz said.
But the decades of fire suppression have caused the northern Patagonian woodlands to become denser and more prone towildfire during hot and dry years, Holz said.
“Even in areas of northern Patagonia where fire suppression previously had been effective, record surface areas of woodlands and forests have burned in recent years of extreme drought,” said Veblen. “And since this is in an area of rapid residential growth into wildland-urban interface areas, this climate-driven trend towards increasing fire risk is becoming a major problem for land managers and homeowners.”
The two CU-Boulder researchers studied reconstructions of tree rings going back more than 500 years from 432 trees at 42 sample sites in northern Argentina and southern Chile — the largest available data set of annual, readable tree ring records in the Southern Hemisphere. The tree rings, which indicate climate cycles and reveal the scars of old fires, showed that wildfires generally increased in both regions when SAM was in its strong, positive phase.
Although the Antarctic ozone hole stopped growing in about 2000 as a result of a ban on ozone-depleting gases and now appears to be slowly repairing itself, a 2011 paper by researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder indicates ozone recovery and greenhouse gas influences essentially will cancel each other out, preventing SAM from returning to its pre-1960s levels.
“Before the Industrial Revolution, SAM intensified naturally at times to create drought situations in Patagonia,” Holz said. “But in the last 80 years or so, the natural variation has been overwhelmed by a bias toward a positive SAM phase because of ozone-depleting chemicals and greenhouse gases we have put in the atmosphere.”
The research effort was supported by the National Geographic Society, the National Science Foundation, the CU Beverly Sears Small Grants Program and the Council on Research and CreativeResearch of the CU Graduate School.
“As warming and drying trends continue, it is likely that wildfire activity will increase even in woodland areas where fire suppression has previously been effective,” Holz and Veblen wrote in Geophysical Research Letters.
Boulder Mexican, African & Anglo Kids produce sobering video on achievement gap. Oooh.
Aug 19th
NEWS
Friday, Aug. 19, 2011
Contact:
Cindy Smith, Housing & Human Services, 303-441-4045
Sarah Huntley, Media Relations, 303-441-3155
www.bouldercolorado.gov
Friday, Aug. 19, 2011
Contact:
Cindy Smith, Housing & Human Services, 303-441-4045
Sarah Huntley, Media Relations, 303-441-3155
www.bouldercolorado.gov
Student video addresses achievement gap
Three high school student members of the City of Boulder’s Youth Opportunities Advisory Board (YOAB) have created a video addressing the achievement gap from a youth perspective. This 13-minute video includes interview footage with a number of local students and advice for teachers about how to help all students succeed.
The achievement gap refers to differences in educational success between defined demographic groups. The Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) has one of the largest achievement gaps in the state, and Colorado has one of the largest in the nation. Based on 2009 to 2010 BVSD data, while 85 percent of all students graduated from high school in four years, just 60 percent of economically disadvantaged students and 58 percent of Latino males graduated in four years.
YOAB member Peter Osnes said, “We created this video to try to raise awareness of methods to close the achievement gap. This was aimed primarily at teachers not because of any deficiency, but because they have the most power to make change. The BVSD has remarkable teachers and I believe they can cinch the gap more than any program or additional funding.”
Ellen Miller Brown, chief academic officer for the BVSD, agreed that the video will be useful to teachers.
“We showed this video to all of the principals and assistant principals in BVSD at the end of last school year, and everyone was very impressed with the YOAB students’ honesty and clarity about the ways that adults in schools can help every student be successful,” she said. “Knowing how teachers value student voices, they’ll surely find this video’s suggestions to be meaningful and worth considering.”
Although the video is focused toward teachers, the youth who produced it expect that principals, parents and students will also get something out of watching it.
YOAB member Nancy Contreras said, “Parents and students should see this video because it is important that parents know the high school graduation statistics. The video will also give them ideas about what may be best for their child and how to encourage them to succeed.”
To see the video, go to www.yoab.org.
YOAB is part of the Youth Opportunities Program in the Department of Housing and Human Services. The mission of the program is to strengthen the community though empowering youth, providing opportunities for youth, encouraging youth civic participation and volunteer work and advising city government. For more information contact Youth Opportunities Coordinator, Alice Swett, at 303-441-4349 or swetta@bouldercolorado.gov.
THOUSANDS OF RIDERS IN BUFFALO BICYCLE CLASSIC WILL HELP CU-BOULDER STUDENTS WITH SCHOLARSHIPS
Aug 19th
In 1991, when Punam Chatterjee was 20 months old, a drunk driver careened into her parents’ car. Her leg was shattered, as was her father’s. Her mother lost an eye. Although she was too young to remember it, she has since learned that while her parents convalesced, nurses volunteered to comfort her and read to her.
“I don’t know any of those people … but what they did for me was just incredible,” Chatterjee recalled.
She still has multiple screws in her leg, and while she said she’s “never going to try out for the Army,” she is active. And she is ambitious: “I want to be a doctor and help children who went through what I did.”
Throughout her education at the University of Colorado Boulder, the Elevations Credit Union Buffalo BicycleClassic has helped Chatterjee pursue her dream. She graduated in May with degrees in psychology and neuroscience plus molecular, cellular and developmental biology.
Chatterjee is one of the hundreds of recipients of $1.4 million in scholarship money raised by CU’s Buffalo Bicycle Classic since its founding in 2003.
The event is the brainchild of Todd Gleeson, dean of CU’s College of Arts and Sciences, and Woody Eaton, a 1962 alumnus, businessman, investor and philanthropist. The pair hatched the idea of a fundraising ride for scholarships while cycling together in support of The Children’s Hospital.
Gleeson and Eaton enlisted the help of Frank Banta and Gail Mock of Boulder. Banta, of Banta Construction, is a 1972 alumnus, and Mock, of Mock Realty, is a longtime university supporter. The event is organized and overseen by volunteers.
The event has generated 548 scholarships for good students who need financial support. Students cannot apply for the scholarship and don’t even know they’re in the running until they learn they have won. It is the single largest source of scholarships in theCollege of Arts and Sciences, which is the largest of the university’s colleges and schools.
The event was canceled last year because of the Fourmile Canyon Fire, but because most riders and sponsors did not request a refund, scholarships remained funded.
Scholarship recipients call it a significant windfall.
Leslie Fowler, a current scholarship recipient majoring in classics, put it this way: “I am so grateful to have been selected as a BBC scholar because it makes me feel more confident about paying my student loans after graduation. It makes me feel that much closer to having my dream job as a high school teacher.”
Cyclists of all ages and abilities are gearing up for this year’s Elevations Credit Union Buffalo Bicycle Classic on Sept. 11 in Boulder. Ambitious cyclists can ride the 100-mile, 70-mile, 50-mile or 35-mile rides. More casual riders, including families and recreational riders, are encouraged to ride the 14-mile Little Buffalo, which will include snow cones and complimentary face paintings.
Riders are encouraged to register early, as the ride will be capped at 2,500 cyclists, a number the ride has attracted in recent years.
All cyclists participating in this fully supported, fundraising ride will generate scholarship funds. Online registration of $95 for the longer rides includes a scholarship donation of$45. Registration for the Little Buffalo is $65 for participants 14 and older and $35 for riders from 8 to 13.
Those who “Ride the Buffalo” will start and finish on the CU-Boulder campus at Benson Field, located across Colorado Avenue from Folsom Field. The longer courses traverse through Boulder and Larimer counties. The 14-mile Little Buff is a fun cruiser ride around Boulder to the town of Marshall; it is perfect for those who want to participate but don’t want to face long courses and busy roads.
Registration for all rides includes a Ride the Buffalo T-shirt, water bottle, aid-station treats, breakfast and lunch. Jerseys, socks and other merchandise are available separately. An expo featuring sponsors will be held at the start/finish, and riders can win raffle prizes and enjoy after-race food, beverages and entertainment.
Riders can register online at http://www.buffalobicycleclassic.com. Walk-up registration is available the day of the ride and includes a $10 late fee. For information call 303-735-1569 or email bbc@colorado.edu.
