Climate Conversations: Wildfire

Join the Climate Conversation on how to protect human health and the built environment in the face of more frequent and severe wildfires in the US.

About this Event

Climate change is increasing the frequency, severity, and extent of areas burned by wildfires in the U.S., putting more people at risk of exposure to fire itself and to smoke, which can travel thousands of miles and affect the health of millions of people. A.R. “Ravi” Ravishankara (Colorado State University) will moderate a conversation between Sarah Coefield (Missoula City-County Health Department) and Erica Fischer (Oregon State University) about how planners and decision-makers are coping with these challenges and working to protect the built environment and human health.

The conversation will be webcast on the Climate Conversations: Wildfire webpage on Thursday, August 25, 2022, from 3-4 pm ET. The conversation will include questions from the audience and be recorded and available to view on the page after the event. Closed captioning will be provided.

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Read these related workshop proceedings from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine:

• Wildland Fires: Toward Improved Understanding and Forecasting of Air Quality Impacts
• Implications of the California Wildfires for Health, Communities, and Preparedness
• Climate Conversations: Pathways to Action is a monthly webinar series from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that aims to convene high-level, cross-cutting, nonpartisan conversations about issues relevant to national policy action on climate change.

Participant Bios

Sarah Coefield is an Air Quality Specialist in the Air Pollution Control Program (Air Program) at the Missoula City-County Health Department. The Air Program monitors air pollutants, provides the public with air quality information and health advisories, and enforces local air pollution rules. Within the Air Program, Sarah leads efforts on prescribed burn smoke management and wildfire smoke response. Sarah provides the community with wildfire smoke forecasts and health advisories during wildfire smoke events. During the off-season, she works closely with the community, non-profit and research partners to move Missoula County closer to being a smoke-ready community.

Erica Fischer is an Assistant Professor of structural engineering at Oregon State University. Her research revolves around innovative approaches to improve the resilience and robustness of structural systems affected by natural and man-made hazards, including performance-based design approaches of structural systems to decrease the environmental impact of the built environment on the natural environment.

A.R. “Ravi” Ravishankara is a Professor in the Departments of Chemistry and Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University. Over the past four decades, he has worked on the chemistry of the Earth’s atmosphere as it relates to stratospheric ozone depletion, climate change, and regional air quality. His measurements in the laboratory and atmosphere, along with analyses, have contributed to deciphering the ozone layer depletion, including the ozone hole; quantifying the role of chemically active species on climate; and advancing understanding of the formation, removal, and properties of air pollutants especially as they relate to air quality.

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CONTACT

Amy Mitsumori  amitsumori@nas.edu

RESPONSIBLE STAFF OFFICERS

Alex Reich

Amanda Purcell

ADDITIONAL PROJECT STAFF

Amy Mitsumori

Holly Rhodes

Rob Greenway