10 September 2014: Participants at the Fifth Annual Pacific Northwest Climate Science Conference considered the impacts of climate variability and change on the people, natural resources, and infrastructure of the region.

The conference convened from 9-10 September 2014, at the University of Washington in Seattle, US. Sponsored by, inter alia, federal and state environment-related authorities, the conference brought together climate scientists and policymakers in the Pacific Northwest region.

The conference included presentations on the impacts of climate change on weather patterns, fire, hydrology, human health, and marine and terrestrial ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest. The conference also included presentations on how to address and mainstream climate concerns across municipal departments. Several research groups and centers, such as the Washington Ocean Acidification Center, shared their findings and fostered collaboration with scientists and policymakers from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California and British Columbia.

Delivering the conference’s keynote speech, Jay Inslee, governor of Washington, urged climate scientists to go beyond sharing their findings via scientific publications. Quoting British chemist Baron CP Snow, who said, ‘A scientist has to be neutral in his search for the truth, but…cannot be neutral as to the use of that truth when found,” Inslee encouraged participants to share their research results directly with the public via social media, as well as to engage in conversations with elected officials and business leaders. He highlighted initiatives that Washington State is pursuing to address climate change, such as its Clean Energy Institute and the Carbon Emissions Reduction Task Force. He also expressed his belief that the moral imperative will outweigh the economic imperative of taking action on climate change.

The conference presentations are expected to be available within two weeks. [Conference Website][IISD RS Sources]