Guest lecture for “Applications in Climate & Society” at Columbia University in New York City, NY (remote presentation)

1. Communicating
Arctic climate change
through data-driven stories
@ZLabe
Zachary Labe
Postdoc at Colorado State University
14 February 2022
Columbia University
Applications in Climate & Society

2. ZACHARY LABE, PH.D.
Climate Scientist at Colorado State University
zmlabe@rams.colostate.edu
RESEARCHER
CLIMATE SIGNAL VS. WEATHER NOISE
@ZLabe
COMMUNICATOR
RESEARCHER
ARCTIC CLIMATE CHANGE
STORYTELLER
SIMPLE, BOLD DATA VISUALIZATION

3. ZACHARY LABE, PH.D.
Climate Scientist at Colorado State University
zmlabe@rams.colostate.edu
RESEARCHER
CLIMATE SIGNAL VS. WEATHER NOISE
@ZLabe
COMMUNICATOR
RESEARCHER
ARCTIC CLIMATE CHANGE
STORYTELLER
SIMPLE, BOLD DATA VISUALIZATION

5. Polar Amplification: acceleration of
warming in high latitudes relative to
the rest of the globe

7. °C

8. NOW
Start of
satellite-era
°C

9. Polar Amplification:
acceleration of warming in
high latitudes relative to
the rest of the globe

10. DATA VISUALIZATION
IS STORY-TELLING.

11. DATA VISUALIZATION
IS STORY-TELLING.
Arctic temperature anomalies from 1950 to 2021

12. PLOT BY ED HAWKINS

13. 2016 RIO OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONY

15. PLOT BY ED HAWKINS
PLOT BY ED HAWKINS
DON’T BE
SUCH A
SCIENTIST
WE ARE
DATA
SCIENTISTS

16. PLOT BY ED HAWKINS

17. https://showyourstripes.info/

18. Landscape of Change uses data
about sea level rise, glacier volume
decline, increasing global
temperatures, and the increasing use
of fossil fuels. These data lines
compose a landscape shaped by
the changing climate, a world in
which we are now living.
Jill Pelto|http://www.jillpelto.com/landscape-of-change
“
”

19. THE CLIMATE IS
CHANGING
IN REAL-TIME.
Considering a global view of
temperatures relative to
average – placing weather in
the context of climate

20. THE ARCTIC IS
CHANGING
IN REAL-TIME.
Daily Arctic temperature in
2018 (red) compared to
every year since 1958 in the
month of February. Average
is shown by the white line.

21. THIS IS AN
OPPORTUNITY
TO COMMUNICATE

23. 2016
Average

24. START A
CONVERSATION.

25. THOMAN, LABE ET AL. 2020

26. [International
Arctic
Research
Center
[IARC;
University
of
Alaska,
Fairbanks]

28. ACCESSIBILITY
No jargon
Tell a story
Alternative text
Color contrast ratio
Label data directly
Avoid flashing GIFs
Include figure titles
Avoid data overlays
Provide data references

29. Community Earth System Model v1
(CESM1) using CAM5.2 (1° x 1°)
RCP8.5 (after 2005) – high emission scenario
Fully coupled with 40-member ensemble

30. Community Earth System Model v1
(CESM1) using CAM5.2 (1° x 1°)
RCP8.5 (after 2005) – high emission scenario
Fully coupled with 40-member ensemble
X

31. October-November – Relative to the years of 1951-1980
Our planet
without change…

32. ENGAGE OTHERS.

33. https://www.oldweather.org/

34. Crystal Polar Cruise, Aug. 2016
We need scientists.
We need educators.
We need innovators.
We need communicators.

35. It’s not
too late!

36. CHECK:
Simple.
Bold.
Stories.
@ZLabe
ZACHARY LABE | 14 FEBRUARY 2022| COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
Questions!