The Wisconsin weather is finally getting warmer and so begins the best time to enjoy my favorite outdoor activities ‒ golf and fishing. This past week I had the pleasure of both, including a successful expedition on Lake Michigan to catch Coho salmon.

Lake Michigan in Racine, WI May 23, 2015

Just as we were planning another trip for the weekend, we were reminded of how volatile spring weather can be. High winds are in the forecast, making it hazardous to fish Lake Michigan. The volatility of spring weather was even more evident this week in Texas when severe rains led to devastating flooding. Obviously, spring is the most unpredictable weather of the year but one has to wonder if climate change is making things worse.

Discussing climate change is a challenge for me because as a scientist I rely on facts and a strong technical foundation to form my position. On the one hand, the CO₂ level in the atmosphere is the highest in centuries. At 400 ppm, it is about double the level of a couple hundred years ago.

On the other hand, consider what fraction the CO₂ of the atmosphere represents.

Composition of Earth’s Atmosphere

The controversy about climate change usually revolves around one of three things – whether this small component of the atmosphere is to blame for extreme weather (drought, floods and warmer temperatures), whether the increase in carbon dioxide is anthropogenic (man-made), and if we should do anything about it.

I feel pretty confident making the following statement: our infrastructure should be designed for resilience against nature’s impacts, whether it’s rising sea levels or flooding from heavy rains. Engineers must model future weather events to properly design for such incidents and it is prudent to consider how climate change may impact the models. However, modeling uncertainty makes it difficult to design resilient infrastructure that is also fiscally responsible. And so debates ensue whether climate change is real or imagined and whether we should do anything about it.

To me, the best approach consists of simple steps that make good sense for additional reasons beyond climate change. An example is the diversion of organics from landfills and promoting the use of biogas instead of fossil fuels. This practice not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also provides economic benefits at the same time. Along that line of thinking – the Coho were outstanding made on the grill; the secondary benefit of a fun day on the lake.

It’s a great day for baseball and recycling with the Cleveland Indians!

Progressive Field hits a home run by creating renewable energy out of their food scraps using InSinkErator’s Grind2Energy System.

See the full story by the New York Times.