Climate scientists rely on multiple lines of evidence to monitor, predict, and understand the consequences of global climate change.

In this talk, climate scientist, Zachary Labe will highlight some of the key indicators of human-caused climate change using real-world data. He will also trace the origins of climate science back to the 19th century, showing how curiosity and observation laid the groundwork for today’s understanding.

Finally, he will spotlight the types of extreme weather and other climate impacts we might face in the coming decades—and how we can more effectively communicate this complex information through data-driven storytelling.

About the Speaker

Zack Labe is a Climate Scientist at Climate Central, looking to find the signal in all the noise. He uses data-driven methods to untangle climate change patterns from natural variability, providing clearer insights into climate risks. He also has been caught up in the noise of climate politics, as he, along with hundreds of other climate scientists, was recently laid off from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) by the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), spearheaded by Elon Musk. He believes we're at a tipping point and that "there could be a complete gap in the next generation of scientists."

Zack earned his Ph.D. in 2020 from the Department of Earth System Science at the University of California, Irvine, where he explored the links between Arctic climate change – particularly sea ice loss – and its influence on the large-scale atmospheric circulation and extreme weather. His research interests explore the intersection of climate risk, climate impacts, future scenarios, extreme events, early warning predictions, and data science methods like AI/ML.