Bitterroot Climate Action Group sponsors lectures by scientists and local experts in a variety of disciplines to educate and inspire our citizens on climate science. Here we present recordings of past lectures as they become available.
Climate Change, What Does the Science Say?
Dr. Steve Running, Nobel Peace Prize co-recipient
September 6, 2024
Nobel Prize co-recipient Dr. Steve Running presented an informative, witty and insightful lecture on climate change. Moderator Russ Lawrence fielded excellent questions from the audience. Thanks to all who attended, and to project manager John Schneeberger for an outstanding job on this major BCAG project for 2024.
Resilience Night
Peter Reynolds, Emcee
October 18, 2023
BCAG, in partnership with the University of Montana, hosted two events, "Resilience Day" (October 13th, 2023) and "Resilience Night" (October 18th, 2023).
Resilience Night is the follow-up to the local climate related issues (Drought & Flooding; Smoke & Fire; Extreme Heat) explored on Resilience Day, in which attendees prioritized actionable items to help mitigate climate change.
Resilience Day
Dr. Bruce Maxwell
October 13, 2023
BCAG, in partnership with the University of Montana, hosted two events, "Resilience Day" (October 13th, 2023) and "Resilience Night" (October 18th, 2023).
In Resilience Day, attendees prioritized actionable items to help mitigate climate change.
Writing Effective Letters to the Editor
Mary Mulcaire-Jones
July 20, 2022
Did you know that elected officials pay close attention to local Letters to the Editor? It's how they keep their fingers on the pulse of what's important to their constituency. And experts say that talking about climate change is among the most important things we can do to affect change in our communities. Have you wondered how you could express and amplify your concerns about climate effectively?
Good news – there are tricks to writing letters to the editor, and Mary Mulcaire-Jones, founding member of Missoula Citizens Climate Lobby, covers the what, why, how and when of writing and submitting a letter to the editor, including how to recognize and use ‘hooks’ and how to increase the chances of getting published.
Climate Solutions 101 - #2 of 3
Winona Bateman
April 5, 2022
We start by watching two videos ("Reducing Sources" and "Supporting Sinks and Improving Society") from the experts at Project Drawdown. Then, Winona Bateman, Director of Families for a Livable Climate, brings her unique perspective as a mom and activist to lead the audience in discussion about making this relevant, especially in our day-to-day relationships.
Climate Solutions 101 - #1 of 3
Amy Cilimburg
March 22, 2022
This engaging recording is the combination of two videos from the experts at Project Drawdown, followed by discussion led by the Executive Director at Climate Smart Missoula - Amy Cilimburg. After that, the audience gets real with lots of questions for her. Recorded 3/22/22 in Hamilton, MT.
Capping Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells
Curtis Shuck
November 4, 2021
In this webinar for Bitterroot Climate Action Group, oil industry specialist and activist Curtis Shuck will be presenting his work with the Well Done Foundation in Montana to seal abandoned oil wells, cutting off significant sources of methane warming the planet. Curtis discusses how the idea came about, the methods Well Done Foundation use to seal the wells, and partners in this work.
Climate Change and Animal Health
Scott Bovard
September 16, 2021
Scott Bovard is a small animal veterinarian who has also cared for horses, camels, wild mammals (lynx and wolverines), and birds of prey. As a member of the Citizens Climate Lobby he is involved in climate change issues, so is uniquely poised to address animal health and climate change.
Co-sponsored by Montana Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate.
Climate Change and Human Health
Lori Byron, MD and Rob Byron, MD
May 16, 2021
We know some of the ways in which climate change is impacting the U.S. West, with hotter temperatures, droughts, wildfires and smoke-filled skies, and changing ecosystems. A special report, published by the Montana Climate Assessment, details how these changes are likely to impact human health and what researchers, communities, healthcare providers, and individuals can do about it.
Lori Byron is a Pediatric Hospitalist in Billings, Rob Byron is an Internist in Hardin and both doctors spent over 20 years working for Indian Health Service in Crow Agency, MT. Both Lori and Rob are founding members of and active in Montana Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate headquartered in Red Lodge; Lori is the Chair and Rob is the Vice Chair.
Locally Grown Power
Kent Kernahan
April 23, 2021
Kent Kernahan is a veteran of the solar industry who has developed innovations that improve solar technology while reducing costs and the use of rare materials. Kent's 50 year career has brought him over 70 patents. He is the managing member of idealPV LLC, a Montana solar module technology company and managing partner of the developing nation-wide, locally owned and operated, Locally Grown Power network of non profit community factories.
The establishment of the first solar panel factory in Pomona, CA, using this technology, is a model that Locally Grown Power is replicating around the country. The solar module made in these factories feature backwards compatibility with standard solar inverters while others drive batteries or VFDs (pumps). All models include breakthrough improvements in energy yield, safety and reliability. Take a virtual tour of the Locally Grown Power flagship factory in Pomona, California.
The First Step to Tackling Climate Change
Katharine Hayhoe
April 6, 2021
Changing our light bulbs, recycling, meat-free Monday... personal solutions to climate change are important, but they aren’t enough to fix our global problem. Our entire society is based on fossil fuels, and that’s what we have to change. And that’s why the single most important thing that any of us can do to fix climate change is to talk about it: to explain why it matters to us, here and now; to share inspiring stories of the solutions available to us today; and to advocate for change at every level, from our families and communities to our institutions and businesses.
Families for a Livable Climate, Moms Clean Air Force Montana, and Mountain Mamas were proud to welcome Katharine Hayhoe, climate scientist and communicator, "to" Montana for this special event.
Renewable Energy for the Home in Montana
Andrew Valainis and Dan Brandborg
March 16, 2021
This presentation features two Montana experts speaking on renewable energy for home and small business owners.
Andrew Valainis, Executive Director of the Montana Renewable Energy Association, speaks on small scale renewable projects including wind, water, and heat pumps, and tax incentives to make them more affordable.
Dan Brandborg, longtime Bitterroot solar contractor, focuses on the nuts-and-bolts of a solar project, including planning, costing, and installation. The talk includes information on energy storage via batteries, either as a backup incase of a power outage, or as a way of moving off grid.
From Coal to Clean Energy
Anne Hedges
February 11, 2021
Anne Hedges, Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs at the Montana Environmental Information Center (MEIC), covers the transition of the power grid in Montana from coal-fired plants toward renewable energy, touching on changes in energy sourcing, relevant actions and legislation, and ways that citizens can influence the process.
Conservation Gardening: Meaningful Landscaping in Your Own Yard
David Schmetterling
October 29, 2020
For more than 20 years, David and his botanist wife, Marilyn, have been teaching people in the Missoula area how to use native plants to attract wildlife in a variety of garden settings. When not in the garden, he is the Fisheries Research Coordinator for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, where he has worked for 25 years. His talk covers how to landscape with resource conservation, drought, and wildlife in mind, using examples and successes from his Missoula home on a small city lot.
Fire and Climate Change in the West
Phil Higuera
March 10, 2020
Phil Higuera, Associate Professor of Fire Ecology and Director of the Paleoecology and Fire Ecology Lab at the University of Montana, explores why wildfire activity is increasing in the western US, the ecological impacts of wildfire, what to expect for the future and what we can do.
Chris Clancy
Fisheries and Climate Change in Montana
Chris Clancy
March 10, 2020
Chris speaks about the root causes of climate change, fish trends in different water local bodies and mitigation efforts to deal with these trends. Chris has been a Fish, Wildlife and Parks fisheries biologist for 40 years, 31 of those years in the Bitterroot Valley. He was influential in the catch and release programs for Cutthroat trout, the historic water use agreement at Painted Rocks Reservoir that allows for the release of instream flows on the Bitterroot and the historic lawsuit over public access to the “Mitchell Slough”.
Thanks Chris!