Oregonians face an urgent wakeup call with the rising costs of climate change, exemplified by Gov. Tina Kotek’s special session to address $350 million in wildfire costs. Each year, conditions grow hotter and drier, with fires starting earlier, lasting longer, and causing increasing devastation. In 2024, wildfires destroyed dozens of homes, damaged ecosystems, and burned record-breaking acreage, alongside indirect costs like lost tourism and severe health impacts from polluted air, especially for our most vulnerable populations. These challenges highlight the existential and financial threats climate change poses as well as the urgent need to adopt innovative tools and strategies to address it. Wildfires present the most urgent call for action but our state faces a multitude of adverse climate related impacts. On the coast, sea-level rise and toxic algal blooms threaten to destroy miles of coastline and harm the aquatic populations like oysters and clams that people cherish and rely on. Severe drought is becoming the norm in many parts of the state, depriving crops and harming salmon runs with increased water temperatures. The magnitude of these concurrent challenges warrants a clear need to act. We are fortunate to live in a state where the debate is centered on identifying solutions to best mitigate climate risks versus time and resources wasted debating whether they exist in the first place. Despite real regional and political differences, Oregonians hold in common a reverence for our greatest asset – our state’s biodiversity and awe-inspiring natural beauty. Coupled with a deeply embedded culture of innovation and collaboration, there is perhaps no place positioned to take the actions necessary to preserve our special way of life. As a former aspiring field biologist and co-founder of Synaptiq, a small Oregon AI strategy solutions business, I am especially excited about the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) […]
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