Confronting Climate Change: Dr. Kevin Reed’s 2025 Daffodil Lecture on Science, Solutions, and Hope

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Photo: Kimberly Manyanga

On Wednesday, March 12th, Dr. Kevin Reed, Associate Provost for Climate and Sustainability Programming and Professor at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University, gave the 2025 Daffodil Lecture at the Student Union Ballroom.

Reed took the stage after a warm welcome by Dean Mari Castañeda, giving the audience what he called a 'crash course' on climate change. Before giving his 'crash course,' he explained the motivations behind his work, including the new scientific innovations in climate research.

The Science Behind Climate Change: Understanding Earth's Atmosphere

To understand climate and its changes, Reed encouraged listeners to take stock of where we are. He projected groundbreaking images, including the first images of the Earth from space and the thin layer surrounding the Earth, the atmosphere. He illustrated that this relatively miniscule layer was where all our climate events occurred.

To explain why our climate is changing, Reed explained the fundamental ideas that inform climate science, based on an innumerous amount of data and observations. One of these observations was the increase in carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere. This was compared to observations of the average global surface temperature since 1850. Reed explained that scientists have known of the impacts of carbon dioxide for well over 150 years as a greenhouse gas, amongst the many other gases like methane and nitrous oxide.

Photo: Kimberly Manyanga

He showed that human production of these gases has been increasing over the years. One graph demonstrated the sources of these emissions and what gases were being emitted. We know what and when is being emitted, according to Reed. Then, he showed striking animations and graphs, demonstrating how temperatures and extreme weather events have increased since the start of the Industrial Revolution, including how temperatures in the Northeast have increased by over two degrees Celsius.

Extreme Weather and Its Growing Impact

Reed then turned to his area of expertise: extreme weather. He explained that billion-dollar extreme weather events had drastically increased, with these events being five times as common compared to the past:

“Changes in extreme weather are the primary way most people will experience climate change.” Reed warned.

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Photo: Amy Silbo

To prepare for these extreme weather events, Reed explained the methods climate scientists use to project climate change, including climate modeling, socioeconomic pathways, models that predict changes in land use, and many others. Reed walked through some of the policymakers and organizations that used these models to inform their decisions. One of these organizations, the United Nations, produced an International Climate Assessment which showed that the climate was warming unevenly across the world, with the Northern Hemisphere warming significantly more compared to the Southern Hemisphere.

“But what does this mean for the Northeast, for the places we live? What does this mean for us?” asked Reed.

Modeling Extreme Weather: Predicting Future Impacts and Climate Change

His work at Stony Brook University focuses on simulating and observing these pattern changes in the Eastern United States and North Atlantic. One of the models computes these changes “just like the weather app on your phone." These models, although incredibly expensive, are useful in predicting future extreme weather events. Partnering with local resource managers,  Reed and his team produced new models to predict the impacts of hurricanes and how stakeholders may need to respond to these events. His team found that even though there may be fewer storms, each storm will drop a substantially higher amount of precipitation, which is crucial for these water resources.

This model can also be used to compare observed impacts to what he calls “counterfactual forecasts”—the impacts of extreme weather events that would have occurred in a world without climate change. His work on Hurricane Florence showed how much of the hurricane’s impact was due to climate change.

“The damage produced by these storms would’ve been less,” Reed emphasized.

As he concluded his lecture, he noted that these extremes, although a natural component of climates, are changing and their impacts are ever-evolving.

Q&A: Questions on Climate Action and Solutions

Dean Castañeda began the Q&A session with a few questions of her own, including those about his concerns regarding current climate change and his hopes for the future. Reed acknowledged that we will never return to a pre-industrial climate, but we can prevent further damage and warming. He also expressed hope that working toward our climate goals presents a unique opportunity to reshape society in a more equitable and inclusive way for all communities.

Dean Mari Castañeda asking a question during the Q&A. Photo: Kimberly Manyanga

Then, Gwen, a biology major, asked what actions Stony Brook University is taking to cut emissions and what UMass can do to achieve the same goals. Reed explained that all new buildings on campus must be net-zero, meaning they generate as much energy from renewable sources as they consume.

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Madalyn Lamour asked what it would take for UMass to change to alternative forms of renewable energy. Photo: Ha Nguyen

Maddie, an economics and English major, asked about alternative forms of renewable energy, and what it would take for UMass to transition to these sources. Reed explained that solar and wind energy, the most common renewables, are currently the cheapest widely available energy sources. Therefore, changing to these renewables is doable and available with current technologies, and universities should consider this when developing their energy plans.

Andrew, a biology major, asked about the common misconceptions Reed encounters when he undertakes his work on climate change. Reed explained that he is most bothered by the misconceptions surrounding the solutions to climate change which bog down the momentum possible solutions may have.

Madalyn Lamour, who asked the second question in the student Q&A, thoroughly enjoyed the straightforward nature of the lecture:

“I’ve noticed people resort to climate ‘doomerism’ because they think it’s the only way people will listen, but the way Dr. Reed presented this information made me feel hopeful. He relied on science, didn’t overcomplicate anything, and presented the information in an easily presentable manner."

Dr. Reed, reflecting upon the lecture afterward, reiterated how hopeful he is after speaking to students:

“All of the questions the students asked are the same questions cutting-edge scientists ask at our meetings. It continues to give me hope that the next generation is ready to tackle these challenges.”

Photo: Ha Nguyen