Over the course of two weeks, Boston-area public radio stations presented a remarkable array of climate change programs that focused on everything from public perceptions to the details of how society can adapt.

 

“I’m here to tell you climate change is happening … it will continue to happen,” said Manomet’s Hector Galbraith, during a Feb. 27 appearance on National Public Radio station WCAI. He and Banding Director Trevor Lloyd-Evans were featured on WCAI in a four-part series called “Cape Change: A local perspective on global warming.”

 

Galbraith, who studies climate change impacts and adaptation strategies, addressed the gap between public perceptions of climate change and the changes scientists are expecting. Lloyd-Evans spoke about climate change impact on birds, and how bird species are reacting.

 

“There really is a change,” Lloyd-Evans said. “There’s a noticeable, measurable change, which is amazing to me. I learned that evolution worked extremely slowly, and it still does. But natural selection can work quite quickly.”

 

On March 10, Boston’s public radio station WGBH aired a panel on climate change adaptation as part of its Innovation Hub program.

 

Senior Program Leader Eric Walberg appeared on the panel and explained how New England can adapt to climate change. Walberg’s program is currently working at pilot sites across Maine and Massachusetts – farms, wilderness areas and towns – to test climate change adaptation strategies.

 

“We really have a shot at doing some worthwhile adaptation to climate change,” Walberg said. “We’ve got all the tools available.”