78 faculty in Civil and Environmental Engineering or related disciplines across the University of California, including 6 National Academy of Engineering members, have penned a letter to President Elect Donald Trump, on why climate change considerations are critical to our nation's infrastructure:

*NOTE: The views expressed in this letter don't necessarily reflect the views of AEESP.



December 15, 2016



Dear President-Elect Trump,



As faculty in the civil and environmental engineering disciplines at the University of California, we urge your administration to continue sensible measures to address climate change. Our academic disciplines vary widely, but we share a common aim to ensure that the infrastructure supporting our society is safe, efficient, and dependable and that all citizens have access to a healthy environment. Climate change is a current and rising threat to these goals that requires mitigation for the sake of the safety and security of the citizens of the United States.



There is no legitimate scientific debate about the reality of climate change or the anthropogenic influence on creating this problem. The mechanism behind this is no mystery—the heat trapping effect of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases has long been known. As we have been steadily and dramatically increasing the levels of these gases since the start of the industrial revolution, we have seen a concurrent rise in the Earth’s average temperature, as expected. Regional variations in response to climate change are also expected and that is indeed what has been observed—some regions have gotten colder and some warmer. These variations apply also to changes in the water cycle that have been occurring due to climate change. Unfortunately, many areas that are already dry are projected to get even drier.



As engineers, we are concerned about the staggering human suffering and great economic burden that climate change presents. We have seen a pattern of increasingly intense storms that batter our citizens and infrastructure. Rising sea levels already adversely impact coastal groundwater resources and will continue to do so. Heat waves have cost lives among our most vulnerable populations. Across the globe, storm surges that overwhelm protective structures will threaten greater numbers of people. Animals and plants rely on indications from the climate for the timing of budding, mating, etc.—already climate change has disrupted healthy ecosystems in a multitude of ways.



Shifts to greener infrastructure--such as improvements in energy efficiency and increasing renewable energy--also present great opportunities for U.S. jobs that already represent growth sectors in the global economy. Green technologies developed in the United States can satisfy international demand for new, lower carbon approaches as the world confronts climate change.



In their recent report, “Climate Change: Evidence and Causes,” the United States National Academy of Sciences and the United Kingdom’s Royal Society laid out the evidence behind the consensus that climate change is occurring due to human activities and will cause increasingly significant consequences. In addition, the American Society of Civil Engineers recognizes the hurdles that climate change poses to civil society and encourages policies, research, and shifts in practice that address this issue. The United States must be a leader in the fight on this most important global challenge. You can shape your legacy by embracing this challenge. You have the opportunity to ensure continued forward progress in reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, including methane and nitrous oxide, through domestic policy and international cooperation, including the Paris Agreement.

Sincerely,

Authors:



Jonathan P. Stewart, Ph.D., P.E.

Chair and Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Los Angeles



Jennifer A. Jay, Ph.D.

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Los Angeles





Co-signers:



Lisa Alvarez-Cohen, Ph.D., NAE

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Berkeley

Member, National Academy of Engineering



Fotini Katopodes Chow, Ph.D.

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Berkeley



Armen Der Kiureghian, Ph.D.

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Berkeley



Allen H. Goldstein, Ph.D.

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Berkeley



Baoxia Mi, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Berkeley

William W. Nazaroff, Ph.D.

Distinguished Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Berkeley



Kara L. Nelson, Ph.D.

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Berkeley



David L. Sedlak, Ph.D., NAE

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Berkeley

Member, National Academy of Engineering



Nicholas Sitar, Ph.D.

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Berkeley



Iris D. Tommelein, Ph.D.

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Berkeley



Colleen E. Bronner, Ph.D.

Lecturer, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Davis



Christopher D. Cappa, Ph.D.

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Davis



Ann M. Dillner, Ph.D.

Associate Research Engineer, Air Quality Research Center

University of California, Davis



Jonathan D. Herman, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Davis



Alissa M. Kendall, Ph.D.

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Davis



Veronica L. Morales, Ph.D.

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Davis



Anthony S. Wexler, Ph.D.

Distinguished Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Land, Air and Water Resources, and Director, Air Quality

Research Center University of California Davis



Thomas M. Young, Ph.D.

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Davis



Amir AghaKouchak

Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Irvine



Kristen Davis, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering &

Earth System Science

University of California Irvine



Russell Detwiler, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California, Irvine



Efi Foufoula-Georgiou, Ph.D.

Distinguished Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

President, Hydrology section of the American Geophysical Union

University of California Irvine



Stanley B. Grant, Ph.D.

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Irvine



Sunny Jiang, Ph.D.

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Irvine



Mo Li, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Irvine



Ayman S. Mosallam, Ph.D., P.E., ASCE Fellow

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Irvine



Farzad Naeim, Ph.D., S.E.

Adjunct Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Irvine



Wilfred Recker, Ph.D.

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Irvine



Diego Rosso, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Irvine



G. Scott Samuelsen, Ph.D, P.E.

Professor of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Environmental Engineering

Director of the Advanced Power and Energy Program

University of California Irvine



Brett F. Sanders, Ph.D.

Chair and Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Irvine



Jean Daniel Saphores

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Economics, Planning, Policy & Design

University of California Irvine



Soroosh Sorooshian, Ph.D., NAE

Distinguished Professor, Departments of Civil & Environmental Engineering and Earth System Science

University of California Irvine

Member, National Academy of Engineering



Lizhi Sun, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

University of California Irvine



Jasper A. Vrugt, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Joint Appt. with Earth System Science

University of California Irvine



Richard F. Ambrose, Ph.D.

Professor, Environmental Health Sciences and Institute of the Environment and Sustainability

Environmental Science and Engineering Program

University of California Los Angeles



Scott J. Brandenberg, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Los Angeles



Timu W. Gallien, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Los Angeles



Phillip Gedalanga, Ph.D.

Lecturer, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Los Angeles



Saeedreza Hafeznezami, Ph.D., P.E.

Lecturer, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Los Angeles



Eric M.V. Hoek, Ph.D.

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Los Angeles



Jiann-Wen Woody Ju, Ph.D., P.E.

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Los Angeles



Dennis Lettenmaier, Ph.D., NAE

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Joint Appt. with Geography

University of California Los Angeles

Member, National Academy of Engineering



Shaily Mahendra, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Los Angeles



Catalina Marambio-Jones, Ph.D.

Lecturer, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Los Angeles



Stephen A. Margulis, Ph.D.

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Los Angeles



Michael J. McGuire, Ph.D., P.E., `

Adjunct Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Los Angeles

Member, National Academy of Engineering



Sanjay Mohanty, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Los Angeles



Jayathi Y. Murthy, Ph.D.

Dean, Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

University of California Los Angeles



George Mylonakis, Ph.D., P.E.

Adjunct Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Los Angeles



Issam N. Najm, Ph.D., P.E.

Adjunct Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Los Angeles



Daniel E. Pradel, Ph.D., G.E.

Adjunct Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Los Angeles



Deepak Rajagopal, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability

University of California Los Angeles



Michael K. Stenstrom, Ph.D., P.E.

Distinguished Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Los Angeles



Keith D. Stolzenbach, Ph.D., P.E.

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Los Angeles



Mel Suffet, Ph.D.

Distinguished Professor, Environmental Health Sciences and Institute of the Environment and Sustainability

Environmental Science and Engineering Program

University of California Los Angeles



Mladen Vucetic, Ph.D.

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Los Angeles



William W.-G. Yeh, Ph.D., NAE

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Los Angeles

Member, National Academy of Engineering



Jian Zhang, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California Los Angeles



Roger C. Bales, Ph.D.

Distinguished Professor of Engineering

University of California Merced



Marc W. Beutel, Ph.D., P.E.

Associate Professor of Engineering

University of California Merced



Martha H. Conklin, Ph.D.

Professor of Engineering

University of California Merced



Thomas C. Harmon, Ph.D.

Professor and Associate Dean of Engineering

University of California Merced



Thomas W. Peterson, Ph.D.

Professor, Provost, and Executive Vice Chancellor

University of California Merced



Wolfgang Rogge, Ph.D.

Professor of Engineering

University of California Merced



Samuel J. Traina, Ph.D.

Professor of Engineering

University of California Merced



Roland Winston, Ph.D.

Distinguished Professor of Engineering

University of California Merced

Kelley C. Barsanti, Ph.D.

Professor, Chemical and Environmental Engineering

University of California Riverside



David Jassby, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Chemical and Environmental Engineering

University of California Riverside



Sharon Walker, Ph.D.

Professor and Interim Dean, Chemical and Environmental Engineering

University of California Riverside



Kelly K. Caylor, Ph.D.

Director, Earth Research Institute and Professor of Ecohydrology

Bren School of Environmental Science and Management

University of California Santa Barbara



Jeff Dozier, Ph.D.

Distinguished Professor of Environmental Science and Management

University of California Santa Barbara



Patricia Holden, Ph.D.

Professor, Bren School of Environmental Science and Management

University of California Santa Barbara



Arturo A. Keller, Ph.D.

Professor, School of Environmental Science and Management

Co-Director, UC Center for the Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology

University of California Santa Barbara



Sangwon Suh, Ph.D.

Professor, Bren School of Environmental Science and Management

University of California Santa Barbara



Naomi Tague, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Bren School of Environmental Science and Management

University of California Santa Barbara