ODOE Climate Policy Analyst Lesley Jantarasami to Present at Salem Science Pub

Contact:
Jennifer Kalez, 503-480-9239
Cliff Voliva, 503-378-3637

SALEM — Oregon is already feeling the effects of climate change, from widespread drought to smoky summers. The science behind how climate change is affecting our environment and health will be the topic of conversation at the next Salem Environmental Education Science Pub Night on Tuesday, January 22.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 8 p.m. at the Taproot Café and Lounge, 356 State Street, in Salem.

Leading the presentation will be Lesley Jantarasami, a senior climate policy analyst at the Oregon Department of Energy. Jantarasami’s talk will cover a number of climate-related health impacts, including harmful algae blooms like the one that affected Salem’s drinking water last summer, smoke from the increasing number and duration of wildfires, and emerging health concerns like cryptococcal infections from airborne fungus in Oregon.

Before joining ODOE in 2017, Jantarasami worked for eight years on climate change science and policy at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. She is a published author of 14 peer-reviewed scientific articles and national report chapters, including the U.S. Climate and Health Assessment and the Fourth National Climate Assessment, the latter of which was published last fall. Her research was included in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fifth Assessment Report volume on Climate Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability.

As a senior climate policy analyst at the Oregon Department of Energy, Jantarasami is part of a team working on strategies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as supporting renewable energy, boosting adoption of alternative clean fuels, and increasing energy efficiency in Oregon homes and businesses.

In November, ODOE posted a Q&A with Jantarasami on its blog about her contributions to the Fourth National Climate Assessment.