We are already seeing changes in our local climate.

This includes more extreme rain events, rising sea levels and higher king tides, precipitation falling as rain (rather than snow) in the mountains, and summer droughts. Key cultural species like the salmon and orca whales, already stressed by other impacts to their food and habitat, are vulnerable to these changes.

These changes are expected to accelerate and become more pronounced in the coming decades.  Even if we stop emissions of harmful gases, the excess gases in the atmosphere would still take many decades to escape - as a result, we have 'locked in' changes to our climate for our children and their children.