About CLEWS

The University of California, Irvine (UCI) has a remarkable legacy of leadership in identifying the global threats of an expanding human footprint. Frank Sherwood “Sherry” Rowland and colleagues played a key role in discovering how human-emitted chlorofluorocarbons destroy the ozone layer in the 1970s and 1980s. UCI emerged as a world leader in quantifying the global threat of climate change in the 2010s, but that doesn’t mean our job is done.

With the unyielding evidence of the reality of climate change, the scientific community has a responsibility to be at the forefront of solutions. The CLEWS group is doing just that, harnessing the best science to address the pressing issue of climate change and develop innovative, sustainable solutions.

CLEWS is an academic impact science hub at UCI, housed in the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building (ISEB) willing to advance breakthroughs in solution-based science to address climate change. Climate change is upon us, jeopardizing livelihoods and infrastructure, and fueling economic and social unrest around the world. The question is no longer whether climate change is a threat, but what we can do about it.

UCI’s Climate, Land, Energy, and Water Solutions (CLEWS) will explore strategies to better manage greenhouse gas emissions and transition to renewable energy; improve forecasts of the hydrologic, wildfire, and ecological impacts of climate change; and design equitable and sustainable strategies to confront climate change. Comprised of esteemed faculty members from Earth System Science, Environmental Engineering, and Computer Science departments, this group represents a powerful fusion of scientific expertise and determination.

CLEWS builds on and extends ongoing efforts at UCI with its emphasis on exploring strategies to address climate change, and on building cross-School, and ultimately UCI-wide, collaboration. It will draw upon new advances in machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), guided by an insight into physical processes, to harvest information flows emerging from satellites, sensor networks, models, and other sources.

CLEWS will position UCI as an academic leader in the fight against climate change as a catalyst for impact science. The goal is to focus exclusively on providing tangible, breakthrough solutions based on top science. Together, this group represents a relentless pursuit of progress and a steadfast commitment to a better future. They embody the power of collaboration, the hope of science, and the unwavering belief that together, we can make a difference. Join the CLEWS group in this pivotal moment and be a part of the solution to the climate crisis.