The Climate Report: National Climate Assessment-Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States
272
The Climate Report: National Climate Assessment-Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States
272Paperback
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Overview
The US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) is mandated by law "at least every four years ... to submit to the president and the Congress an assessment regarding the findings of ... the effects of global change, and current and major long-term trends in global change." The report was released by the Trump administration without fanfare in the wake of a series of some of the most devastating hurricanes in American history, as well as the horrific California wildfires. As the report says, "The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid."
Detailing not only the destructive toll of global warming on the environment, but also the related health issues leading to tens of thousands of deaths per year, and economic losses of tens of billions of dollars, the report concludes that "The evidence of human-caused climate change is overwhelming and continues to strengthen, that the impacts of climate change are intensifying across the country, and that climate-related threats ... are rising."
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781612198026 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Melville House Publishing |
| Publication date: | 01/22/2019 |
| Pages: | 272 |
| Sales rank: | 632,638 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.20(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.60(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Earth’s climate is now changing faster than at any point in the history of modern civilization, primarily as a result of human activities. The impacts of global climate change are already being felt in the United States and are projected to intensify in the future—but the severity of future impacts will depend largely on actions taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to the changes that will occur. Americans increasingly recognize the risks climate change poses to their everyday lives and livelihoods and are beginning to respond (Figure 1.1). Water managers in the Colorado River Basin have mobilized users to conserve water in response to ongoing drought intensified by higher temperatures, and an extension program in Nebraska is helping ranchers reduce drought and heat risks to their operations. The state of Hawai’i is developing management options to promote coral reef recovery from widespread bleaching events caused by warmer waters that threaten tourism, fisheries, and coastal protection from wind and waves. To address higher risks of flooding from heavy rainfall, local governments in southern Louisiana are pooling hazard reduction funds, and cities and states in the Northeast are investing in more resilient water, energy, and transportation infrastructure. In Alaska, a tribal health organization is developing adaptation strategies to address physical and mental health challenges driven by climate change and other environmental changes. As Midwestern farmers adopt new management strategies to reduce erosion and nutrient losses caused by heavier rains, forest managers in the Northwest are developing adaptation strategies in response to wildfire increases that affect human health, water resources, timber production, fish and wildlife, and recreation. After extensive hurricane damage fueled in part by a warmer atmosphere and warmer, higher seas, communities in Texas are considering ways to rebuild more resilient infrastructure. In the U.S. Caribbean, governments are developing new frameworks for storm recovery based on lessons learned from the 2017 hurricane season.
Climate-related risks will continue to grow without additional action. Decisions made today determine risk exposure for current and future generations and will either broaden or limit options to reduce the negative consequences of climate change. While Americans are responding in ways that can bolster resilience and improve livelihoods, neither global efforts to mitigate the causes of climate change nor regional efforts to adapt to the impacts currently approach the scales needed to avoid substantial damages to the U.S. economy, environment, and human health and well-being over the coming decades.
Table of Contents
Front Matter
About this Report 1
Guide to the Report 4
Summary Findings 11
1 Overview 21
What Has Happened Since the Last National Climate Assessment? 56
National Topics 63
2 Our Changing Climate 64
3 Water 67
4 Energy Supply Delivery, and Demand 70
5 Land Cover and Land-Use Change 73
6 Forests 76
7 Ecosystems, Ecosystem Services, and Biodiversity 79
8 Coastal Effects 82
9 Oceans and Marine Resources 85
10 Agriculture and Rural Communities 88
11 Built Environment, Urban Systems, and Cities 92
12 Transportation 95
13 Air Quality 98
14 Human Health 101
15 Tribes and Indigenous Peoples 104
16 Climate Effects on U.S. International Interests 107
17 Sector interactions, Multiple Stressors, and Complex Systems 110
Regions 115
18 Northeast 116
19 Southeast 121
20 U.S. Caribbean 126
21 Midwest 131
22 Northern Great Plains 136
23 Southern Great Plains 141
24 Northwest 144
25 Southwest 148
26 Alaska 153
27 Hawai'i and U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands 157
Responses 163
28 Reducing Risks Through Adaptation Actions 164
29 Reducing Risks Through Emissions Mitigation 168
Authors and Contributors 173
Appendix 187