Helpful links for more information on Climate Change in the USA: Alliance for Climate Protection The Climate Project ConservAmerica Environmental Defense Environmental Protection Agency The Heat is On 2008 League of Conservation Voters Natural Resources Defense Council The Nature Conservancy Republicans for Environmental Protection Sierra Club Step It Up 2007 Stop Global Warming

The USA and Global Warming

What is Global Warming?
Greenhouse gasses, which are released as a consequence of burning of fossil fuels, warm the planet by trapping heat which would otherwise escape from our atmosphere. Since these gasses regulate the temperature of the earth, an increase in the amount of greenhouse gasses raises the average temperature of the planet. As these gasses increase, the planet warms up which causes the global climate system to change. Scientists are reporting climate shifts across the planet, which are caused by global warming. If left unchecked, global warming will create devastating impacts across the world.

Affect on the United States

The United States will be drastically impacted by global warming if we do not take action.  Global warming is a threat to our nation’s people, way of life, economy and our environmental heritage.   No region of our nation will be left untouched, however some places and certain sectors of the economy will be hit harder than others.

In early February 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a report (IPCC 2007 Report) stating the scientific understanding of human influence on climate has improved to a greater than 90 percent confidence that human activity is causing global warming.  The IPCC 2007 Report is based on an enormous amount of new and more comprehensive scientific research generated over the past 6 years and was produced by over 600 scientists from 40 countries, scrutinized by 620 experts, and reviewed by representatives from 113 governments.  The IPCC found climate change is occurring right now without question: temperatures in the air and ocean are rising; 11 of the last 12 years have been the warmest on record; there are increasingly more hot periods and less cold periods; heat waves have become more frequent; permafrost is thawing; snow pack, glaciers, icecaps and sea ice are melting; sea level is rising; precipitation patterns across the globe are shifting; and storm events, including hurricanes, are increasingly becoming more severe.  These are the impacts we are seeing today; however global warming impacts have the potential to become catastrophic if we do not address the issue.

We are left with a simple choice: either we act with the foresight, leadership and determination that has made our country great by marching towards a bright energy future with an enriched economy, enhanced national security and a protected future for the following generations; or we do not act and suffer the increased impacts global warming could bring.  Some of the impacts our nation is threatened with include:

Increased Storm Activity

• Since global warming heats oceans, and since hurricane strength is determined by the temperature of the water, scientists have predicted more intense hurricanes. This will mean more intense hurricanes hitting our coast along the Gulf of Mexico and the southern Atlantic coast.
• Other regions will also be affected. The northeastern states can expect more brutal wintertime storms called nor’easters.
• Storms are expensive:  Northeastern states could face costs of up to $5 billion from a single weather event.
• 2005 proved to be the worst hurricane season on record during which the Southeast experienced Hurricane Katrina.  This storm cost $125 billion, (representing ~1.2 percent of the GDP of the United States ), killed over 1,000 people, and displaced over one million people out of which 250,000 people now have established permanent residences elsewhere
• Fiercer storms, more rain and more downpours all mean that when floods happen they will be more severe. The "Once-in-a-lifetime" floods of the past will become more of the norm rather than the rare exception. 

Sea Level Rise

• Sea level rise could sink many of our treasured coastal areas.  For example, protecting the coast from San Francisco Bay to Santa Barbara from a 3 ½ foot sea level rise would cost an initial $1.5 billion. 

Rising temperatures and drought

• Global warming will change the climate paradoxically causing some parts of the country to experience floods and increased storms, while other parts will experience droughts. 
• Hot, dry conditions are perfect conditions for sparking wildfires. Scientists are starting to find a link between our warmer climate and the recent increase in wildfires.
• The economic consequences of drought are enormous.  The average annual costs in the United States due to drought are estimated at $6 to 8 billion.  Global warming will increase drought in some areas.

Agricultural Impacts

• Global warming is a threat to our ability to grow food as we do now.  Increased temperatures cause water to evaporate faster, leaving soil dried out and increasing water shortages.  This puts crops and livestock at risk, and consequently our food security.
• Droughts could hit the vital grain production and grazing regions that have been the backbone of our nation’s agriculture sector.  Losses in grain production will drive up food prices here in the U.S. and less food going to impoverished nations overseas.

Water Resources Impacts

• The San Antonio Texas Edwards Aquifer region may suffer agricultural losses of up to $6.5 billion by 2030.  The agricultural sector in New York State could lose up to $1.2 billion annually.
• Water shortages for many communities could become a serious issue.  Cities like Atlanta are extremely vulnerable to drought, and the threat is greater for arid places like Colorado, Nevada and California because as temperatures increase there is less buildup of snowpack  to feed streamflows in the summer. 

Human Health Impacts

• Predicted increases in flooding, storms and drought would put more people at risk of injury or death. 
• The increases in temperatures and heat waves are expected to cause more heat related illness and deaths; heat waves can cause major damage as seen recently in 1998, when a heat wave and drought cost southern states of than $6 billion and took 200 lives.
• Rodent populations are sensitive to climate, and sudden rains can increase the food supply of these animals which carry diseases like hantavirus.  Mosquito populations are extremely sensitive to climate as well, and warmer and wetter conditions would increase cases of disease spread by mosquitoes such as malaria. 
• Emerging and reemerging diseases can more easily increase their range as a response to many factors, including climate.  West Nile virus is used here as an example of an emerging disease carried by mosquitoes.  Total treatment costs for the virus in 1999 were estimated at $500 billion, while subsequent health costs from screening, surveillance, monitoring, and mosquito control have affected life and health insurance figures.