Climate Change Report Highlights Urgency
A new report released by the Biden administration drives home a warning that scientists have been issuing for years — nowhere in the U.S. is safe from the effects of climate change. The Fifth National Climate Assessment, released Tuesday, provides a grim overview of the impact on the nation as climate change worsens, and says current efforts and investments to address it remain "insufficient." But it also offers some options for a more hopeful future.
"Anyone who willfully denies the impact of climate change is condemning the American people to a very dangerous future," Pres. Biden said on Tuesday in remarks about the assessment, which was reviewed by hundreds of experts. "The impacts we're seeing are only going to get worse, more frequent, more ferocious, and more costly."
Key Takeaways
- Nowhere in the U.S. is safe from the effects of climate change.
- Current efforts and investments to address climate change are insufficient.
- The impacts of climate change will worsen, becoming more frequent, ferocious, and costly.
- Denying the impact of climate change condemns the American people to a dangerous future.
- The report offers options for a more hopeful future.
The Unprecedented Climate Change in the U.S.
Data recently compiled by the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service reveals that the year 2023 is on track to be the hottest year ever recorded on Earth. Average temperatures from January to October this year were 1.43 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average, dangerously close to the 1.5 degree warming threshold that scientists have warned would have significant global impacts.
This rise in temperature is crucial because it directly affects natural processes on our planet, particularly when it comes to extreme weather events. Higher air temperatures lead to more frequent and intense droughts, while warmer oceans contribute to heavier precipitation and stronger storms.
One of the primary drivers of this temperature increase is the emission of greenhouse gases, which primarily come from the burning of fossil fuels like oil and coal. Despite longstanding warnings, the most recent National Climate Assessment found that human-caused emissions continue to rise globally.
The report states that "many of the climate conditions and impacts people are experiencing today are unprecedented for thousands of years." Greenhouse gas levels are currently higher than at any point in the past 800,000 years, and the rate of sea level rise in the 20th century, caused by melting sea ice, was faster than any other century in the last 3,000 years. Additionally, global temperatures have increased at a faster rate in the past 50 years than at any point in the past 2,000 years.
The impact of climate change can be observed through the occurrence of extreme weather events happening both in the United States and around the world.
Although there has been a decrease in record cold events, the report states that there has been an increase in the frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme heat across the entire country.
2. Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. is not enough to prevent climate change impacts
One positive aspect highlighted in the report is the 12% decline in greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. between 2005 and 2019. This reduction was achieved through a decrease in coal usage and an increase in renewable energy sources. Efforts to further reduce emissions are being made in every region of the U.S.
However, in order to truly mitigate the worst impacts of climate change, the U.S. and other nations need to reach net zero emissions of carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas produced by humans. Additionally, significant reductions in other greenhouse gases are necessary. These gases create a thick blanket in the atmosphere, trapping heat radiated from the sun and causing global warming. Even if emissions were to cease today, it would take years for global temperatures to decrease, and the existing impacts such as sea level rise and health issues would persist.
Climate Change Report
1. Net Zero Emissions and the Future of Global Warming
According to a recent report, once CO2 emissions reach net zero, the global warming driven by CO2 is expected to stop. The report emphasizes that additional warming over the next few centuries is not necessarily 'locked in' after net CO2 emissions fall to zero. However, global average temperatures are not expected to fall for centuries unless CO2 emissions become net negative, which is when CO2 removal from the atmosphere exceeds CO2 emissions from human activities.
2. Urgent Need for Net Zero Emissions
In order to limit global warming and prevent the most devastating impacts of climate change, carbon dioxide emissions would have to reach net zero within 30 years or so. The report highlights the need for accelerated actions by countries, including the United States. It states that the current rate of decline in the U.S. is not sufficient to meet national and international climate commitments and goals. The report suggests that emissions would have to decline by more than 6% per year on average. In comparison, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions decreased by less than 1% per year on average between 2005 and 2019.
3. Climate Change Impacts Across the United States
The National Climate Assessment reveals that every region in the U.S. is already feeling the impacts of climate change. The report warns that these impacts will continue to intensify over the next decade, regardless of any substantial decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. It emphasizes that all U.S. regions are experiencing increasingly harmful effects, with adverse impacts outweighing any positive effects and the imbalance expected to worsen with additional warming.
Climate Change Impacts
Many of the impacts of climate change are only going to grow more intense over the next seven years, the report warned, outlining "impacts of significant concern" to every region in the country.
In the Northeast, the most pressing issues through 2030 are expected to be extreme weather damaging critical infrastructure, warming temperatures shifting coastal and marine species, and overburdened communities being disproportionately impacted by extreme heat and flooding. In the Southeast, sea level rise and coastal flooding are expected to cause more damage, while extreme heat will threaten human health and water supplies will be impacted by both heavy rain and drought — a situation recently experienced in New Orleans.
Hawaii, which has been devastated by wildfires this year, is expected to suffer from water supply issues as well. Agriculture systems in the Great Plains are expected to suffer from water issues and increased wildfire risk.
And whatever happens in one region will impact what happens in another, the report notes. This was seen earlier this year, when smoke from wildfires in Canada caused some U.S. cities to experience the worst air quality in the world. Climate change-induced agricultural stressors can also negatively influence global food supply chains and where humans are able to live.
"The risk of two or more extreme events occurring simultaneously or in quick succession in the same region-known as compound events-is increasing," the report says. "Climate change is also increasing the risk of multiple extremes occurring simultaneously in different locations that are connected by complex human and natural systems."
4. Climate change will continue to have "profound negative effects on human health" — particularly for overburdened communities
The health impacts of climate change are already being felt nationwide, and as the climate crisis worsens, it's communities experiencing "systemic discrimination, exclusion and under- or disinvestment" that will feel it the most, the report says.
Those living in lower-income communities or communities of color, for example, tend to have worse access to resilient infrastructure, greenery that helps provide shade and cooling from extreme heat, health care providers and clean water — all of which will only become more essential as temperatures and extreme weather events increase. A changing climate is also expected "to make food less available and more expensive," a problem that will likely "disproportionately affect the nutrition health of women, children, older adults, and low-wealth communities," the report states.
As noted by the assessment, low-income neighborhoods are "hotter on average," and areas made up of primarily people of color tend to have the highest exposure to flooding.
In a press release by the Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday, the department said reiterated that "climate change has profound negative effects on human health."
According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), climate change has various impacts on public health. These include higher rates of heat-related illness and death, the spread of infectious diseases, worsening air quality, increases in pregnancy-related issues, and higher rates of pulmonary, neurological, and cardiovascular diseases. The department also highlighted that people of color, those with disabilities, and those in the LGBTQ communities are among the most at-risk for these health issues.
The HHS emphasized that reducing global emissions is crucial in increasing health benefits. They stated, "Each metric ton of CO2 reduced is estimated to bring about health benefits in the U.S. that are valued between $8 to $430 (in 2022 dollars), mainly from avoided premature death. These health benefits outweigh costs for many Greenhouse Gas (GHG) mitigation measures."
5. The U.S. is adapting to climate change, but investments are "insufficient" to reduce the risks
While the assessment "lays out the threats and dangers" related to climate change, President Biden expressed that "solutions are within reach." He mentioned that efforts to address climate change have increased and are underway in every part of the country.
"We just have to keep at it and we need to do more and move faster," Mr. Biden said. "And we have the tools to do it."
The report highlights that with enough action, "both adaptation and mitigation goals" can be achieved. For instance, expanding access to renewable energy can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve climate resilience.
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
Extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Ian that occurred last year, have highlighted the importance of preparedness and adaptation. While Southwest Florida was heavily affected by the storm, one community managed to withstand the impact relatively unscathed. Babcock Ranch, a local community, is 100% solar power-based and its infrastructure was specifically designed to withstand winds of up to 145 mph.
Other areas have also taken steps to mitigate and adapt to climate change. These include implementing plans to better manage land, ecosystems, and water reservoirs. However, despite these efforts, more needs to be done.
A recent assessment states, "Despite an increase in adaptation actions across the country, current efforts and investments are insufficient to reduce today's climate-related risks and keep pace with future changes in the climate. Accelerating current efforts and implementing new ones that involve more fundamental shifts in systems and practices can help address current risks and prepare for future impacts."
