How quickly things change. Only five years ago we were mostly talking about climate change as something that would affect the developed world some decades hence, if not centuries. Sea level rise impacting low-lying countries (i.e. 'not here') towards the end of the century (i.e. 'not in our lifetimes') was probably the prediction that got most attention.
But yesterday the US Government released its latest National Climate Assessment, documenting numerous changes to the American climate that are already happening, in every region of the US and affecting multiple key industries.
They document factors such as increased heavy precipitation events in the north-east, increased drought, water stress and wildfires in the south-west, and increased acidification in the Pacific north-west—already impacting shellfish hatcheries and leading some to shut down and move down the coast.
The authors say they hope their report will provide ammunition for President Obama and Congress to take action. There is certainly room for that. One of the most illuminating maps in the report is a colour-coded map of the US showing status of climate adaptation plans by state: apart from the coastal states, the entire map is blank.
Source: http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/downloads
But yesterday the US Government released its latest National Climate Assessment, documenting numerous changes to the American climate that are already happening, in every region of the US and affecting multiple key industries.
They document factors such as increased heavy precipitation events in the north-east, increased drought, water stress and wildfires in the south-west, and increased acidification in the Pacific north-west—already impacting shellfish hatcheries and leading some to shut down and move down the coast.
The authors say they hope their report will provide ammunition for President Obama and Congress to take action. There is certainly room for that. One of the most illuminating maps in the report is a colour-coded map of the US showing status of climate adaptation plans by state: apart from the coastal states, the entire map is blank.
Source: http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/downloads
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