It may not sound like a lot, but a projected two to four degree increase in weather temperatures is a serious concern in the coming decades.
While it has already been reported that 2012 was the hottest year on record, it’s only getting hotter from here on out. Some analysts are predicting that by 2100 temperatures could increase by three to five degrees. Less optimistic predictions have temperatures increasing by five to 10 degrees.
As small as the numbers may sound, those increases in temperature also account for an increase in the number of “extreme weather events.”
According to the National Climate Assessment Report, “extreme weather events” include heavy precipitation, most noticeably in the Northeast and Midwest, and intense Atlantic hurricanes. The western United States can expect to experience intense heat waves and droughts.
NPR highlights one of the focal points of the assessment the authors include, “A Letter To The American People”:
“Many more impacts of human-caused climate change have now been observed. Corn producers in Iowa, oyster growers in Washington State, and maple syrup producers in Vermont have observed changes in their local climate that are outside of their experience. So, too, have coastal planners from Florida to Maine, water managers in the arid Southwest and parts of the Southeast, and Native Americans on tribal lands across the nation.”
Todd Sanford, a member of the Union of Concerned Scientists, says:
“This could help restart a national conversation about climate change. It gives us a road map for climate change. And the road is much bumpier if we continue along a higher emissions pathway.”
Do you think that this climate assessment will help create a larger conversation about global warming?