NBC News
Nov. 23, 2018 /
4:11 PM CST / Updated Nov. 24, 2018 / 6:47 AM CST
By Dareh
Gregorian
The United
States is already feeling the heat from climate change — and the damage could
cost hundreds of billions of dollars by the end of the century if more
preventive measures aren't taken now, a new federal report has found.
"Earth’s
climate is now changing faster than at any point in the history of modern
civilization, primarily as a result of human activities," says the report,
which was filed on behalf of 13 different federal agencies.
"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."
The report had
originally been scheduled for release in December, but the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration announced on Wednesday that it would be released
Friday. Releasing information on the day after Thanksgiving is generally
considered a way to minimize its impact, since many people don't follow the
news closely on long holiday weekends.
Former
Vice-President Al Gore accused the Trump Administration of trying to bury the
troubling report, which is critical of the Trump-allied coal industry.
"The
President may try to hide the truth, but his own scientists and experts have
made it as stark and clear as possible," he said in a statement.
President
Donald Trump has been a skeptic about climate change science — he tweeted in
2012 that the "concept of global warming was created by and for the
Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive."
He later
claimed he was joking. Last month he told CBS' "60 Minutes" he didn't
think climate change was a hoax but "I don't know that it's
man-made."
"I think
something's happening. Something's changing and it'll change back again," he said.The report found
it's not changing back any time soon — and said the country has to be prepared.
It says global
warming helped stoke the wildfires in California and powerful hurricanes in the
South. Those problems will only get worse, the report says, with potential
drought and wildfire issues looming in the South, and more flooding likely to
strike the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
Climate change
has worldwide implications as well, which also means more trouble for the
United States.
"The
impacts of climate change beyond our borders are expected to increasingly
affect our trade and economy, including import and export prices and U.S. businesses
with overseas operations and supply chains," it says. "With continued
growth in emissions at historic rates, annual losses in some economic sectors
are projected to reach hundreds of billions of dollars by the end of the
century — more than the current gross domestic product (GDP) of many U.S.
states."
It warns of a
"cascading effect" that will alter lives and economies across the
country, causing fuel shortages and increased power outages.
"Extreme
weather and climate-related impacts on one system can result in increased risks
or failures in other critical systems, including water resources, food
production and distribution, energy and transportation, public health,
international trade, and national security," the report says.
"Expected
increases in the severity and frequency of heavy precipitation events will
affect inland infrastructure in every region, including access to roads, the
viability of bridges, and the safety of pipelines. Flooding from heavy
rainfall, storm surge, and rising high tides is expected to compound existing
issues with aging infrastructure in the Northeast."
While much of
the damage is already done, the effects could be lessened by continuing to cut
down on greenhouse emissions and upgrading aging infrastructure, the report
says.
"Actions
to plan for and adapt to more frequent, widespread, and severe coastal
flooding, such as shoreline protection and conservation of coastal ecosystems,
would decrease direct losses and cascading impacts on other sectors and parts of
the country," the study says.
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