Climate Change is Here: How Warming Temperatures Endanger the United States

Climate change isn't an abstract idea that might occur at some point in the future. Instead, it's here. The U.S. Global Change Research Program has released the Third National Climate Assessment, which has shown that climate change is impacting every region of the United States, including key sectors of economy and society.

So what can we expect in the present day? Temperatures have increased by 1.3 to 1.9 degrees Fahrenheit since record keeping began in 1895. In addition, more extreme weather, including heat waves and droughts, has plagued the U.S. in recent years.

In the Northeast, sixty-four million people are impacted by more extreme weather conditions. Already, we're seeing more extreme heat waves, precipitation events and coastal flooding due to sea level rise and storm surge. This means that cities, such as New York and Boston, need to take proper actions in order to mitigate the impacts of more extreme storms triggered by climate change.

This isn't the only area, either. Crops are also being affected in the Midwest. According to the report, "The Midwest's agricultural lands, forests, Great Lakes, industrial activities, and cities are all vulnerable to climate variability and climate change. Longer growing seasons and rising carbon dioxide levels increase yields of some crops, although these benefits have been offset in some instances by occurrence of extreme events such as heat waves, droughts and floods."

In addition to these areas, the new report outlines the other regions of the U.S. that are being impacted. Alaska in particular has warmed twice as quickly as the rest of the U.S. over the past 60 years. The report also examines key sectors of society and the economy, looking at health, transportation, energy, water, agriculture, ecosystems and the ocean.

These latest findings underscore the need for urgent action to combat climate threats. More specifically, steps are needed in order to help mitigate climate change and also to help halt rising temperatures. Cutting emissions and improving infrastructure will be key for the future of the United States.

The latest report can be found here.