The U.S. military may be called upon to respond to humanitarian disasters in these regions; moreover, state failure often exacerbates extremism and terrorist activities, further increasing the burden on overstretched U.S. troops. The clean energy economy is poised to be the growth industry of the future worldwide, and the United States could be at the vanguard of that trend if we adopt strong renewable energy policies today. There is a big synergy here, because fossil fuels are not only the main source of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change, but also the main source of ai… Children, the elderly, and the poor are particularly vulnerable to respiratory, cardiovascular, and heat-related illnesses exacerbated by these conditions. Such a “renewable electricity standard” could also stimulate the national as well as local economies by generating $263 billion in new capital investment, $14 billion in income for U.S. farmers, ranchers, and rural landowners, and $12 billion in new local tax revenues. For example, the costs of dealing with the impacts of climate change will disproportionately fall on developing countries, while the financial costs of cutting … He also made the point that Wolf may be overlooking the benefits of climate change. They’re the most dangerous invention the world has ever seen. Climate change is contributing to snowpack losses and melting glaciers in the United States, leading to water shortages in the West. Climate change is fueling wildfires. However, the resulting drops in energy bills from reductions in electricity and fuel use will more than offset the costs of these investments. It provides a clear direction of … More green jobs and lower costs. We need to grow a resilient food system from the ground up. (PDF) Measuring the Co-Benefits of Climate Change Mitigation A blog on science, politics, and activism. This is not some barmy, right-wing fantasy; it … Addressing global warming would also reduce the nation’s reliance on oil, including the portion that comes from unstable regimes around the world. Our transportation system is outdated and broken—and it needs to change. Northern Minnesota and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. A 2009 UCS study found that unleashing the full potential of policies designed to promote efficiency and renewable energy, along with a sharp limit on global warming emissions, would save U.S. households an average of $900 annually by 2030, while businesses would save a total of $126 billion annually. Since mitigation, and in a lot of cases, adaptation, will take time to implement and to reduce … The burgeoning clean energy economy could also be an important source of jobs for disadvantaged workers in inner cities and Rust Belt towns. Benefit 20 - There are unique spiritual, purpose, meaning, and character-building benefits for individuals and faith communities in dealing with this global warming emergency and forwarding the climate re-stabilization and a global ecological, economic, and political … To be most effective, such legislation should. According to the EIA, for example, household energy costs would be less than $10 a month higher in 2020, or less than 33 cents a day, and the total discounted GDP losses from the 2012 to 2030 time period would amount to just 0.2 percent of GDP. According to the Nobel prize–winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), if global temperatures rise more than 3˚–5˚F, up to 30 percent of plant and animal species could become extinct. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Action to sharply reduce our global warming emissions can greatly curtail the costs of climate change, especially over the longer term. Sign up or text "SCIENCE" to 662266. While climate change in 100 years may have more dramatic effects, climate change in the next few decades has consequences, too, and for poor farmers struggling now or … Almost a century after the Dust Bowl, the unsolved problem of soil erosion clouds the future of US agriculture. Cite. Every region in the United States is already experiencing the costly effects of climate change—including coastal areas threatened by rising sea levels and more intense hurricanes; Midwest farmlands facing more crop-damaging heat waves, pests, and flooding; and communities in the West and Southwest experiencing drought and wildfires. The bill would also provide monthly cash refunds and annual tax credits to low-income individuals. Climate change poses significant risks to humans and the environment. Grappling with climate change requires transforming how we power our economy, and no sector requires more fundamental change than transportation, which accounts for the largest share of US global warming pollution. Many co-benefits, such as diminished local air pollution resulting from reduced use of fossil fuels, occur in the short run, are relatively certain to be achieved, and are primarily enjoyed by the country doing the abatement. Help protect workers from dangerous heat. Entry: Global Warming Lorem Ipsum Dolor Sit ... intensifying hurricanes and augmenting their rainfall, University of Illinois economist David Albouy, communities all along North America's Great Lakes, as much as 3 to 5 degrees Celsius by 2080. to climate change. It also includes the economic and social changes which stem from living in a warmer world. 2 Brattle Square, Cambridge MA 02138, USA Water availability will be impacted … Climate change has done more good than harm so far and is likely to continue doing so for most of this century. The Nordic Region. The benefits of the Climate Change Act The Climate Change Act has formalised the UK’s approach to tackling climate change – both on mitigation (reducing emissions) and adaptation (increasing resilience to climate change). For example, climate action can help numerous businesses that are vulnerable to a changing climate, from maple sugaring in the Northeast and skiing in Colorado to vital energy and transportation companies that depend on offshore oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico and shipping on the Great Lakes. In a conversation about climate action, he discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic is changing Chile's ambitious plan to tackle climate change -- and explains why the green recovery needs to be powered by both political leaders and citizens alike. Additional tourism, greatly expanded growing seasons, reduced infrastructure costs, and increased maritime shipping as the Arctic region's ice cover dwindles are a few of the factors that will contribute to that meteoric rise. Make no mistake, human-caused climate change is an urgent global threat, one in which the consequences vastly outweigh the benefits. In fact, some areas may actually benefit. Democracy and science can be powerful partners for the public good—and both are under attack. Farmers can also make money by installing wind turbines, solar panels, and other clean energy technologies on their land and buildings. The US food system should be providing healthy, sustainable food for everyone. At the same time, the region's use of electricity is projected to fall the most in Europe as warming winters will reduce the demand for heating. Headline issue. Drought, extreme weather events, changes in food production, and pandemics caused by climate change could drive resource conflicts and migrations in vulnerable parts of the world. By addressing global warming, we can also help farmers avoid the most severe consequences of climate change. We're arming the new administration with facts, evidence, and science. Tell Uber & Lyft to be part of a clean transportation future. Urge the Senate to require employers follow science-based protections for workers and their communities. Author links open overlay panel Xiaoguang Yang a 1 Fu Chen b 1 Xiaomao Lin c Zhijuan Liu a Hailin Zhang b Jin Zhao a Kenan Li a Qing Ye a Yong Li a Shuo Lv a Peng Yang d e Wenbin Wu d e Zhengguo Li d e Rattan Lal f Huajun Tang d e. Show more. Recent polls show that most Americans strongly support congressional action to promote clean energy and tackle climate change. They do not include the directbenefits of climate policy arising from a more stable climate. Learn more. That is three times the number of jobs that would be created by producing the same amount of electricity from coal and natural gas. Call on Congress to prioritize science-based election reforms. We must halt the loss of biodiversity and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. "Instead, what we’re seeing is warmer winters, fewer days during winter where we get to negative 30 Fahrenheit.". One of the most obvious examples is cleaner air. While we cannot avoid some of these harms, lowering our emissions quickly would give us a chance to diminish them. Congress has begun the historic process of enacting legislation to reduce global warming emissions and transition the United States to a clean energy economy. Could climate change be a good thing? No purchase necessary. Bringing tropical deforestation to zero will contribute to both. Human-caused climate change is one of the threats to sustainability.. Higher temperatures and the associated stagnant air masses, interacting with pollution from vehicles and industry, are also expected to increase the frequency and intensity of conditions conducive to smog formation. Current global funding for adaptation is a fraction of this figure and access to these funds for developing countries is often lengthy and complex. While that will necessitate some adaptation, on the whole, the region should benefit. Droughts are growing more common and lasting longer. Climate change is one of the greatest threats to human health in the 21st century. Potential benefits of climate change for crop productivity in China. At the other extreme, the outcome might be increased productivity that pushes the … UCS estimates that investing in cleaner vehicles and a more efficient transportation system could cut our use of petroleum products by 6 million barrels a day— as much oil as we now import from PEC (the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries). By continuing, you accept our use of cookies. A warming climate would worsen these conditions, while lowering emissions can lessen their impact on low-income families. anywhere from 30% to over 100% of abatement costs). Our efforts to put the brakes on climate change or adapt to a warming climate present a fundamental tradeoff between costs borne today and benefits that accrue to the children and grandchildren of the current generation. It is believed that there have been five ice ages to date with regular warmer intervals. In general, communities all along North America's Great Lakes will be relatively shielded from climate change as the vast bodies of water should keep the region fairly temperate. Addressing global warming could lessen the threat to these water resources. "We’re not seeing worse heat waves or longer heat waves or more of those long nights that don’t fall below 75 degrees,” Dr. Kenneth Blumenfeld, a senior climatologist at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, told the New York Times. I will post rebuttals to the articles that criticised this piece below. Sveinung Rotevatn, Minister for Climate and the Environment of Norway said: “The world is facing several crises at the same time. As Earth's climate changes, here are three regions that could be big winners. Several recent studies show that acting quickly and decisively to address this challenge and shift our economy to An important note is that nuclear power and fossil fuel plants that produce electricity rely on vast quantities of water for cooling, while many climate-friendly renewable sources (excluding conventional biofuels) require far less water, leaving more for other purposes and making them better suited to a climate constrained world. It also … The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that, over the next two decades, U.S. farmers and rural landowners could earn $1.2 billion in new income through such steps. The energy choices we make today could make or break our ability to fight climate change. The United States must continue to expand its burgeoning clean energy industries—wind, solar, biomass, geothermal power, and efficient vehicles, among others—to keep pace with other countries. For example, as sources of water used for irrigation dry up, the costs of producing food could rise. And water prices could rise not only for farmers but also for industry and homeowners, especially in areas where growing populations are already putting stress on water resources, such as the southwest United States. The US continues to keep intercontinental ballistic missiles on high alert—creating the risk of a mistaken nuclear war in response to a false warning. 5 This corresponds to 0.2–0.8 per cent of global investment flows, or just 0.06–0.21 per cent of projected global GDP, in 2030. In making investments today that affect future generations’ prospects, we need to think carefully about how we value their welfare compared to our own. In addition, one study found that nearly twice as many people of color as the general population lack access to air conditioning, which could lead to more heat-related illnesses and deaths. Warming temperatures and growing acidification threaten oceans, lakes, and rivers, which sustain our fisheries. These effects occur directly, due to changes in temperature and precipitation and occurrence of heat waves, floods, droughts, and fires. Warmer waters are intensifying hurricanes and augmenting their rainfall. Prevents ice age. Climate change is one of the most devastating problems humanity has ever faced—and the clock is running out. Poorer populations are more likely to lack health insurance, and in urban areas are disproportionately exposed to ground-level ozone and airborne allergens, increasing the incidence of asthma and other respiratory diseases. If global warming continues unabated, extreme heat waves that now occur once every 20 years are projected to occur about every other year by the end of the century in much of the country. One study has estimated that, if emissions remain unchecked, losses related to just four areas—hurricane damages, energy costs, water costs, and residential costs stemming from sea-level rise—could equal 1.4 percent of GDP by 2025, and 1.9 percent of GDP by 2100. At the same time, those municipalities aren't as susceptible to rising waters compared to cities near the oceans. The future costs and benefits of climate change are uncertain and unevenly distributed. China—already the world’s largest producer of solar panels—recently committed to increasing its solar power capacity 15 times over by 2011, aiming for two gigawatts of installed capacity by that year. Share. Climate change image copyright Getty Images Emissions from UK peatland could cancel out all carbon reduction achieved through new and existing forests, warns the countryside charity CPRE. Some degree of adaptation may be possible—such as by changing crop types, planting dates, and irrigation and fertilizer practices; investing in livestock cooling systems; and taking advantage of crop insurance programs—but these adaptations, too, will likely come at considerable cost. Climate change is one of the most urgent issues of our day. Below are 10 reasons for strong action to promote clean energy and curb climate change. Investing in a low-carbon society and economy could create up to 1.5 million additional jobs by 2020. | Environment | The Guardian Since you can’t change what you don’t understand, this course is designed to equip health and environmental professionals, as well as other changemakers and the public, with critical and usable knowledge to take positive action. The plan says climate change poses risks to public health, endangers permafrost, and increases the likelihood of infections and natural disasters. Co-benefits of climate change mitigation as defined in the 4th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are the positive benefits related to the reduction of greenhouse gases. Moreover, many animal and plant species that provide us with important medicines and other products—in addition to having intrinsic value—could face extinction. These stresses have the potential to act as “threat multipliers,” raising the number of failed states. The effects of climate change span the physical environment, ecosystems and human societies. Sea levels are rising, causing entire islands to disappear and coastal cities to flood. Text "SCIENCE" to 662266 or sign up online. Terms and conditions. Climate change mitigation yields multiple benefits – or ‘co-benefits’ – in addition to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Because nature does not charge market prices for these services, we tend to greatly undervalue them. By leasing land for one utility-scale wind turbine, for instance, a farmer could earn $3,000 a year. Abstract. Marcelo Mena, the former environment minister of Chile, is on a mission to create a zero-emission economy in his country by 2050. Urban areas such as Philadelphia, Chicago, and Indianapolis will likely experience the worst effects. And these studies exclude or underestimate important mechanisms for containing these costs, such as greater efficiency, and ignore the savings that would come from avoiding many of the costs of climate change itself. Why isn’t it? These impacts, along with many others, are predicted to sap the world's economy by trillions of dollars over the next thirty years. In the end, even Tol's rosy outlook on the net costs and benefits of climate change acknowledges that by 2075, climate change will do net damage. Here's how. Studies show that it is feasible and affordable. Each of these effects can significantly raise costs. Strong policies to promote investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and clean transportation, as part of a comprehensive climate plan, will create the momentum to keep these industries internationally competitive. Tell President Biden: It is time for bold action on nuclear weapons. Finally, because the concentration of pollutants increases when water levels drop, water shortfalls could also lower water quality. Such cuts in emissions will also reduce the amount of mercury and other heavy metals—by-products of coal-fired power plants—that enter our air, water, and food. For GHG mitigation policies, co-benefits can best be defined as effects that are additional to direct reductions of GHG and impacts of climate change and have estimated to be large, relative to the costs of mitigation (e.g. While three-quarters of nations will take hits to their national economies, Canada is projected to see outsized benefits. The health of human populations is sensitive to shifts in weather patterns and other aspects of climate change (very high confidence). How much? While climate change is commonly characterized by extremes in temperature and weather, the northernmost parts of Minnesota and Michigan may actually end up with more moderate temperatures and weather patterns, according to University of Illinois economist David Albouy. For all these reasons, making swift and deep cuts in our emissions is a smart choice for the United States. But we will have to pick up the pace to stay competitive internationally. Clean energy investments can help. Canada. The duration of these benefits is unknown because, under unmitigated climate change, continued sea‐ice loss is expected to eventually have negative demographic and ecological effects on all polar bears. Perhaps no country on Earth stands to gain more from climate change than Canada. Many projections suggest that the low end of that temperature range could be breached by mid-century. put the nation on a path to cutting emissions by at least 80 percent by 2050 and require significant reductions in the near term as well, be comprehensive, combining a cap on carbon emissions with crucial policies that help us shift to more efficient and cleaner forms of energy and transportation, protect tropical forests and fund adaptation to climate change. These payments would equal about $1 billion per year from 2015 to 2020, and $15–$20 billion per year from 2040 to 2050. Are Humans the Major Cause of Global Warming? Using energy more efficiently and reducing global warming emissions would help all families—especially low-income families—lower their energy bills. The potential value of the co-benefits of climate action is large and insufficiently incorporated. Unfortunately, though, many of these benefits are short-term and are greatly overshadowed by the negative impacts that climate change brings. Co-benefits are the added benefits we get when we act to control climate change, above and beyond the direct benefits of a more stable climate. The poor in coastal and low-lying areas are also less likely to have insurance against losses from hurricanes and floods, and may be less able to relocate if necessary. Renewable energy has been one of the bright spots of the U.S. economy during these hard times. US electricity infrastructure is aging, inadequate, and vulnerable. Agricultural yields will likely fall in many of the globe's breadbasket regions. Land and Sea Ice Loss Ice is an important part of the global climate system because it reflects a large amount of solar radiation while also … Under an unchecked-emissions scenario, many farmers could face more frequent heavy rains and flooding in the spring, which delay planting; expanded ranges of agricultural pests; and rising temperatures, which stress plants and livestock and reduce yields. The greatest benefit from climate change comes not from temperature change but from carbon dioxide itself. (617) 547-5552. New plant, land animal, and fish species will also thrive in the region. Climate change will harm human health, and successful strategies to mitigate the extent of the change will restrict that harm. Text STOP to opt out. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that ACES would help households with income in the lowest fifth of the U.S. income distribution save $40 each year by 2020. 2. Make no mistake, human-caused climate change is an urgent global threat, one in which the consequences vastly outweigh the benefits. 1. 10 Animals That Surprisingly Benefit From Climate Change - … The costs of climate change for the economy and the society will be much higher than the costs of fighting climate change now. Lower water levels and higher temperatures in streams and rivers could diminish the capacity of hydropower and cause the collapse of some fisheries. But this benefit is a two-edged sword: weeds, many invasive plant species, and insect pests will also thrive in a warmer world. Water shortages have wide-ranging consequences. © Union of Concerned Scientists They are sometimes referred to as "multiple benefits" or "synergies". Marshall Burke, Deputy Director of the Center on Food Security and the Environment at Stanford University, calculated that Canada's average national income could swell by an astounding 247 percent! The election is over, but the crises are all still here. The IPCC has concluded with high confidence that, by mid-century, precipitation changes owing to climate change will mean that less water will be available in already arid parts of the world, including the western United States. 3. Sea levels are rising, causing entire islands to disappear and coastal cities to flood. Several recent studies show that acting quickly and decisively to address this challenge and shift our economy to clean energy will bring significant benefits to the United States—while also helping us avoid some of the worst consequences of unchecked global warming. Top military officials have warned for years that climate change could have serious ramifications for our nation’s security and increase the stress on our armed forces. 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