Download Climate Change Impacts and Adapting to Change

Climate Change Impacts and
Adapting to Change
Impacts of a Changing Climate
• The changing climate impacts society and
ecosystems in a broad variety of ways.
• climate change can:
– increase or decrease rainfall
– influence agricultural crop yields
– affect human health
– cause changes to forests and other ecosystems
– impact our energy supply.
Impacts in the Northeast
• Northeast: includes dense cities and sparsely populated
towns from the coast to inland plateaus and mountains.
Climate varies as much as geography.
• Climate changes:
– since 1970 average temperature has risen 2 degrees F and
average winter temp has risen 4 degrees F
– Heavy precipitation events increased in magnitude and
frequency
– Winter precipitation now occurs mostly as rain rather than
snow
Precipitation and Sea Level Rise
• Increase in heavy precipitation will likely be
accompanied by a sea level rise
• Less precipitation in the form of snow will likely result
in more frequent, damaging floods (especially Virginia
Beach/Norfolk/Hampton Roads region)
• Sea level rise, storm surges, erosion, and the
destruction of important coastal ecosystems will likely
contribute to an increase in coastal flooding events
• Damages to coastal property and infrastructure could
impact the insurance industry; many insurers refuse to
insure coastal residences and businesses
Past and projected global average sea level. The gray shaded area shows the estimates
of sea level change from 1800 to 1870 when measurements were not available. The
red line is a reconstruction of sea level change measured by tide gauges with the
surrounding shaded area depicting the uncertainty. The green line shows sea level
change as measured by satellite.
Hurricanes and Extreme Storms in
Virginia
• As they generate power from warm, moist air
over warm ocean waters, hurricanes are
becoming more intense as climate change
continues to increase ocean temperatures
• The frequency of the most intense Category 4
and 5 storms would be expected to increase by
80 percent by 2080
• Historically, no Category 4 or Category 5
hurricane has ever struck in Virginia but climate
change is making it more likely that one will
eventually do so.
Impacts on Human Health
• Ozone and smog formation is likely to increase In
areas that currently face problems with smog;
inhabitants are likely to experience more days
that fail to meet air quality standards
• More frequent heat waves and lower air quality
can threaten the health of vulnerable people
• Big cities are likely to experience some of the
highest numbers of heat-related illnesses and
deaths
Impacts on Human
• Extreme precipitation events
Health cont.
could increase the risks of
waterborne illnesses caused by
sewage overflows and pollutants
entering the water supply
• Increase in heavy rains creates
favorable conditions for the
breeding of mosquitoes that
carry West Nile and warmer
weather favors ticks that carry
Lyme disease
• Extreme storms can damage
dams, levees and bridges which
could result in fatalities
Impacts on Agriculture and Food
Supply
Types of Crops
• Northeast may become
unsuitable for growing
some fruits (apples,
blueberries), grains &
soybeans
• Cranberries, a staple in
some areas, may no longer
grow and maple syrup
production may not be
possible
Cranberry Harvest in New Jersey
Impacts on Agriculture and Food
Supply
Dairy Production
• Important to Northeast’s
agricultural economy
• Increased temperatures will
reduce milk yields and slow
weight gain in dairy cows
• Cows could experience heat
stress as nights get warmer
and loss of cattle could
result
Impacts on Virginia’s Natural
Environment
• The Chesapeake Bay and other estuaries are
incredibly valuable recreational and economic
resources in Virginia (fisheries, recreational
uses, ecological functions)
• Over the course of this century, scientists
predict that the CO2 content of Bay waters
will increase by 50-150 percent, leading to
higher acidity
• Water temperatures will rise by two to six degrees C
and water levels will increase by 0.7 to 1.6 meters
and possibly much more if emissions grow rapidly.
• Storm intensities in the watershed and some
seasonal inflows from higher precipitation and runoff
are likely to increase as well.
• More than 50 percent of estuarine beaches and
25 percent of ocean beaches on Virginia’s eastern
shore will disappear
• Consequences:
– Loss of nesting areas (endangered sea turtles)
– Loss of wetlands and marshes (66% of fish species rely
on these for nursery and spawning grouds)
– Sport-fishing industry (generates 1.5 billion per year)
– Salinity levels will increase and affect many species
– Intense storms will wash more non-point pollution
into the Bay (eutrophication)
Impacts on Tourism in Virginia
• An important sector of the economy that will
suffer from these environmental impacts is
the tourism and travel industry
• This is Virginia’s 5th largest employer
Jamestown
Island could be
completely inundated
Virginia Tourism
• The industry generated
287,700 jobs in 2010
• Total expenditures by
tourists in 2010
exceeded $31 billion
• This industry is at risk as
climate change
threatens many
vacation destinations
Virginias Action Plan
• In 2007 Climate Change Commission was formed
to consider the potential impacts of climate
change on the state and to recommend specific
actions both to mitigate and to adapt to those
impacts
• They put forward a Climate Change Action Plan in
December 2008
• It contained many recommendations for costeffective actions to:
• improve energy efficiency
• mitigate and sequester greenhouse gas emissions
• promote effective adaptation
Virginias Action • The Action Plan recognized
that despite these
Plan Cont’d
opportunities for action
within Virginia, climate
change is a problem that
requires national and
international action as well
as state and local
participation
• The rising risks to Virginia’s
economy, its people and its
irreplaceable natural
resources cannot be avoided