The EPA just released its new report, Climate Change in the United States: Benefits of Global Action, a hugely significant piece of research that estimates the physical and monetary benefits to the U.S. of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.
Based on the results from the Climate Change Impacts and Risks Analysis (CIRA) project, this is a peer-reviewed study "comparing impacts in a future with significant global action on climate change to a future in which current greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise."
In other words, this study gives us a clear understanding of a future in a world created by climate delayers and deniers versus a future in a world created by informed and immediate action based on scientific facts and consensus.
The entire report is massive and comprehensive, ranging from Health, Infrastructure and Electricity to Water Resources, Agriculture and Forestry, and Ecosystems.
Here's a nice video teaser:
Now, we know that there are certain exotic species in this country who don't give a shit about facts or science, some of them wanting to abolish the EPA altogether. But we also know that when you've lost the pope in the fairy tale department, your science and climate denial is on its last puff on the coal pipe.
So from now on the focus must be on dealing with reality and what to do about it, and this is where the CIRA project is making a huge contribution by presenting a whole systems look at the problem, thus helping policy makers understand where to make the most meaningful inroads to both reduction of emissions as well as mitigation.
In this report, the benefits (or disbenefits) of global GHG mitigation are assessed as the difference between the physical impacts and economic damages in futures with and without mitigation policy, using multiple models driven by a consistent set of climatic, socioeconomic, and technological scenarios. In addition, the role of adaptation is modeled for some of the sectors to explore the potential for risk reduction and, where applicable, to quantify the costs associated with adaptive actions.
This multi-model framework estimates the impacts and damages to the human health and welfare of people in the U.S., which should be the Number 1 priority of any true patriot. To be sure, this is not some fuzzy-warm earth-love manifesto (though ultimately it is), but a cold hard assessment of the monetary and material loss Americans are bound to face from continued inaction.
For many sectors, the projected benefits of mitigation are substantial; for example, in 2100 mitigation is projected to result in cost savings of $4.2-$7.4 billion associated with avoided road maintenance. Global GHG mitigation is also projected to avoid the loss of 230,000-360,000 acres of coldwater fish habitat across the country compared to a future without emissions reductions.
And yes, it's about plain survival.
Global GHG mitigation is projected to have a substantial effect on reducing the incidence of extreme temperature and precipitation events by the end of the century, as well as the impacts to humans and the environment associated with these extreme events.
For example, by 2100 mitigation is projected to avoid 12,000 deaths annually associated with extreme temperatures in 49 U.S. cities, compared to a future with no emission reductions. Inclusion of the entire U.S. population would greatly increase the number of avoided deaths, while accounting for adaptation could reduce this number.
Just look at the
Introduction and Summary of Key Findings (PDF) and you'll get the gist.
Thank you to all the hard working women and men at the EPA for getting on the most important ball of our time that so many of our representatives have been and continue to be dropping!