Climate change is arguably the most significant and far reaching environmental problem facing the United States and the entire world today. Average temperatures in America have increased by approximately 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit since 1900 and the last decade has been the hottest on record. The United States is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world producing approximately 5 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent annually. Scientists warn that without dramatic emission reductions US temperatures could rise by an additional 3 to 7 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100.
The impacts of climate change are already being felt across every region of the United States in dramatic and costly ways. Sea levels are rising threatening coastal communities in Florida Louisiana and along the eastern seaboard where millions of Americans live and work. Extreme weather events including hurricanes heat waves droughts and flooding are becoming more frequent and more severe causing billions in damage. Wildfires are burning more acres than ever before particularly in western states destroying homes communities and millions of acres of forest.
The economic cost of climate change in America is staggering with natural disasters causing over 100 billion dollars in damage in recent years. Agriculture is being disrupted as changing temperatures and rainfall patterns affect crop yields and livestock production across the country. Water supplies are shrinking in western states as snowpack decreases and rivers like the Colorado carry less water to cities and farms that depend on them.