5-Month Summers, Hotter Days, 5K More Wildfire Deaths: Severe CA Climate Change Arriving Faster Than Forecast
A new state climate report warns California could face longer summers, deadlier wildfire smoke, and rising flood risks sooner than expected. The California's Fifth Climate Change Assessment has warned that severe climate change is arriving faster than predicted, with about 42% of California’s population expected to experience extreme heat and wildfire smoke simultaneously in 2020. The average temperature is projected to rise 3.5 to 4.3 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050 compared to the 1981-2010 average, and longer summers and shorter winters could disrupt water supplies, agriculture, and seasonal patterns. The assessment also identified gaps in protection from the heat, with 15% to 20% of public schools estimated to lack mechanical heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems. The costs of wildfire-related expenses are already reaching households through utility bills, accounting for about 5 cents of the roughly 6.2-cent increase in statewide electricity costs per kilowatt-hour between 2019 and 2024. The report also highlighted sharp swings between wet and dry extremes, a pattern the assessment calls “climate whiplash” and suggested that annual precipitation totals could be similar to today. It also highlighted ways to reduce floodwater onto floodplains and flood floodplaining.
Publicados : 9 horas atrás por Chris Lindahl no Health Environment
The findings appear in the summary of California’s Fifth Climate Change Assessment, released this week. The assessment combines new research and studies to help communities prepare for climate risks. ... [5794 symbols]
Tópicos: Climate Change, Wildfires, ESG
