Global warming will mostly affect poor people, or people in other places, so I don't have to worry about me, my family and friends being affected.I am reluctant to admit that I think this attitude underlies the indifference that some people have to global warming. But I do think it does. When one is in the heartland of America, it can seem very far from Bangladesh. However, I want to remind everyone that there is a reason it is called global warming, and that there are expected to be significant effects on all people all over the world. Some of these effects are detailed below, with a focus on the effect on Americans in particular.
Extensive damage to major U.S. cities. The sea level has already risen by 20 centimeters, or about 8 inches (left panel above). This may not sound like much, but the rate of rise is expected to accelerate as ice melts and increased temperatures expand the ocean. The rise in sea level coupled with the increased severity of storms in the eastern half of the U.S. means that hurricane storm surges are expected to sweep over low-lying areas in many cities and towns. This includes areas in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and all along the East Coast, including New York. There will be increased costs to all American taxpayers for repairing the damage and from the loss in income from economic production in damaged areas, including loss of tourism.
Increased food costs due to climate change. Drought is already affecting the West, and is expected to worsen (right panels above). The potential loss of agriculture in the California central valley will drive up the cost of vegetables. Drought over the West will cause a drop in livestock production, increasing the cost of meat.
The instability of the weather and local extreme changes in climate will affect food production worldwide. Some of the negative effects may be offset by increased agricultural production in some regions due to increases in growing season and rainfall. However, the net effect is expected to be negative. Other increases in costs, e.g., in lumber, are expected due to the loss of forests due to climate change (right panel above).
Increased costs for security and humanitarian relief. As disaster strikes many areas, there will be increased costs to provide aid to stricken regions, especially for long-term recovery. There are expected to be increased costs for our armed forces to defend ourselves and other nations from people and nations who have been damaged, and who may attack neighboring groups or nations who appear to be more prosperous. There will be increased pressure on our hearts and on our (porous) borders from refugees from disaster areas. Armed combat and terrorism are expected to increase due to aggravation of conflicts over limited resources coupled with old grievances.
Unforeseen consequences. Climate change, especially when abrupt, is likely to cause consequences which are simply not foreseen or foreseeable. Climate change skeptics like to point out that in the 70s some scientists (and others) were worried about a coming ice age due to the observed decline in global temperature in previous centuries (section 6). To me, this just illustrates the problem of predicting the future, and the potential for unforeseen consequences. Few then realized that the human-caused increase in carbon dioxide would overwhelm the cooling trend (some did, and said so!). The rise in CO2 which saved us from an ice age now threatens to cause even worse problems. It is a classic case of unforeseen consequences.
Extensive damage to major U.S. cities. The sea level has already risen by 20 centimeters, or about 8 inches (left panel above). This may not sound like much, but the rate of rise is expected to accelerate as ice melts and increased temperatures expand the ocean. The rise in sea level coupled with the increased severity of storms in the eastern half of the U.S. means that hurricane storm surges are expected to sweep over low-lying areas in many cities and towns. This includes areas in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and all along the East Coast, including New York. There will be increased costs to all American taxpayers for repairing the damage and from the loss in income from economic production in damaged areas, including loss of tourism.
Increased food costs due to climate change. Drought is already affecting the West, and is expected to worsen (right panels above). The potential loss of agriculture in the California central valley will drive up the cost of vegetables. Drought over the West will cause a drop in livestock production, increasing the cost of meat.
The instability of the weather and local extreme changes in climate will affect food production worldwide. Some of the negative effects may be offset by increased agricultural production in some regions due to increases in growing season and rainfall. However, the net effect is expected to be negative. Other increases in costs, e.g., in lumber, are expected due to the loss of forests due to climate change (right panel above).
Increased costs for security and humanitarian relief. As disaster strikes many areas, there will be increased costs to provide aid to stricken regions, especially for long-term recovery. There are expected to be increased costs for our armed forces to defend ourselves and other nations from people and nations who have been damaged, and who may attack neighboring groups or nations who appear to be more prosperous. There will be increased pressure on our hearts and on our (porous) borders from refugees from disaster areas. Armed combat and terrorism are expected to increase due to aggravation of conflicts over limited resources coupled with old grievances.
Unforeseen consequences. Climate change, especially when abrupt, is likely to cause consequences which are simply not foreseen or foreseeable. Climate change skeptics like to point out that in the 70s some scientists (and others) were worried about a coming ice age due to the observed decline in global temperature in previous centuries (section 6). To me, this just illustrates the problem of predicting the future, and the potential for unforeseen consequences. Few then realized that the human-caused increase in carbon dioxide would overwhelm the cooling trend (some did, and said so!). The rise in CO2 which saved us from an ice age now threatens to cause even worse problems. It is a classic case of unforeseen consequences.
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