Today, the U.S. government released the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5), which is the latest governmental and scientific look at the state of our climate.
Assessment of Climate Conditions in the United States
This report is one of the key tasks of the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), which was carried out under the requirements of climate change research in the Global Change Research Act of 1990. The White House describes the latest version – along with the accompanying interactive site, podcast, brand new mapping tool, and the first-ever online art exhibition – as the trusted and definitive assessment of how the country is addressing climate change.
Impact of Extreme Weather Events on Americans
The new report clarifies that extreme events like droughts, heatwaves, hurricanes, and wildfires are still increasing in intensity, scope, and frequency, thanks to human-caused climate change (according to the increasing evidence).
Impact of Flooding on Black Communities
As these extreme events increase, they will affect some communities more than others. Reports indicate that neighborhoods inhabited by racial minorities and low-income individuals have the highest exposure to inland flooding in the South, and Black communities are expected to bear a disproportionate share of flood-related damages in the future – whether coastal or inland.
Impact of Climate Change on Health
In addition to the obvious physical damages from increasing climate events, climate change affects humans more subtly, including rising warm periods and deteriorating air quality. The report confirms that the health risks posed by climate change include increased rates of heat-related illnesses and deaths, an expansion of infectious diseases in some geographic areas, greater exposure to poor air quality, increased rates of negative pregnancy outcomes, and rising rates of respiratory, neurological, and cardiovascular diseases, along with worsening mental health. These risks affect all residents of the United States but have disproportionate impacts on communities and individuals with limited and stressful resources, such as pregnant women, communities of color, children, individuals with disabilities, homeless individuals, those with chronic illnesses, and the elderly.
Indigenous Empowerment Related to Climate Change
According to the report, climate change solutions should include the voices and practices of Indigenous communities in the country. The report states that many Indigenous people are environmental scientists, possessing a comprehensive understanding of the interconnected factors of climate change and evidence of climate-related changes and adaptation strategies. Over generations, Indigenous peoples have focused their knowledge of climate change within their cultures, political organizations, and arts.
Climate Justice is Possible
The fifth climate assessment report illustrates the evolving understanding of climate change and the progress of climate science, including how the slow response of government and industry to the movement has exacerbated environmental, economic, and social inequalities. It also points out how positive policies in areas such as displacement, migration, urban green infrastructure, and the transition to more sustainable energy can negatively and disproportionately affect low-income and communities of color.
Despite the growing tendency toward feelings of political and environmental frustration, the report’s authors conclude that climate justice – a human rights approach to climate solutions that focuses on historical and current inequalities to create equal access to jobs, environmental goods, and quality of life – remains very achievable, with an emphasis on comprehensive climate mitigation strategies and a just transition to a green economy.
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