NYT: Dangerously Dry
These excellent graphics highlighted in the New York Times yesterday show a sharp spike in “extreme” and “exceptional” drought conditions in the southern United States for 2011. Unfortunately, such droughts are a sign of the weather conditions we can expect to become the “new normal” in the coming decades, especially if climate-changing emissions continue on their current trajectory.
2011’s exceptional drought conditions are only the beginning. As demonstrated in ASP’s recent report, Pay Now Pay Later, each state will feel the impact of climate change on economy, agriculture, and public health. For example, Texas, a state hit hard by this year’s drought conditions, has an agriculture and livestock industry worth $21 billion annually, and harsher, drier weather could cause Texan net agricultural income to fall by 16-29% over the next two decades (Pay Now, Pay Later, click on Texas).
The tourism industries across the United States can also expect to be impacted, especially as sea level rise and increasingly severe storms wreck havoc on our beautiful coastlines (highly popular with tourists). Furthermore, climate change will impact American public health, with lost productivity and premature deaths resulting from increased incidences of heat stroke and respiratory diseases such as asthma.
The New York Times post should serve as a compelling warning sign. After all, we can adapt to climate change, and the benefits of investing to prepare now far outweigh the costs.
