Environmental Issues: Global Warming

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All Documents in Global Warming Tagged consequences

Global Warming Basics
What it is, how it's caused, and what needs to be done to stop it.
FAQ

Answers to questions including: What causes global warming? How can we cut global warming pollution?

Consequences of Global Warming
Overview

A hotter planet means dirtier air and water, more severe floods and droughts, more wildfires and other serious consequences.

In Hot Water: Water Management Strategies to Weather the Effects of Global Warming
Water Management Strategies to Weather the Effects of Global Warming
Report

Drought and dry conditions withering the western United States are likely to persist and intensify, jeapordizing the region's water supply and water quality, compromising the health of rivers and lakes, and increasing the risk of flooding for Western communities. This NRDC report breaks new ground by analyzing the effects of global warming on a full range of water management tools and offering recommendations to meet the challenge.

Global Warming Science: An Annotated Bibliography
A summary of recent findings on the changing global climate.
Literature Review

In recent years, scientists have added considerably to the large body of evidence that shows that human activity is changing the global climate, raising temperatures and affecting ecosystems around the world.

Trout in Trouble
The Impacts of Global Warming on Trout in the Interior West
Issue Paper

Global warming is the single greatest threat to the survival of trout in America's interior west. If nothing is done to reduce human-produced greenhouse gas emissions, the primary culprit behind global warming, trout habitat in the Rocky Mountain region could be reduced by 50 percent or more by the end of the century, bringing serious economic consequences for those whose livelihoods depend on the fishing, recreation, and tourism industry.

The Cost of Climate Change
What We'll Pay if Global Warming Continues Unchecked
Report

New research shows that if present trends continue, the total cost of global warming will be as high as 3.6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Four global warming impacts alone -- hurricane damage, real estate losses, energy costs, and water costs -- will come with a price tag of 1.8 percent of U.S. GDP, or almost $1.9 trillion annually (in today's dollars) by 2100. The longer we wait, the more painful -- and expensive -- the consequences will be.

Hotter and Drier
The West's Changed Climate
Report

Human activities are already changing the climate of the American West. This report by the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization (RMCO) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) shows how the West is being affected more by a changed climate than any other part of the United States outside of Alaska. Embracing available solutions at all levels of government is critical to minimizing further disruption of this region’s climate and economy.

Sneezing and Wheezing
How Global Warming Could Increase Ragweed Allergies, Air Pollution and Asthma
Issue Paper

Global warming isn't just making our planet hotter. Scientific studies have also shown that our changing climate could mean more ozone pollution in some areas, intensifying health problems stemming from allergenic pollen such as ragweed. NRDC research, the first to map areas within the United States where ragweed and unhealthy ozone pollution overlap, shows that 110 million Americans live in areas with both ragweed and ozone problems.

Global Warming Threatens Wildlife
Climate change threatens species from your backyard to the Arctic.
Index

Global warming is pushing wildlife over the brink. From melting sea-ice throughout the Arctic to increases in infectious diseases and loss of food, evidence of the impacts of global warming on wildlife is mounting. This index collects fact sheets on global warming's effects on threatened species.

Losing Ground: Western National Parks Endangered by Climate Disruption
Report

National parks in the American West face an unprecedented threat from climate change. Rising temperatures, prolonged drought, severe wildfires and diminished snowfall are already affecting these parks; without action to curb climate change, cherished Western landscapes could be drastically altered.

Global Warming Puts the Arctic on Thin Ice
Answers to questions about the Arctic's shrinking ice cap and its global significance.
FAQ

Answers to questions including: What kinds of changes are taking place in the Arctic now? Will Arctic ice melt have any effects beyond the polar region? Can we do anything to stop global warming?

Heat Advisory
How Global Warming Causes More Bad Air Days
Report

Comprehensive analysis by medical experts showing that global warming would cause more summertime smog and higher pollen levels, which in turn might bring more asthma attacks, more hospitalizations, and limitations on time outdoors.

Feeling the Heat in Florida
Global Warming on the Local Level
Report

Accelerated climate change may seem like a remote concern to most Floridians, but in fact, global warming threatens the beautiful coastal communities and tourist-driven prosperity the state is known for. This October 2001 NRDC report finds that global warming in Florida will lead to coastal floods, saltwater contamination of underground drinking water supplies, more frequent wildfires, declining crop yields, and severe deterioration of the state's unique Everglades and coral-reef ecosystems. While the worst effects won't come for several decades, the report makes it clear that state officials should begin preparing now and reduce the pollution that causes global warming.

Polar Thaw: Global Warming in the Arctic and Antarctic
Photographs from 'World View of Global Warming' by Gary Braasch
Photo Album

Award-winning photographer Gary Braasch undertook his 'World View of Global Warming' project to document the impacts of global climate change, continent by continent. These photographs illustrate his visits to the Earth's polar caps, where temperature changes have so far been the most pronounced.

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