Climate Change
Climate Change Indicators in the United States
Indicators
The indicators in this report show that changes are occurring throughout the Earth's climate system, including increases in air and water temperatures, a rise in sea level, longer growing seasons, and longer ice-free periods on lakes and rivers. Changes such as these are expected to present a wide range of challenges to human society and natural ecosystems.
While species have adapted to environmental change for millions of years, climate change could require adaptation on larger and faster scales than current species have successfully achieved in the past.For society, increases in temperature are likely to increase heat-related illnesses and deaths, especially in urban areas. Changes in precipitation patterns will affect water supplies and quality, while more severe storms and floods will damage property and infrastructure (such as roads, bridges, and utilities) or cause loss of life. Rising sea levels will inundate low-lying lands, erode beaches, and cause flooding in coastal areas. Climate change also will affect agriculture, energy production and use, land use and development, and recreation.
Climate also plays an important role in natural ecosystems. An ecosystem is an interdependent system of plants, animals, and microorganisms interacting with one another and their environment. Ecosystems provide humans with food, clean water, and a variety of other services that could be affected by climate change. While species have adapted to environmental change for millions of years, climate change could require adaptation on larger and faster scales than current species have successfully achieved in the past. Climate change could also increase the risk of extinction for some species.
The more the climate changes, the greater the risk of harm. The nature and extent of climate change effects, and whether these effects will be harmful or beneficial, will vary by time and place. The extent to which climate change will affect different ecosystems, regions, and sectors of society will depend not only on the sensitivity of those systems to climate change, but also on their ability to adapt to or cope with climate change.