Muckraker: Grist on Politics

Scientists from the U.S. EPA and U.S. Climate Change Science Program issued a new report today documenting the effects of global climate change on human health and human systems. It follows close on the heels of another report released earlier this week by EPA scientists on global warming and human health.

“Climate change will affect where people choose to live, work, and play,” the 237-page report states. Among the most likely effects will be increased intensity and frequency of precipitation, heat waves, droughts, and tropical storms; more extreme temperatures at both ends of the spectrum; sea-level rise; and increased potential for flooding. The report also provides details about the impacts climate change is expected to have on each region of the country, which the group Resource Media has highlighted and explained.

“In response to these anticipated changes, the United States may develop and deploy strategies for mitigating greenhouse gases and for adapting to unavoidable individual and collective impacts of climate change,” the report’s authors conclude.