Climate Change Impacts to the United States: Hearing Before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, One Hundred Sixth Congress, Second Session, July 18, 2000, Volume 4

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Page 9 - Falling prices and competitive pressures are very likely to stress some farmers, while benefiting consumers. 6. Near-term increase in forest growth. Forest productivity is likely to increase over the next several decades in some areas as trees respond to higher carbon dioxide levels. Over the longer term, changes in larger-scale processes such as fire, insects, droughts, and disease will possibly decrease forest productivity. In addition, climate change is likely to cause long-term shifts in forest...
Page 9 - Drought is an important concern in every region. Floods and water quality are concerns in many regions. Snow-pack changes are especially important in the West, Pacific Northwest, and Alaska. 5. Secure food supply. At the national level, the agriculture sector is likely to be able to adapt to climate change. Overall, US crop productivity is very likely to increase over the next few decades, but the gains will not be uniform across the nation. Falling prices and competitive pressures are very likely...
Page 9 - ... of climate change. A few, such as alpine meadows in the Rocky Mountains and some barrier islands, are likely to disappear entirely in some areas. Others, such as forests of the Southeast, are likely to experience major species shifts or break up into a mosaic of grasslands, woodlands, and forests. The goods and services lost through the disappearance or fragmentation of certain ecosystems are likely to be costly or impossible to replace. 4. Widespread water concerns Water is an issue in every...
Page 10 - ... findings. We want to thank all of you especially for devoting your time and effort to this important effort; we know it has involved much more than any of you first thought, but we believe the product is also a very significant contribution to the Nation s future. Jerry Melillo Anthony Janetos Thomas Karl National Assessment Synthesis Team Members Jerry M. Melillo, Co-chair Ecosystems Center Marine Biological Laboratory Anthony C. Janetos, Co-chair World Resources Institute Thomas R. Karl, Co-chair...
Page 8 - US will rise 5-10°F (3-5°C) on average in the next 100 years. 2. Differing regional impacts. Climate change will vary widely across the US. Temperature increases will vary somewhat from one region to the next. Heavy and extreme precipitation events are likely to become more frequent, yet some regions will get drier. The potential impacts of climate change will also vary widely across the nation. 3. Vulnerable ecosystems. Many ecosystems are highly vulnerable to the projected rate and magnitude...
Page 10 - Janetos, Co-chair World Resources Institute Thomas R. Karl, Co-chair NOAA National Climatic Data Center Robert Corell (from January 2000) American Meteorological Society and Harvard University Eric J. Barron Pennsylvania State University Virginia Burkett USGS National Wetlands Research Center Thomas F. Cecich Glaxo Wellcome Inc. Katharine Jacobs Arizona Department of Water Resources Linda Joyce USDA Forest Service Barbara Miller World Bank M. Granger Morgan Carnegie Mellon University Edward A. Parson...
Page 9 - ... Significant uncertainties remain in the science underlying regional climate changes and their impacts. Further research would improve understanding and our ability to project societal and ecosystem impacts, and provide the public with additional useful information about options for adaptation. However, it is likely that some aspects and impacts of climate change will be totally unanticipated as complex systems respond to ongoing climate change in unforeseeable ways.
Page 14 - X X X X purification, and protection of coastal lands. Ecosystems around the nation are likely to be affected, from the forests of the Northeast to the coral reefs of the islands in the Caribbean and the Pacific. Agriculture and Forestry Likely to Benefit in the Near Term In agriculture and forestry, there are likely to be benefits due to climate change and rising CO2 levels at the national scale and in the short term under the scenarios analyzed here. At the regional scale and in the longer term,...
Page 6 - What research is most important to complete over the short term? Over the long term? • What coping options exist that can build resilience to current environmental simultaneously build resilience and flexibility for the various sectors considering both the short and long-term implications?
Page 6 - The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was jointly established by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme in 1988...

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