Impact of Climate Change

A draft report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change forecasts declining crop yields amid increasing demand for food and thus leading the world to greater risk of violent conflict.  That as well as other disasters.

Also, the United States government data website now has a section devoted to climate.

Update (March 28):  An interview with meteorologist Forbes Tompkins about the IPCC report.

Update (March 29):  More about the report from The Guardian and here.

Update (March 30):  Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability is officially released. Articles in the Washington Post and by AP and BBC cover the story.

Update (March 31):  This is kind of tough--eating less meat helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions and mitigate climate change.  More on the IPCC report.  And Lindsay Abrams lists five reasons for concern:

1. The global economy is going to take a hit.

2. Climate extremes put health — and lives — at risk. 

3. An increase in conflict and violence threatens global security. 

4. The quantity and quality of food will be affected. 

5. The threats to wildlife are legion.

Update (April 5):  Exxon-Mobil isn't worried about the impact of climate change on profits.  While "[t]he risk of climate change is clear and the risk warrants action" according to William Colton, vice president of corporate strategic planning, one of Exxon's reports states:

The scenario where governments restrict hydrocarbon production in a way to reduce GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions 80 per cent during the outlook period [to 2040] is highly unlikely.

Update (August 5):  Larry Schwartz runs down six impacts we'll be living with:  heat waves, drought, rising sea levels, extinction, stronger storms, and food shortages.

Update (September 4, 2015):  A study published in Nature finds that dry climatic zones are expanding while polar and tundra zones are shrinking.

Update (March 21, 2018):  In view of the fact that animal agriculture is the leading driver of climate change, a Greenpeace report states that

global meat and dairy production and consumption must be cut in half by 2050 to avoid dangerous climate change.

Update (July 2, 2018):  A report published in Science called Reducing Food’s Environmental Impacts Through Producers and Consumers finds that industrial agriculture is "degrading terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, depleting water resources, and driving climate change".