WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement on Tuesday on the findings of the third U.S. National Climate Assessment. The assessment is the most comprehensive scientific study ever generated to examine the impacts of climate change on individual U.S. regions and major sectors of the economy.
“While scientists have warned for decades about the growing threat of climate change, its effects on our communities are becoming increasingly tangible. The third U.S. National Climate Assessment confirms what we have already begun to see in Delaware, that sea level rise, storm surge, and extreme precipitation events linked to climate change have real and devastating consequences for our communities. From diminished crop yields to inundated roads and railways, climate impacts touch every aspect of our daily lives and livelihoods. By breaking these impacts down by region and sector, this new assessment will help communities and businesses across the country identify precise threats, pinpoint vulnerabilities, and better plan for the challenges ahead.
“In Delaware, we have already begun taking important steps to prepare for and mitigate the effects of climate change. Under the leadership of Governor Markell and Secretary O’Mara, our state conducted its own climate impact assessment this year, using its findings to inform new strategies for adaptation and preparedness at the state and local level. Delaware is also a participant in the Northeast’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a cooperative effort that has already reduced our region’s carbon footprint. Data generated by the third National Climate Assessment will help our region continue to collaborate on efforts to lessen the shared burdens of climate change, and I hope it will prompt other communities across the country to do the same.”
A team of more than 300 experts guided by a 60-member Federal Advisory Committee produced the National Climate Assessment, which was extensively reviewed by experts from federal agencies and a panel of the National Academy of Sciences. The report, developed over four years, represents the most authoritative and comprehensive knowledge available on the impacts of climate change in the U.S. You can read the full report here: http://www.globalchange.gov/