In the United States, the country is facing a range of risks and threats because of Climate Change. With the rising temperature and sea levels, there are more frequent extreme weather events and the impacts of Climate Change are being felt across the entire country and throughout the world.
The most significant impact of climate change in the United States is mostly the increase in temperature. Over the past century, the average temperature in the United States has shown an increase of about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit. Due to the increase in temperature, there is an increase in heatwaves that are causing more intense wildfires to erupt along with severe droughts. With these conditions continuing, it will cause a severe impact on the environment and human health.
Another major impact of climate change in the United States is sea level rise. When the temperature continues to rise, glaciers and ice sheets melt, causing the sea level to rise. With the sea level rising, it causes problems for coastal communities, which leads to flooding and erosion that will increase tsunamis and hurricanes. Extreme weather events are also becoming more violent and severe in the United States such as heatwaves, droughts, hurricanes, and flooding which are becoming common. In the year 2020, the United States experienced a record-breaking hurricane season, with 30 named storms though only 13 of them made landfall. These storms caused so much damage and billions of dollars of repairs needed to be done. Also there were many lost lives in the process.
Furthermore, the physical impacts of climate change are having economic impacts on the United States. The cost of recovering from extreme weather will be ginormous because individuals, businesses, and governments can have a very long-term economic impact and consequences. Many vulnerable populations like low-income communities are most impacted by extreme weather or climate-related risks as well. Places that are more vulnerable to floods and droughts will have fewer resources, and less help to support them.
Overall, the biggest risks, and threats that the United States is facing from the results of climate change are physical and economic impacts. The best way to have less damage due to climate change, is to have the government start building resilience to the changes.
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