Scientists are more certain now that people everywhere are vulnerable to extreme climate events, though poor, marginalized populations are most vulnerable, says Working Group II (WG2) in its contribution to the Fifth Assessment Report released Monday in Japan by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
WG2 finds that the impacts of climate change are happening here, now and everywhere. They are being felt on every continent and ocean. The report makes clear that the costs of inaction, or delayed action, are substantial and that the time to take action to avert extreme climate change is now.
Also:
- High temperatures have been shown to increase mortality and morbidity. Climate warming will lead to continuing health stresses related to extreme high temperatures, particularly for the northern parts of North America.
- The impact of climate change on global agriculture has been and will continue to be negative. Food production is being affected by climate change in several regions, with increased production in some areas, decreased in others. Overall though, scientists are confident that the negative impacts are more common than the positive ones.
- One-meter sea level rise combined with a 7-meter storm surge could inundate over half of the highways, arterials, and rail lines in the US Gulf Coast.
- Insurance claims have and are expected to increase significantly due to climate change as more people and assets are located in areas of high risk, especially along coasts. Consequently, the price of insurance has increased in regions where the risk of loss and damage has increased.
Time to take action now!
