The U.S. climate crisis is worse than what Americans and government officials expect. This was revealed by the new government report, the National Climate Assessment.
For those who are not familiar with NCA, this report is released once every four to five years to show the status of the alarming global warming in the U.S.
Now, a new NCA was released on Tuesday, Nov. 14, revealing new details about the climate change's impacts in the United States. Here's what it states.
Worsening US Warming Climate
According to Fortune's latest report, the warming climate in the United States is happening at an alarming rate.
The National Climate Assessment specifically confirmed that the temperature in the U.S. is rising 60% faster compared to the rest of the world.
Based on the report, the Lower 48 states have warmed by 2.5 degrees since 1970. Meanwhile, Alaska's temperature increased by up to 4.2 degrees.
This is higher compared to the global average of 1.7 degrees temperature increase.
Zeke Hausfather, an environmental expert from Berkley Earth and the tech firm Stripe, explained that they are seeing an acceleration of climate change impacts in the U.S. because of wildfire, drought, heat waves, and heavy downpours.
Numerous climate change experts are now concerned since the worsening global warming will not only affect people physically and the environment.
This natural crisis will also cause harm to humans' mental, spiritual, and community health, as well as well-being.
They explained that the worsening warming climate will further increase the intensity and frequency of extreme natural disasters and events, as well as lead to more infectious and vector-borne diseases.
The climate crisis can also lead to drastic food and water quality and security declines.
Read also: 'Frozen in Time:' Scientists Discover Ancient River Hidden Beneath East Antarctic Ice Sheet
Americans Will Personally Feel Climate Impacts
CNN reported that what the National Climate Assessment revealed is a clear sign that Americans will personally feel the climate impacts, especially in their own communities.
Katharine Hayhoe, a notable Texas Tech University climate researcher, said that climate change is now affecting "every aspect of our lives."
The National Climate Assessment serves as a wake-up call to the U.S. and other parts of the globe that climate change is not something to be disregarded.
NCA explained that although climate change can't directly create hurricanes, wildfires, droughts, and other extreme natural events, this environmental crisis can make them worse; more intense, and more frequent.
