Starting in March 2016, if state governors want to receive disaster-preparedness funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, new guidelines will require them to approve hazard-mitigation plans that address climate change.
While FEMA's guidelines don't affect federal money for relief after a hurricane, flood or other natural disaster, it could certainly push some Republican governors who are skeptical of anthropogenic climate science to rethink their stance. In the past five years, FEMA has awarded an average of $1 billion a year in grants to states for mitigating effects of disasters, according to Inside Climate News. These projects range from raising buildings out of floodplains to building safe rooms.
To be eligible to receive some of that money, states will now be required to assess how climate change threatens their communities, including "consideration of changing environmental or climate conditions that may affect and influence the long-term vulnerability from hazards in the state," according to the guidelines.
The climate change requirement wasn't included in FEMA's 2008 guidelines, but now, those governors who have denied the validity of man-made climate change or refused to take action - New Jersey's Chris Christie, Florida's Rick Scott, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Greg Abbot of Texas, and Pat McCrory of North Carolina - stand to lose millions of dollars.
Between 2010 and 2014, Louisiana received the most money from FEMA for hazard mitigation - nearly $1.1 billion. New Jersey received the third most, with nearly $379 million, and Texas fourth with almost $343 million, according to Inside Climate News.
FEMA decided to include the new gubernatorial clause in order "raise awareness and support for implementing the actions in the mitigation strategy and increasing statewide resilience to natural hazards," according to FEMA spokeswoman Susan Hendrick, reported Inside Climate News.
The agency said it "recognizes there exists inherent uncertainty about future conditions, and will work with states to identify tools and approaches that enable decision-making to reduce risks and increase resilience from a changing climate."
"An understanding of vulnerabilities will assist with prioritizing mitigation actions and policies that reduce risk from future events."
