Climate changes will make drought, fire and flood worse.
Across the country, many of us are experiencing climate changes — summers are hotter, storms are hitting harder, wildfires are burning longer, and extreme weather is increasing. When these events strike, they have a profound and detrimental impact on our economy and our daily lives.
States at Risk organization is a project aimed at showing how Americans in all 50 states are experiencing the impacts of climate change. Our work focuses on five threats — extreme heat, drought, wildfires, coastal flooding and inland flooding — and the states most affected by these threats.
In 2015 States at Risk evaluated how prepared each of the 50 states are for their current and future climate threats in its Preparedness Report Card.
For Arizona, explore graphics, interactives and news about Arizona's climate threats.
There are many opinions on climate change and its affect on the environment including the watershed and riparian areas. Here's some links that cover the issue. The views and opinions expressed in these documents that we have shared do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions held by our organization or the contributors to the Agua Fria Watershed Display.
Climate & Energy - Sierra Club article
Our Public Lands Must Be Part of the Climate Change Solution - position by NRDC
Climate Change - US Forest Service position
Climate Adaptation Science Centers - U.S. Geological Survey resources
Survival by Degrees: 389 Species on the Brink - Audubon Arizona article
The Guardian: US states face water crisis as global heating increases strain on supplies - August 2019 Article in the Guardian
The National Climate Assessment (NCA) assesses the science of climate change and
variability and its impacts across the United States, now and throughout this century. Fourth National Climate Assessment.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty.
United Nations comments on Climate Justice - The impacts of climate change will not be borne equally or fairly, between rich and poor, women and men, and older and younger generations. Consequently, there has been a growing focus on climate justice, which looks at the climate crisis through a human rights lens and on the belief that by working together we can create a better future for present and future generations.
Water in the Western United States This course from University of Colorado Boulder combines an overview of the science behind water and climate in the Western United States with a survey of the major legal, political, and cultural issues focused on this precious resource.
Guide to Environmental Commodities offers an informative guide presenting interesting information about energy credits and how they relate to clean energy production.
Updated Water Cycle - Curious about the human role in the water cycle? A new, global water cycle diagram, published by the US Geographical Survey (USGS) VizLab, in collaboration with the USGS Water Resources Mission Area Web Communications Branch, features humans as major contributors to the movement, storage, and quality of water.