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Contents:
Introduction |
The Culprits |
Health Effects |
Global Warming Has Begun |
Evidence Mounts |
Solutions |
PDF Version of this Report
For years, powerful computers have been used to project the results of global warming.
Grim predictions of sea level rise and the spread of infectious disease raised the issue
of global warming in the minds of many Americans. Scientists now are becoming increasingly
alarmed as more and more of these predictions come true.
Some events that scientists point to as evidence that global Warming has begun:
Major shifts in
temperature and precipitation. Some parts of the world have warmed by as much as 4.5
degrees Fahrenheit or more in the last 100 years. The average temperature of the planet
has risen about 1 degree Fahrenheit.
Shifting ranges of
infectious disease, and increasing cases of infection around the world. Since 1995, dengue fever has
infected victims in Texas, and malaria outbreaks have occurred as
far north as New York, New Jersey, and Michigan.
A sea level rise of four to 10 inches in the past century, and the destruction of beaches and wetlands around the world.
Continued warming may mean an additional rise of two feet or more and the flooding of huge
portions of low-lying states, such as Louisiana and Florida.
Melting glaciers and
disappearing snow cover on five continents. Since 1995, more than 5,400 square miles, an area equal to Connecticut and Rhode Island combined, have broken off of the Antarctic ice shelves and melted.
Drastic habitat shifts
for plants and animals. Scientists have documented shifting populations and altered
migration behavior as animals attempt to adapt to a changing climate. Many species that
cannot adapt are in decline.
More common and severe winter floods and summer droughts.
More frequent and brutal storms.
Global Warming Will Worsen Heat Waves, Increasing Urban Death Rates
| City |
1997 Climate Deaths |
2020 climate average deaths* |
2050 climate average deaths* |
| Baltimore, MD |
84 |
89 (105%) |
140 (166%) |
| Chicago, IL |
191 |
401 (210%) |
497 (260%) |
| Cincinnati, OH |
14 |
52 (371%) |
67 (481%) |
| Detroit, MI |
110 |
163 (148%) |
180 (164%) |
| Indianapolis, IN |
36 |
56 (156%) |
70 (194%) |
| Kansas City, MO |
49 |
115 (234%) |
127 (260%) |
| Los Angeles, CA |
68 |
93 (137%) |
118 (174%) |
| Newark, NJ |
26 |
122 (469%) |
146 (562%) |
| Philadelphia, PA |
129 |
214 (166%) |
349 (270%) |
| Tampa, FL |
28 |
64 (229%) |
81 (288%) |
| St. Louis, MO |
79 |
160 (200%) |
185 (235%) |
| Dallas, TX |
36 |
51 (142%) |
72 (199%) |
*Number derived from averages from three models — United Kingdom
Meteorological Model, Global Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Model and Max Planck Institute for
Meteorology Model population - and metropolitan areas standardized to current levels. Lives
spared due to warmer winters estimated to be negligible.
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