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In the Path of the Storm: Global Warming, Extreme Weather, and the Impacts of Weather-Related Disasters in the United States

February 23, 2012 Comments off

In the Path of the Storm: Global Warming, Extreme Weather, and the Impacts of Weather-Related Disasters in the United States
Source: Environment America

Weather disasters kill or injure hundreds of Americans each year and cause billions of dollars in economic damage. The risks posed by some types of weather-related disasters will likely increase in a warming world. Scientists have already detected increases in extreme precipitation events and heat waves in the United States, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently concluded that global warming will likely lead to further changes in weather extremes.

Since 2006 , federally declared weather-related disasters in the United States have affected counties housing 242 million people – or roughly four out of five Americans. The breadth and severity of weather-related disasters in the United States – coupled with the emerging science on the links between global warming and extreme weather – suggest that the United States should take strong action to reduce emissions of global warming pollution and take steps to protect communities from global warming-fueled extreme weather events.
Weather-related disasters are common in the United States, affecting people in every part of the country. However, the number of people affected by weather-related disasters in 2011 was unusually high, and the number of extremely costly disasters was unprecedented.

+ Full Report (PDF)

Categories: climate change, Environment America, natural disasters, weather and climate

New Data Ranks the Nation’s Smoggiest Metropolitan Areas, including TX, DC and CA

September 26, 2011 Comments off

New Data Ranks the Nation’s Smoggiest Metropolitan Areas, including TX, DC and CA
Source: Environment America

As the U.S. House of Representatives considers a bill (H.R. 2401) this week that would roll back Clean Air Act protections for smog, Environment America released a new report, Danger in the Air: Unhealthy Air Days in 2010 and 2011.

According to the report, ten metropolitan areas – Houston, TX, the Washington, DC area, Baltimore, MD, Philadelphia, PA- NJ, Riverside-San Bernardino, CA, Visalia-Tulare-Porterville, CA, Bakersfield, CA, Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA, Fresno, CA, , and Atlanta, GA – rank worst in the country for smog pollution based on the number of unhealthy air days they experience.

“Americans deserve clean air. But on far too many days, people all across the country are exposed to dangerous smog pollution,” said Lauren Randall, Clean Air Associate for Environment America. “For the sake of our children, we must make every day a safe day to breathe.”

Smog is one of the most harmful air pollutants and also one of the most pervasive. According to the American Lung Association, nearly half of all Americans live in areas with unhealthy levels of smog pollution.

“This report shows that recent attacks on the Clean Air Act are also attacks on New Jersey,” said Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ). “We cannot afford policies that allow polluters off the hook and put the public health of our state in jeopardy. It is high time all our leaders realize that pollution does not create jobs — it creates sick people, higher medical bills, lost days of work, and is a drag on our economy.”

Because of America’s outdated air quality rules, there were even more unhealthy air days across the country than reported to the public. The report finds that in the Washington, DC area for example, there were 17 additional unhealthy air days in 2010 when those at risk were never alerted.

+ Full Report

Categories: environment, Environment America, lists and rankings, public health, urban issues
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