Fast Facts / Climate Change Predictions
Climate Change Predictions
$106 Billion
By 2050, up to $106 billion worth of coastal property will likely be below sea level (if we continue on the current path).
$12 billion Per Year
Over the next five to 25 years, greenhouse gas-driven temperature rises will likely necessitate the construction of new power generation that would cost ratepayers up to $12 billion per year.
12 Inches Higher
The U.S. coastline is projected to rise 10 to 12 inches in the next 30 years.*
Unprecedented Sea Level Rise
The projected 10 to 12 inches (on average) of sea level rise over the next 30 years (2020 to 2050) will be as much as the rise measured over the last 100 years (1920 to 2020).*
Emissions Matter
Current and future emissions matter. About two feet of sea level rise along the U.S. coastline is increasingly likely between 2020 and 2100 because of emissions to date. Failure to curb future emissions could cause an additional 1.5 to five feet of rise, for a total of 3.5 to seven feet by the end of this century.*
10% Crop Loss
Without adapting to the changing climate, some Midwestern and southern counties could see a decline in yields of more than 10% over the next five to 25 years, with a 1-in-20 chance of losses of crops by more than 20%.
Hotter and Hotter …
The average U.S. temperature in 2017 was 54.6 degrees Fahrenheit—2.6 degrees above average—making it the third warmest year in 123 years of record keeping. Five states had their warmest year on record. Additionally, the five warmest years on record for the U.S. all have occurred since 2006. It stands to reason that these increases will continue each year going forward.
$7.3 Billion More Per Year
Factoring in potential changes in hurricane activity, the likely increase in average annual losses is expected to grow by $7.3 billion, bringing the annual price tag for hurricanes and other coastal storms to $35 billion.
Trillions Below the Sea
There is a 1-in-20 chance—twice as likely as an American developing melanoma—that by the end of this century, more than $1 trillion worth of coastal property will be below mean sea level or at risk of it during high tide.
Higher Temperatures
If we continue on our current path, by the middle of this century, the average American will likely see 27 to 50 days over 90 degrees each year.
Source: NOAA
*Report: 2022 Sea Level Rise Technical Report
Source: Risky Business
Report: The Economic Risks of Climate Change in the United States
(Risky Business is an initiative to assess the economic risks to the U.S. associated with climate change. The above report used a standard risk-assessment approach to determine the range of potential consequences.)