text:
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML+RDFa 1.1//EN">

  <meta charset="utf-8" />

<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/sites/all/themes/epa/favicon.ico" type="image/vnd.microsoft.icon" />
<meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="true" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width" />
<meta name="MobileOptimized" content="width" />
<meta http-equiv="ImageToolbar" content="false" />
<meta http-equiv="cleartype" content="on" />

<meta name="keywords" content="climate change, global warming, impacts, effects, ticks, mosquitoes, cooling centers, peak periods, cool roofs, Excessive Heat Events Guidebook, CDC, water-borne disease, animal-borne disease, food-borne disease, allergens, heat wave, fine particulate matter, ozone, pathogen, disease, storm, drought, flood, air quality, death, Heat-related illnesses" />
<link rel="canonical" href="/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-human-health" />
<link rel="shortlink" href="/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-human-health" />

<meta name="WebArea" content="Climate Change Impacts" />
<meta name="WebAreaType" content="Microsite" />
<meta name="ContentType" content="page" />
  <title>Climate Impacts on Human Health | Climate Change Impacts | US EPA</title>

  <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_3h5HfPyG4w0xmgk_oaLP90_rUIs7Xmed0sNIfCxGAyg.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_NFNG4tEiKv-n_hlnQ4iBNlFbb-9XRaRVA9wRk6nUPHY.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_Pvo-DHIdW2Qn9LljtH2R1QKqzm8QoJ18zl6wR9Dk-Ak.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_28CvFue6tf4M8aL9zid2j2W58Z6HleySMQyNH35QhI0.css" media="all" />

<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_68w49Vk1SYPj8EPx2iW8fUagDJ4xc2WJQO7Dn7aLNaU.css" media="all" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="EPA.gov All Press Releases" href="/newsreleases/search/rss" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="EPA.gov Headquarters Press Releases" href="/newsreleases/search/rss/field_press_office/headquarters" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Greenversations, EPA's Blog" href="https://blog.epa.gov/blog/feed/" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Climate Change Impacts" href="/feed/125319/rss.xml" />

Jump to main content

  <hgroup class="site-name-and-slogan">

            US EPA

United States Environmental Protection Agency

  </hgroup>

Climate Change Impacts

Climate Impacts on Human Health

On This Page:

Overview

Temperature Impacts

Air Quality Impacts

Extreme Events

Vectorborne Diseases

Water-Related Illnesses

Food Safety and Nutrition

Mental Health

Populations of Concern

Other Health Impacts

Key Points

Every American is vulnerable to climate change impacts on their health at some point in their lives.

Climate change can have a range of impacts on physical, mental, and community health.

A warmer climate is expected to increase the risk of illnesses and death from extreme heat and poor air quality.

Climate change will likely increase the frequency and strength of extreme events (such as floods, droughts, and storms) that threaten human health and safety.

Climate changes may expose more people to diseases.

Some groups of people (e.g., the very young and the very old) are especially vulnerable to health impacts.

Climate Change Affects Human Health

In 2016, the U.S. Global Change Research Program produced a report that analyzed the impacts of global climate change on human health in the United States. The report finds that:

Climate change is a significant threat to the health of the American people.

Climate change can affect human health in two main ways: first, by changing the severity or frequency of health problems that are already affected by climate or weather factors; and second, by creating unprecedented or unanticipated health problems or health threats in places or times of the year where they have not previously occurred.

Every American is vulnerable to the health impacts associated with climate change, but some populations will be especially affected. These groups include the poor, some communities of color, limited English-proficiency and immigrant groups, indigenous peoples, children and pregnant women, older adults, vulnerable occupational groups, people with disabilities, and people with medical conditions.

Overview

The impacts of climate change include warming temperatures, changes in precipitation, increases in the frequency or intensity of some extreme weather events, and rising sea levels. These impacts threaten our health by affecting the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the weather we experience.

The severity of these health risks will depend on the ability of public health and safety systems to address or prepare for these changing threats, as well as factors such as an individual's behavior, age, gender, and economic status. Impacts will vary based on a where a person lives, how sensitive they are to health threats, how much they are exposed to climate change impacts, and how well they and their community are able to adapt to change.

People in developing countries may be the most vulnerable to health risks globally, but climate change poses significant threats to health even in wealthy nations such as the United States. Certain populations, such as children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with low incomes, face increased risks; see the section below on Populations of Concern.

Top of Page

Temperature-Related Impacts

Warmer average temperatures will lead to hotter days and more frequent and longer heat waves.[2] These changes will lead to an increase in heat-related deaths in the United States—reaching as much as thousands to tens of thousands of additional deaths each year by the end of the century during summer months.

These deaths will not be offset by the smaller reduction in cold-related deaths projected in the winter months.[1] However, adaptive responses, such as wider use of air conditioning, are expected to reduce the projected increases in death from extreme heat.[1]

Projected changes in several climate variables for 2046-2065 with respect to the 1981-2000 average for the RCP6.0 scenario. These include the coldest night of the year (top left) and the hottest day of the year (top right). By the middle of this century, the coldest night of the year is projected to warm by 6°F to 10°F over most of the country, with slightly smaller changes in the south. The warmest day of the year is projected to be 4°F to 6°F warmer in most areas. Also shown are projections of the wettest day of the year (bottom left) and the annual longest consecutive dry day spell (bottom right). Extreme precipitation is projected to increase, with an average change of 5% to 15% in the precipitation falling on the wettest day of the year. The length of the annual longest dry spell is projected to increase in most areas, but these changes are small: less than two days in most areas.[1]

Click the image to view a larger version.

Exposure to extreme heat can lead to heat stroke and dehydration, as well as cardiovascular, respiratory, and cerebrovascular disease.[3][4] Excessive heat is more likely to affect populations in northern latitudes where people are less prepared to cope with excessive temperatures. Certain types of populations are more vulnerable than others: for example, outdoor workers, student athletes, and homeless people tend to be more exposed to extreme heat because they spend more time outdoors. Low-income households and older adults may lack access to air conditioning which also increases exposure to extreme heat. Additionally, young children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with certain medical conditions are less able to regulate their body temperature and can therefore be more vulnerable to extreme heat.[1]

Human Health Risks in Your State

Our interactive map features climate-related health risks by state and actions you can take to reduce these risks.

Urban areas are typically warmer than their rural surroundings. Large metropolitan areas such as St. Louis, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Cincinnati have seen notable increases in death rates during heat waves.[2] Climate change is projected to increase the vulnerability of urban populations to heat-related health impacts in the future. Heat waves are also often accompanied by periods of stagnant air, leading to increases in air pollution and associated health effects.[2]

This figure shows the relationship between high temperatures and deaths observed during the 1995 Chicago heat wave. The large spike in deaths in mid-July (red line) is much higher than the average number of deaths during that time of year (orange line), as well as the death rate before and after the heat wave. Source: EPA (2014)

Click the image to view a larger version.

Top of Page

Related Links

EPA:

Climate Change Indicators in the U.S.

Extreme Heat: What You Can Do to Prepare

Heat Island Effect

Climate Change and Children's Health

Climate Change in the United States: Benefits of Global Action

Synthesis of Climate Change Impacts on Ground-Level Ozone

EPA AirNow

Other:

USGCRP: Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States

CDC: Climate Change and Public Health

IPCC: Fifth Assessment Report Exit

NRC: America's Climate Choices Exit

NIH: Human Health Perspectives on Climate

Air Quality Impacts

Changes in the climate affect the air we breathe both indoors and outdoors. Warmer temperatures and shifting weather patterns can worsen air quality, which can lead to asthma attacks and other respiratory and cardiovascular health effects.[1] Wildfires, which are expected to continue to increase in number and severity as the climate changes, create smoke and other unhealthy air pollutants.[1] Rising carbon dioxide levels and warmer temperatures also affect airborne allergens, such as ragweed pollen.

Despite significant improvements in U.S. air quality since the 1970s, as of 2014 about 57 million Americans lived in counties that did not meet national air quality standards.[5] Climate change may make it even harder for states to meet these standards in the future, exposing more people to unhealthy air.

Increases in Ozone

Scientists project that warmer temperatures from climate change will increase the frequency of days with unhealthy levels of ground-level ozone, a harmful air pollutant, and a component in smog.[1]

People exposed to higher levels of ground-level ozone are at greater risk of dying prematurely or being admitted to the hospital for respiratory problems.[1]

Ground-level ozone can damage lung tissue, reduce lung function, and inflame airways. This can aggravate asthma or other lung diseases. Children, older adults, outdoor workers, and those with asthma and other chronic lung diseases are particularly at risk.[5]

Smog in Los Angeles decreases visibility and can be harmful to human health. Source: California Air Resources Board (2014)Because warm, stagnant air tends to increase the formation of ozone, climate change is likely to increase levels of ground-level ozone in already-polluted areas of the United States and increase the number of days with poor air quality.[1]

The higher concentrations of ozone due to climate change may result in tens to thousands of additional ozone-related illnesses and premature deaths per year by 2030 in the United States, assuming no change in projected air quality policies.[1]

Changes in Particulate Matter

Particulate matter is the term for a category of extremely small particles and liquid droplets suspended in the atmosphere. Fine particles include those smaller than 2.5 micrometers (about one ten-thousandth of an inch). Some particulate matter such as dust, wildfire smoke, and sea spray occur naturally, while some is created by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels to produce energy. These particles may be emitted directly or may be formed in the atmosphere from chemical reactions of gases such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and volatile organic compounds.

Inhaling fine particles can lead to a broad range of adverse health effects, including lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cardiovascular disease.[1]

Climate change is expected to increase the number and severity of wildfires. Particulate matter from wildfire smoke can often be carried very long distances by the wind, affecting people who live far from the source of this air pollutant.

Older adults are particularly sensitive to short-term particle exposure, with a higher risk of hospitalization and death.[1] Outdoor workers like firefighters can also have high exposure.

Due to the complex factors that influence atmospheric levels of fine particulate matter, scientists do not yet know whether climate change will increase or decrease particulate matter concentrations across the United States.[1][6][7] Particulate matter can be removed from the air by rainfall, and precipitation is expected to increase in quantity though not necessarily frequency. Climate-related changes in stagnant air episodes, wind patterns, emissions from vegetation and the chemistry of atmospheric pollutants will also affect particulate matter levels.[1]

Climate Change and Human Health Quiz

Think you have what it takes to score 100%? Take our quiz to see how much you know about the health impacts of climate change!

Changes in Allergens and Asthma Triggers

Allergic illnesses, including hay fever, affect about one-third of the U.S. population, and more than 34 million Americans have been diagnosed with asthma.[1] Climate change may affect allergies and respiratory health.[1] The spring pollen season is already occurring earlier in the United States for certain types of plants, and the length of the season has increased for some plants with highly allergenic pollen such as ragweed.[1] In addition to lengthening the ragweed pollen season, rising carbon dioxide concentrations and temperatures may also lead to earlier flowering, more flowers, and increased pollen levels in ragweed.[1][4]

Top of Page

Impacts from Extreme Weather Events

Increases in the frequency or severity of some extreme weather events, such as extreme precipitation, flooding, droughts, and storms, threaten the health of people during and after the event.[1] The people most at risk include young children, older adults, people with disabilities or medical conditions, and the poor. Extreme events can affect human health in a number of ways by:

Hurricane Katrina was one of the most devastating hurricanes in the United States, responsible for an estimated 971 to 1,300 deaths. Source: NOAAReducing the availability of safe food and drinking water.[1]

Damaging roads and bridges, disrupting access to hospitals and pharmacies.[1]

Interrupting communication, utility, and health care services.[1]

Contributing to carbon monoxide poisoning from improper use of portable electric generators during and after storms.[1]

Increasing stomach and intestinal illness, particularly following power outages.[1]

Creating or worsening mental health impacts such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).[1]

In addition, emergency evacuations pose health risks to older adults, especially those with limited mobility who cannot use elevators during power outages. Evacuations may be complicated by the need for concurrent transfer of medical records, medications, and medical equipment. Some individuals with disabilities may also be disproportionally affected if they are unable to access evacuation routes, have difficulty in understanding or receiving warnings of impending danger, or have limited ability to communicate their needs.

Top of Page

Vectorborne Diseases

Vectorborne diseases are illnesses that are transmitted by disease vectors, which include mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas. These vectors can carry infectious pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, and protozoa, from animals to humans. Changes in temperature, precipitation, and extreme events increases the geographic range of diseases spread by vectors and can lead to illnesses occurring earlier in the year.

The geographic range of ticks that carry Lyme disease is limited by temperature. As air temperatures rise, ticks are likely to become active earlier in the season, and their range is likely to continue to expand northward.[1] Typical symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash.

Mosquitoes thrive in certain climate conditions and can spread diseases like West Nile virus. Extreme temperatures—too cold, hot, wet, or dry—influence the location and number of mosquitoes that transmit West Nile virus. More than three million people were estimated to be infected with West Nile virus in the United States from 1999 to 2010.[1]

The spread of climate-sensitive diseases will depend on both climate and non-climate factors such as land use, socioeconomic and cultural conditions, pest control, access to health care, and human responses to disease risk. The United States has public health infrastructure and programs to monitor, manage, and prevent the spread of many diseases. The risks for climate-sensitive diseases can be much higher in poorer countries that have less capacity to prevent and treat illness.[8]

West Nile virus is maintained in transmission cycles between birds (the natural hosts of the virus) and mosquitoes. Human infections can occur from a bite of a mosquito that has previously bitten an infected bird. Warmer winters, longer frost-free season, and earlier spring arrival may influence the migration patterns and fledgling survival of birds that are the natural host of West Nile virus. In addition, rising temperature, changing precipitation patterns, and a higher frequency of extreme weather events are likely to influence the distribution and abundance of mosquitoes that transmit West Nile virus. Source: USGCRP (2016)

Click the image to view a larger version.

Top of Page

Water-Related Illnesses

People can become ill if exposed to contaminated drinking or recreational water. Climate change increases the risk of illness through increasing temperature, more frequent heavy rains and runoff, and the effects of storms. Health impacts may include gastrointestinal illness like diarrhea, effects on the body's nervous and respiratory systems, or liver and kidney damage.[1]

Climate impacts can affect exposure to waterborne pathogens (bacteria, viruses, and parasites such asCryptosporidium and Giardia); toxins produced by harmful algal and cyanobacterial blooms in the water; and chemicals that end up in water from human activities.[1]

Changing water temperatures mean that waterborne Vibrio bacteria and harmful algal toxins will be present in the water or in seafood at different times of the year, or in places where they were not previously threats.[1]

Runoff and flooding resulting from increases in extreme precipitation, hurricane rainfall, and storm surge will increasingly contaminate water bodies used for recreation (such as lakes and beaches), shellfish harvesting waters, and sources of drinking water.[1]

Extreme weather events and storm surges can damage or exceed the capacity of water infrastructure (such as drinking water or wastewater treatment plants), increasing the risk that people will be exposed to contaminants.[1]

Water resource, public health, and environmental agencies in the United States provide many public health safeguards to reduce risk of exposure and illness even if water becomes contaminated. These include water quality monitoring, drinking water treatment standards and practices, beach closures, and issuing advisories for boiling drinking water and harvesting shellfish.

Top of Page

Food Safety and Nutrition

Climate change and the direct impacts of higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are expected to affect food safety and nutrition.[1] Extreme weather events can also disrupt or slow the distribution of food.[1]

Higher air temperatures can increase cases of Salmonella and other bacteria-related food poisoning because bacteria grow more rapidly in warm environments. These diseases can cause gastrointestinal distress and, in severe cases, death.[1] Practices to safeguard food can help avoid these illnesses even as the climate changes.

Climate change will have a variety of impacts that may increase the risk of exposure to chemical contaminants in food. For example, higher sea surface temperatures will lead to higher mercury concentrations in seafood, and increases in extreme weather events will introduce contaminants into the food chain through stormwater runoff.[1]

Higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in the air can act as a "fertilizer" for some plants, but lowers the levels of protein and essential minerals in crops such as wheat, rice, and potatoes, making these foods less nutritious.[1]

Extreme events, such as flooding and drought, create challenges for food distribution if roads and waterways are damaged or made inaccessible.

The food system involves a network of interactions with our physical and biological environments as food moves from production to consumption, or from "farm to table." Rising CO2 and climate change will affect the quality and distribution of food, with subsequent effects on food safety and nutrition. Source: USGCRP (2016)

Click the image to view a larger version.

Top of Page

Mental Health

Any changes in a person's physical health or surrounding environment can also have serious impacts on their mental health. In particular, experiencing an extreme weather event can cause stress and other mental health consequences, particularly when a person loses loved ones or their home.[1]

Individuals with mental illness are especially vulnerable to extreme heat; studies have found that having a pre-existing mental illness tripled the risk of death during heat waves.[1] People taking medication for mental illness that makes it difficult to regulate their body temperature are particularly at risk.

Even the perceived threat of climate change (for example from reading or watching news reports about climate change) can influence stress responses and mental health.[1]

Some groups of people are at higher risk for mental health impacts, such as children and older adults, pregnant and post-partum women, people with pre-existing mental illness (see above), people with low incomes, and emergency workers.[1]

Top of Page

Populations of Concern

Climate and Health Factsheets

Learn about how climate change will affect your health over the course of your life, and see its impacts on eight different populations of concern.

View the factsheets »

Some groups of people are more vulnerable than others to health risks from climate change.[1] Three factors contribute to vulnerability: sensitivity, which refers to the degree to which people or groups are affected by a stressor such as higher temperatures; exposure, which refers to physical contact between a person and a stressor; and adaptive capacity, which refers to an ability to adjust to or avoid potential hazards. For example, while older adults are sensitive to extreme heat, an older person living in an air-conditioned apartment won't be exposed as long as she stays indoors, and as long as she can afford to pay for the electricity to run the air conditioner. Her ability take these actions is a measure of her adaptive capacity.

Some populations are especially vulnerable to climate health risks due to particular sensitivities, high likelihood of exposure, low adaptive capacity, or combinations of these factors.

Communities of color (including Indigenous communities as well as specific racial and ethnic groups), low income, immigrants, and limited English proficiency face disproportionate vulnerabilities due to a wide variety of factors, such as higher risk of exposure, socioeconomic and educational factors that affect their adaptive capacity, and a higher prevalence of medical conditions that affect their sensitivity.[1]

Children are vulnerable to many health risks due to biological sensitivities and more opportunities for exposure (due to activities such as playing outdoors). Pregnant women are vulnerable to heat waves and other extreme events, like flooding.[1]

Older adults are vulnerable to many of the impacts of climate change. They may have greater sensitivity to heat and contaminants, a higher prevalence of disability or preexisting medical conditions, or limited financial resources that make it difficult to adapt to impacts.[1]

Occupational groups, such as outdoor workers, paramedics, firefighters, and transportation workers, as well as workers in hot indoor work environments, will be especially vulnerable to extreme heat and exposure to vectorborne diseases.[1]

People with disabilities can be very vulnerable during extreme weather events, unless communities ensure that their emergency response plans specifically accommodate them.

People with chronic medical conditions are typically vulnerable to extreme heat, especially if they are taking medications that make it difficult to regulate body temperature.[1] Power outages can be particularly threatening for people reliant on certain medical equipment.

Top of Page

Other Health Impacts

Other linkages exist between climate change and human health. For example, changes in temperature and precipitation, as well as droughts and floods, will affect agricultural yields and production.[9] In some regions of the world, these impacts may compromise food security and threaten human health through malnutrition, the spread of infectious diseases, and food poisoning. The worst of these effects are projected to occur in developing countries, among vulnerable populations.[8] Declines in human health in other countries can affect the United States through trade, migration, and immigration and has implications for national security.[1][4]

Although the impacts of climate change have the potential to affect human health in the United States and around the world, there is a lot we can do to prepare for and adapt to these changes—such as establishing early warning systems for heat waves and other extreme events, taking steps to reduce vulnerabilities among populations of concern, raising awareness among healthcare professionals, and ensuring that infrastructure is built to accommodate anticipated future changes in climate. Understanding the threats that climate change poses to human health is the first step in working together to lower risks and be prepared.

Top of Page

References

1. USGCRP (2016). Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific Assessment. Crimmins, A., J. Balbus, J.L. Gamble, C.B. Beard, J.E. Bell, D. Dodgen, R.J. Eisen, N.Fann, M.D. Hawkins, S.C. Herring, L. Jantarasami, D.M. Mills, S. Saha, M.C. Sarofim, J.Trtanj, and L.Ziska, Eds. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC. 312 pp. dx.doi.org/10.7930/J0R49NQX.

2. USGCRP (2016). Luber, G., K. Knowlton, J. Balbus, H. Frumkin, M. Hayden, J. Hess, M. McGeehin, N. Sheats, L. Backer, C. B. Beard, K. L. Ebi, E. Maibach, R. S. Ostfeld, C. Wiedinmyer, E. Zielinski-Gutiérrez, and L. Ziska, 2014: Ch. 9: Human Health. Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment, J. M. Melillo, Terese (T.C.) Richmond, and G. W. Yohe, Eds., U.S. Global Change Research Program, 220-256. doi:10.7930/J0PN93H5.

3. USGCRP (2009). Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States. Karl, T.R., J.M. Melillo, and T.C. Peterson (eds.). United States Global Change Research Program. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, USA.

4. CCSP (2008). Analyses of the effects of global change on human health and welfare and human systems. A Report by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research. Gamble, J.L. (ed.), K.L. Ebi, F.G. Sussman, T.J. Wilbanks, (Authors). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA.

5. EPA (2014). Air Quality Trends. Accessed March 1, 2016.

6. NRC (2010). Advancing the Science of Climate Change. National Research Council. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC, USA.

7. EPA (2009). Assessment of the Impacts of Global Change on Regional U.S. Air Quality: A Synthesis of Climate Change Impacts on Ground-Level Ozone (An Interim Report of the U.S. EPA Global Change Research Program). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA.

8. IPCC (2014). Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, R.K. Pachauri and L.A. Meyer (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, 151 p. (PDF, 80 pp, 4.6MB).

9. USDA (2015). Climate Change, Global Food Security, and the U.S. Food System. Brown, M.E., J.M. Antle, P. Backlund, E.R. Carr, W.E. Easterling, M.K. Walsh, C. Ammann, W. Attavanich, C.B. Barrett, M.F. Bellemare, V. Dancheck, C. Funk, K. Grace, J.S.I. Ingram, H. Jiang, H. Maletta, T. Mata, A. Murray, M. Ngugi, D. Ojima, B. O'Neill, and C. Tebaldi, 146 p.

Top of Page

Climate Change Impacts

Climate Change Home

Climate Impacts Home

—Impacts by Region

—Impacts by Sector

Agriculture

Coasts

Ecosystems

Energy

Forests

Human Health

Health Factsheet

Health Map

Quiz

Society

Transportation

Water Resources

—Impacts by State


text:
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML+RDFa 1.1//EN">

  <meta charset="utf-8" />
<meta http-equiv="cleartype" content="on" />

<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/sites/all/themes/epa/favicon.ico" type="image/vnd.microsoft.icon" />
<meta name="MobileOptimized" content="width" />
<meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="true" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width" />
<meta http-equiv="ImageToolbar" content="false" />

<meta name="keywords" content="climate impacts, human health, global warming, children, environmental justice, Indigenous Populations, occupational groups, occupational hazard, older adults, elderly, people with disabilities, medical conditions, pregnancy, pregnant women" />
<link rel="canonical" href="/climate-impacts/communicating-vulnerabilities-climate-change-children" />
<link rel="shortlink" href="/climate-impacts/communicating-vulnerabilities-climate-change-children" />

<meta name="WebArea" content="Climate Change Impacts" />
<meta name="WebAreaType" content="Microsite" />
<meta name="ContentType" content="document" />
  <title>Communicating Vulnerabilities to Climate Change: Children | Climate Change Impacts | US EPA</title>

  <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_3h5HfPyG4w0xmgk_oaLP90_rUIs7Xmed0sNIfCxGAyg.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_NFNG4tEiKv-n_hlnQ4iBNlFbb-9XRaRVA9wRk6nUPHY.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_Pvo-DHIdW2Qn9LljtH2R1QKqzm8QoJ18zl6wR9Dk-Ak.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_28CvFue6tf4M8aL9zid2j2W58Z6HleySMQyNH35QhI0.css" media="all" />

<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_68w49Vk1SYPj8EPx2iW8fUagDJ4xc2WJQO7Dn7aLNaU.css" media="all" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="EPA.gov All Press Releases" href="/newsreleases/search/rss" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="EPA.gov Headquarters Press Releases" href="/newsreleases/search/rss/field_press_office/headquarters" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Greenversations, EPA's Blog" href="https://blog.epa.gov/blog/feed/" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Climate Change Impacts" href="/feed/125319/rss.xml" />

Jump to main content

  <hgroup class="site-name-and-slogan">

            US EPA

United States Environmental Protection Agency

  </hgroup>

Climate Change Impacts

Communicating Vulnerabilities to Climate Change: Children

EPA has developed communication materials that summarize key points from the U.S. Climate and Health Assessment on eight different populations that are disproportionately affected by climate change impacts. The agency is providing these materials for use and modification for anyone seeking to communicate the health impacts of climate change to a range of audiences.

How to Use these Materials and Summary Points: Children (.docx)(6 pp, 633 K)

Customizable Powerpoint Presentation: Children (.ppt)(10 pp, 2 MB)

Shareable graphics (.jpg): [550x375] [1024x512] [1200x630]

See the Children factsheets below. See communications materials for other populations of concern. For questions or assistance, please email climatehealth@epa.gov.

      Climate Change and the Health of Children (PDF)(4 pp, 3 MB)

      El Cambio Climático y la Salud de los Niños (PDF)(4 pp, 2 MB)

      Printable (11"x17") Version: Climate Change and the Health of Children (PDF)(2 pp, 5 MB)

Climate Change Impacts

Climate Change Home

Climate Impacts Home

—Impacts by Region

—Impacts by Sector

—Impacts by State

repo_name: Chicago/climatechangeisreal

repo_language: HTML

mime_type: text/html


text:
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML+RDFa 1.1//EN">

  <meta charset="utf-8" />

<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/sites/all/themes/epa/favicon.ico" type="image/vnd.microsoft.icon" />
<meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="true" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width" />
<meta name="MobileOptimized" content="width" />
<meta http-equiv="ImageToolbar" content="false" />
<meta http-equiv="cleartype" content="on" />

<meta name="keywords" content="climate change, impacts, human health, climate, weather, illness, disease, heat, global warming, asthma, Lyme disease, west nile virus, storm" />
<link rel="canonical" href="/climate-impacts/text-version-quiz-how-much-do-you-know-about-health-impacts-climate-change" />
<link rel="shortlink" href="/climate-impacts/text-version-quiz-how-much-do-you-know-about-health-impacts-climate-change" />

<meta name="WebArea" content="Climate Change Impacts" />
<meta name="WebAreaType" content="Microsite" />
<meta name="ContentType" content="page" />
  <title>Text Version of Quiz: How Much Do You Know About the Health Impacts of Climate Change? | Climate Change Impacts | US EPA</title>

  <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_3h5HfPyG4w0xmgk_oaLP90_rUIs7Xmed0sNIfCxGAyg.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_NFNG4tEiKv-n_hlnQ4iBNlFbb-9XRaRVA9wRk6nUPHY.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_Pvo-DHIdW2Qn9LljtH2R1QKqzm8QoJ18zl6wR9Dk-Ak.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_28CvFue6tf4M8aL9zid2j2W58Z6HleySMQyNH35QhI0.css" media="all" />

<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_68w49Vk1SYPj8EPx2iW8fUagDJ4xc2WJQO7Dn7aLNaU.css" media="all" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="EPA.gov All Press Releases" href="/newsreleases/search/rss" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="EPA.gov Headquarters Press Releases" href="/newsreleases/search/rss/field_press_office/headquarters" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Greenversations, EPA's Blog" href="https://blog.epa.gov/blog/feed/" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Climate Change Impacts" href="/feed/125319/rss.xml" />

Jump to main content

  <hgroup class="site-name-and-slogan">

            US EPA

United States Environmental Protection Agency

  </hgroup>

Climate Change Impacts

Text Version of Quiz: How Much Do You Know About the Health Impacts of Climate Change?

Visit the interactive version of this quiz.

Understanding the threats that climate change pose to human health can help us work together to lower risks and be prepared. Take this quiz to see how much you know about the health impacts of climate change.

Climate Change and Human Health

Knowing your health risks gives you the power to manage them. How much do you know? How much will you learn? Take this quiz to find out!

1. How can the changing climate and weather affect human health?

a. Increase frequency or severity of existing health risks

	b. Introduce health risks to geographic regions where they have not previously occurred

	c. Shift the timing of seasonal health risks

	d. All of the above (correct)

Answer to Q1:

With climate change, existing health risks may worsen. For example, heat waves and floods may become more frequent and intense. Climate change can also bring unfamiliar health risks to new areas (such as when Lyme disease-carrying ticks expand their territory). Periodic health risks, like allergy seasons, may shift in timing or have a longer window.

Learn more about how changes in temperature, rainfall, extreme weather, and sea levels will affect our health.

2. Will climate change lead to an increase or decrease in asthma attacks?

a. Increase (correct)

	b. Decrease

Answer to Q2:

Climate influences temperatures, cloudiness, humidity, wind, and how much and how hard it rains. These factors all play a role in making the air we breathe indoors and outdoors better or worse. Rising temperatures, altered rain patterns, and more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will lead to higher pollen counts, longer pollen seasons, and associated increases in asthma episodes and other allergic illnesses.

Learn more about these air quality impacts, as well as the health effects from changes in wildfires, increased pollution, and indoor air conditions.

3. The elderly have a higher risk of becoming ill or dying during heat waves as compared to other groups.

a. True (correct)

	b. False

Answer to Q3:

Older adults are particularly at risk from extreme heat events, especially if they take certain medications that make it harder to maintain a healthy body temperature. In general, health risks from climate change will not be evenly spread among people. Some groups will experience worse health challenges than others. Other people who are more vulnerable to climate change include pregnant women, children, and people who work outdoors. People with mental illness, disabilities, or chronic medical conditions also face higher risks. High-risk communities include low-income groups, people of color, and immigrant groups.

Learn more about how who you are influences your climate health risks.

4. Which illness does NOT increase in frequency along with higher temperatures?

a. Dehydration

	b. Arthritis (correct)

	c. Kidney stones

	d. Legionnaires’ disease

Answer to Q4:

Cases of arthritis are not expected to increase with higher temperatures. However, extremely hot days can lead to dehydration, heat cramps, heatstroke, and other conditions. Extreme heat compromises the body's ability to regulate temperature and can particularly harm people who already suffer from chronic illnesses like heart, kidney, and lung disorders. Even small differences in seasonal average temperatures can result in increased illnesses and deaths.

Learn more about the health impacts of extreme heat, as well as extreme cold.

5. Which list arranges climate change-related extreme weather events in the United States in order from most to least dangerous (based on a 10-year average of resulting deaths)?

a. Hurricanes, floods, heat waves

	b. Floods, heat waves, hurricanes

	c. Heat waves, hurricanes, floods (correct)

	d. Floods, hurricanes, heat waves

Answer to Q5:

The correct answer is based on data from the National Weather Service. Extreme heat was the leading cause of weather-related deaths (more than 1,200) in the United States between 2004 and 2013. Hurricanes caused more than 1,000 deaths while floods caused less than 800. Not only do extreme weather events injure and kill people, they can also disrupt important infrastructure (such as utilities, roads, bridges, and power supplies). This reduces people’s access to medical care and safe food and water.

Learn more about the health impacts of extreme weather events, like flooding, drought, wildfires, and winter storms.

6. Increasing temperatures from climate change are causing ticks that carry Lyme disease to become active earlier in the year and expand their distribution north. How many cases of Lyme disease per year are reported in the United States on average?

a. 50

	b. 3,500

	c. 30,500 (correct)

	d. 300,500

Answer to Q6:

Changing conditions could make disease-carrying pests (such as ticks, mosquitoes, and fleas) more common. Climate change could also allow these pests to move into new regions or survive for a longer part of the year. People who spend the most time outdoors (such as outdoor workers and children) carry the most risk of contact with disease-carrying pests.

Learn more about how climate change affects the incidence of tick-carried illnesses like Lyme disease.

7. How can climate change affect the frequency of West Nile virus infections?

a. Changing weather conditions alter mosquito habitat

	b. Changing weather conditions alter bird habitat

	c. Changes in mosquito hatching and survival rates

	d. Both A and C

	e. All of the above (correct)

Answer to Q7:

West Nile virus is the most common mosquito-carried illness in the United States. Traditionally, the peak time for outbreaks is June through September. Birds are the natural hosts for West Nile virus, but mosquitoes can also pass the illness to humans after biting an infected bird. Climate influences the number and distribution of both birds and mosquitoes capable of transmitting West Nile virus in different regions.

Learn more about how climate change affects the incidence of mosquito-carried illnesses like West Nile virus.

8. Depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) rates increase after climate- and weather-related disasters.

a. True (correct)

	b. False

Answer to Q8:

Weather-related disasters such as hurricanes are becoming more common. After disasters, people can experience serious emotional consequences. For example, people may develop PTSD, depression, anxiety, or grief. Children especially may have distress after traumatic events. Other high-risk groups include the elderly, first responders, farmers, residents in coastal areas, and people with pre-existing mental illness.

Learn more about climate change-related risks to mental health.

9. How can more frequent intense storms affect drinking water sources?

a. Heavy precipitation can overwhelm sewage and stormwater systems, and pollute drinking water sources

	b. Excessive precipitation and storms can damage water treatment, wastewater, and stormwater structures

	c. Both A and C (correct)

	d. All of the above

Answer to Q9:

Climate change can increase water-related illnesses in different ways. As mentioned in the question, heavy downpours can pollute some drinking water sources (such as lakes and rivers) with unhealthy bacteria and chemicals. Swimming in polluted water also carries health risks. Pollution combined with higher water temperatures can help blooms of harmful algae grow in drinking water sources or recreational waters.

Learn more about how climate change threatens our drinking and recreational water bodies.

10. Will rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide increase or decrease the nutritional value of wheat and rice?

a. Increase

	b. Decrease (correct)

Answer to Q10:

More carbon dioxide is in the air. Plants like wheat, rice, barley, and potatoes react by building more carbohydrates into their tissues. They also draw less water into their roots. So less essential minerals make it into our food. This results in less nutritional value (lower amounts of protein, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, and zinc) in our food.

Learn more about how climate change can threaten our supply of safe and nutritious food.

Top of Page

Climate Change Impacts

Climate Change Home

Climate Impacts Home

—Impacts by Region

—Impacts by Sector

—Impacts by State


text:
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML+RDFa 1.1//EN">

  <meta charset="utf-8" />
<meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="true" />
<meta name="MobileOptimized" content="width" />

<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/sites/all/themes/epa/favicon.ico" type="image/vnd.microsoft.icon" />
<meta http-equiv="cleartype" content="on" />
<meta http-equiv="ImageToolbar" content="false" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width" />

<meta name="keywords" content="climate impacts, impacts, human health, air quality, temperature, global warming, Extreme Weather, disease, ticks, mosquitoes, water-related illness, illness, food safety, children, environmental justice, Indigenous Populations, occupational groups, occupational hazard, older adults, elderly, people with disabilities, medical conditions, pregnancy, pregnant women" />
<link rel="canonical" href="/climate-impacts/climate-change-and-health-factsheets" />
<link rel="shortlink" href="/climate-impacts/climate-change-and-health-factsheets" />

<meta name="WebArea" content="Climate Change Impacts" />
<meta name="WebAreaType" content="Microsite" />
<meta name="ContentType" content="document" />
  <title>Climate Change and Health Factsheets | Climate Change Impacts | US EPA</title>

  <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_3h5HfPyG4w0xmgk_oaLP90_rUIs7Xmed0sNIfCxGAyg.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_NFNG4tEiKv-n_hlnQ4iBNlFbb-9XRaRVA9wRk6nUPHY.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_Pvo-DHIdW2Qn9LljtH2R1QKqzm8QoJ18zl6wR9Dk-Ak.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_28CvFue6tf4M8aL9zid2j2W58Z6HleySMQyNH35QhI0.css" media="all" />

<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_68w49Vk1SYPj8EPx2iW8fUagDJ4xc2WJQO7Dn7aLNaU.css" media="all" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="EPA.gov All Press Releases" href="/newsreleases/search/rss" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="EPA.gov Headquarters Press Releases" href="/newsreleases/search/rss/field_press_office/headquarters" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Greenversations, EPA's Blog" href="https://blog.epa.gov/blog/feed/" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Climate Change Impacts" href="/feed/125319/rss.xml" />

Jump to main content

  <hgroup class="site-name-and-slogan">

            US EPA

United States Environmental Protection Agency

  </hgroup>

Climate Change Impacts

Climate Change and Health Factsheets

Understanding the threats that climate change poses to human health can help us work together to lower risks and be prepared. Climate change threatens human health, including mental health, and access to clean air, safe drinking water, nutritious food, and shelter.

All Americans, at some point in their lives, are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Some people are more affected by climate change than others because of factors like where they live; their age, health, income, and occupation; and how they go about their day-to-day life.

The fact sheets on this page are part of a series of communications materials to highlight the health impacts of climate change at different stages of life and for certain populations of concern. Vea las hojas informativas en español.

      Stages of Life (PDF)(1 pg, 1 MB)

      Children (PDF)(4 pp, 3 MB)

      Environmental Justice (PDF)(4 pp, 3 MB)

      Indigenous Populations (PDF)(4 pp, 2 MB)

      Occupational Groups (PDF)(4 pp, 4 MB)

      Older Adults (PDF)(4 pp, 4 MB)

      Older Adults (large font version) (PDF)(4 pp, 2 MB)

      People with Disabilities (PDF)(4 pp, 4 MB)

      People with Disabilities (large font version) (PDF)(4 pp, 4 MB)

      People with Existing Health Conditions (PDF)(4 pp, 1 MB)

      Pregnant Women (PDF)(4 pp, 2 MB)

      Stages of Life (plain text version) (PDF)(2 pp, 564 K)

      Children (11"x17" version) (PDF)(2 pp, 5 MB)

      Environmental Justice (11"x17" version) (PDF)(2 pp, 7 MB)

      Indigenous Populations (11"x17" version) (PDF)(2 pp, 3 MB)

      Occupational Groups (11"x17" version) (PDF)(2 pp, 5 MB)

      Older Adults (11"x17" version) (PDF)(2 pp, 5 MB)

      People with Disabilities (11"x17" version) (PDF)(2 pp, 6 MB)

      People with Existing Health Conditions (11"x17" version) (PDF)(2 pp, 2 MB)

      Pregnant Women (11"x17" version) (PDF)(2 pp, 4 MB)

Climate Change Impacts

Climate Change Home

Climate Impacts Home

—Impacts by Region

—Impacts by Sector

Agriculture

Coasts

Ecosystems

Energy

Forests

Human Health

Health Factsheet

Health Map

Quiz

Society

Transportation

Water Resources

—Impacts by State


text:
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML+RDFa 1.1//EN">

  <meta charset="utf-8" />
<meta http-equiv="cleartype" content="on" />

<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/sites/all/themes/epa/favicon.ico" type="image/vnd.microsoft.icon" />
<meta name="MobileOptimized" content="width" />
<meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="true" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width" />
<meta http-equiv="ImageToolbar" content="false" />

<meta name="keywords" content="climate impacts, human health, global warming, children, environmental justice, Indigenous Populations, occupational groups, occupational hazard, older adults, elderly, people with disabilities, medical conditions, pregnancy, pregnant women" />
<link rel="canonical" href="/climate-impacts/communicating-vulnerabilities-climate-change-indigenous-populations" />
<link rel="shortlink" href="/climate-impacts/communicating-vulnerabilities-climate-change-indigenous-populations" />

<meta name="WebArea" content="Climate Change Impacts" />
<meta name="WebAreaType" content="Microsite" />
<meta name="ContentType" content="document" />
  <title>Communicating Vulnerabilities to Climate Change: Indigenous Populations | Climate Change Impacts | US EPA</title>

  <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_3h5HfPyG4w0xmgk_oaLP90_rUIs7Xmed0sNIfCxGAyg.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_NFNG4tEiKv-n_hlnQ4iBNlFbb-9XRaRVA9wRk6nUPHY.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_Pvo-DHIdW2Qn9LljtH2R1QKqzm8QoJ18zl6wR9Dk-Ak.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_28CvFue6tf4M8aL9zid2j2W58Z6HleySMQyNH35QhI0.css" media="all" />

<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_68w49Vk1SYPj8EPx2iW8fUagDJ4xc2WJQO7Dn7aLNaU.css" media="all" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="EPA.gov All Press Releases" href="/newsreleases/search/rss" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="EPA.gov Headquarters Press Releases" href="/newsreleases/search/rss/field_press_office/headquarters" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Greenversations, EPA's Blog" href="https://blog.epa.gov/blog/feed/" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Climate Change Impacts" href="/feed/125319/rss.xml" />

Jump to main content

  <hgroup class="site-name-and-slogan">

            US EPA

United States Environmental Protection Agency

  </hgroup>

Climate Change Impacts

Communicating Vulnerabilities to Climate Change: Indigenous Populations

EPA has developed communication materials that summarize key points from the U.S. Climate and Health Assessment on eight different populations that are disproportionately affected by climate change impacts. Stakeholders are encouraged to use or modify these materials to strengthen their conversations about climate change and health impacts to vulnerable populations.

How to Use these Materials and Summary Points: Indigenous Populations (.docx)(6 pp, 734 K)

Customizable Powerpoint Presentation: Indigenous Populations (.ppt)(10 pp, 1 MB)

Shareable graphics (.jpg): [550x375] [1024x512] [1200x630]

See the Indigenous Populations factsheets below. See communications materials for other populations of concern. For questions or assistance, please email climatehealth@epa.gov.

      Climate Change and the Health of Indigenous Populations (PDF)(4 pp, 2 MB)

      El Cambio Climático y la Salud de las Poblaciones Indígenas  (PDF)(4 pp, 2 MB)

      Printable (11"x17") Version: Climate Change and the Health of Indigenous Populations (PDF)(2 pp, 3 MB)

Climate Change Impacts

Climate Change Home

Climate Impacts Home

—Impacts by Region

—Impacts by Sector

—Impacts by State


text:
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML+RDFa 1.1//EN">

  <meta charset="utf-8" />

<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/sites/all/themes/epa/favicon.ico" type="image/vnd.microsoft.icon" />
<meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="true" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width" />
<meta name="MobileOptimized" content="width" />
<meta http-equiv="ImageToolbar" content="false" />
<meta http-equiv="cleartype" content="on" />

<meta name="keywords" content="climate change, global warming, impacts, effects, Midwest, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Michigan, agriculture, water shortages, heavy downpours, air quality, insect-borne diseases, warming, Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts, Minnesota Interagency Climate Adaptation Team, Chicago, green roofs, heat waves, green infrastructure, extreme heat events, Great Lakes" />
<link rel="canonical" href="/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-midwest" />
<link rel="shortlink" href="/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-midwest" />

<meta name="WebArea" content="Climate Change Impacts" />
<meta name="WebAreaType" content="Microsite" />
<meta name="ContentType" content="page" />
  <title>Climate Impacts in the Midwest | Climate Change Impacts | US EPA</title>

  <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_3h5HfPyG4w0xmgk_oaLP90_rUIs7Xmed0sNIfCxGAyg.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_NFNG4tEiKv-n_hlnQ4iBNlFbb-9XRaRVA9wRk6nUPHY.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_Pvo-DHIdW2Qn9LljtH2R1QKqzm8QoJ18zl6wR9Dk-Ak.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_28CvFue6tf4M8aL9zid2j2W58Z6HleySMQyNH35QhI0.css" media="all" />

<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_68w49Vk1SYPj8EPx2iW8fUagDJ4xc2WJQO7Dn7aLNaU.css" media="all" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="EPA.gov All Press Releases" href="/newsreleases/search/rss" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="EPA.gov Headquarters Press Releases" href="/newsreleases/search/rss/field_press_office/headquarters" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Greenversations, EPA's Blog" href="https://blog.epa.gov/blog/feed/" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Climate Change Impacts" href="/feed/125319/rss.xml" />

Jump to main content

  <hgroup class="site-name-and-slogan">

            US EPA

United States Environmental Protection Agency

  </hgroup>

Climate Change Impacts

Climate Impacts in the Midwest

On This Page:

Overview

Human Health

Water Resources

Agriculture and Ecosystems

Key Points

Temperature increase in the Midwest has accelerated in recent decades, particularly nighttime and winter temperatures.

This region will likely experience warmer and wetter winters, springs with heavy precipitation, and hotter summers with longer dry periods.

Risks to human health are expected to rise with warmer temperatures, reduced air quality, and increased allergens.

There may be higher yields of important agricultural crops for a limited period of time. However, over time, increasingly warmer temperatures and other stressors are expected to decrease yields.

Related Links

EPA:

EPA, Great Lakes

EPA Region 5 (including the Midwest states of IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI)

EPA Region 7 (including the Midwest states of IA and MO)

EPA, The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Exit

Other:

IPCC Working Group II: North America (2014)

USGCRP Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States: Midwest

NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory

Overview

The Midwest is home to more than 61 million people that largely reside in cities, including Chicago, Indianapolis, Detroit, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Cleveland, Minneapolis, and St. Paul. Outside the cities are expansive croplands and forests, the Great Lakes, and major river systems including the Ohio River, the Upper Mississippi River, and the Missouri River.[1] The Midwest is subject to extremely cold air masses from the far north, and warm, humid air masses from the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in a wide range of both temperature and precipitation extremes.[2]

The Midwest has gotten warmer, with average annual temperatures increasing over the last several decades. Between 1900 and 2010, the average air temperature increased by more than 1.5°F.[1] The rate of increase in temperature has accelerated in recent decades, particularly nighttime and winter temperatures. Projected change in summer temperatures under different warming scenarios. Summers in Illinois and Michigan might feel like current summers in Texas or Oklahoma by the end of the century. Source: USGCRP (2009)[8]

Click the image to view a larger version.Temperatures are projected to continue increasing across the Midwest, with the greatest increases in average temperature expected in northern areas.[1] Southern states will also experience more hot days, with a greater number of days over 95°F and fewer days below 65°F, which could lead to greater energy demand for air conditioning.[1]

Precipitation is greatest in the eastern part of the Midwest and less towards the west.[1] Heavy downpours are already common, but climate change is expected to intensify storms and lead to greater precipitation across the entire region during this century. Annual precipitation has already risen by as much as 20% in some areas.[1] Projections of future precipitation indicate that heavy downpours are likely to occur primarily in winter and spring months while summers will become drier, especially in the southern portion of the region.

Top of Page

Impacts on Human Health

In the Midwest, climate change is expected to negatively affect human health in a variety of ways and exacerbate existing health challenges. Major heat waves have been occurring more frequently across this region for many decades, resulting in increased deaths during these extreme events.[1][3][4] Heat stress is likely to increase in the future as a result of continued rises in temperatures and humidity in this region, resulting in more heat-related deaths and illnesses.[1] Air quality is already poor in parts of the Midwest and is projected to worsen with rising temperatures. Increased exposure to allergens caused by the lengthening of the pollen season is also expected to negatively impact human health.[1]

Warmer temperatures and changes in precipitation could increase the risk of exposure to diseases carried by insects and rodents.[1] Drinking water quality may also decline as a result of heavier rainfall events (see Water Resources section).

Midwestern temperatures are expected to continue rising. Average annual air temperatures are projected to increase in the near future (2041-2070) when compared to the end of last century (1971-2000) (top left). Increases are expected in both the number of days over 95°F (top right) and the number of days over 65°F (bottom right), when air conditioning may be needed. The length of the frost free season is also projected to increase (bottom left). Source: USGCRP (2014)[9]

Click the image to view a larger version.For more information on climate change impacts on human health, please visit the Human Health Impacts page.

Top of Page

Impacts on Water Resources

Precipitation in the Midwest is expected become more intense, leading to increased flood damage, strained drainage systems, and reduced drinking water availability.[1] Midwestern cities with impervious infrastructure may result in surface runoff entering combined storm and sewage drainage systems. When these systems are overloaded during intense rainstorms, raw sewage overflow can result, impacting clean water availability and human health.[1]

More heavy downpours may increase the likelihood of property damage, travel delays, and disruption in services. Sediment runoff and erosion may clog reservoirs and reduce storage capacity.[1] Local governments may invest in new infrastructure to prevent contamination and protect water resources.

Expected rises summer drought frequency and evaporation rates could reduce water levels in lakes and wetlands, as well as in important commercial waterways.[3][5] Disruptions in barge traffic along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers have already occurred.[5] Changes in the Great Lakes are less clear, but water level decline may force reductions in the weight of cargo shipments and diminish the usability of coastal infrastructure, such as docks and piers.[1][3]

The Great Lakes

Winter ice cover in the Great Lakes has changed in recent decades. This figure shows the average maximum ice coverage by decade between 1963 and 2013. Reduced lake ice has contributed to observed increases in summer water temperatures.[1] Source: USGCRP (2014)

Click the image to view a larger version.The Great Lakes border many Midwestern states and are important for drinking water, transportation, commerce, and recreation.[6] Together, these lakes contain 84% of North America's surface freshwater, and provide drinking water to more than 40 million people.[1]

Warming waters may spur the growth of blue-green and toxic algae that reduce water quality. Rising temperatures also diminish winter ice cover, which may leave shores more vulnerable to waves, increase erosion and flooding, and damage fish habitat and property.[1] However, less ice cover could benefit commerce if the shipping season lengthens.

For more information on climate change impacts on water, please visit the Water Resources page.

Top of Page

Impacts on Agriculture and Ecosystems

Climate change is expected to have many impacts on agriculture, forests, and other ecosystems in the Midwest.[1] Midwestern agricultural lands make up two-thirds of the region's land area and produce 65% of the nation's corn and soybeans.[1] Some climate-related impacts may provide short-term benefits for agriculture, but negative effects are also expected in this time frame. In the long-term, climate impacts are likely to have increasingly detrimental effects that increase variability in crop and agricultural production.[1][7]

Increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere can stimulate crop production, and warmer temperatures lengthen the growing season. Soybeans may increase in yield early in the century because of the elevated carbon dioxide, but added stress due to increasing temperature is expected to offset this benefit later. Corn yields decline as temperatures warm because of a shortening of the reproductive development period. Yields of both crops could also be affected by an increase in disease-causing pathogens and delayed planting resulting from greater spring precipitation.[1][7]

Warmer temperatures, especially extreme heat, stress livestock animals and cause declines in meat, milk, and egg production.[7] Diseases may increase as temperature and moisture conditions become more favorable for disease spread and range expansion. Additional expenses may also be incurred as the need to cool animal buildings increases.[7]

Natural ecosystems in the Midwest are being altered by the combined effects of climate change, land-use change, and an influx of invasive species.[1] Forests are threatened by more frequent droughts, wildfires, and insect outbreaks. Many tree species are expected to gradually shift their ranges northward.

In the Great Lakes and smaller lakes in the Midwest region, increased temperatures are likely to affect fish species.[1] Warming waters are expected to reduce the abundance of many coldwater species, including brook trout, lake trout, and whitefish. Coolwater species, such as muskie, smallmouth bass, and bluegill are expected to increase.[8] The habitat of many fish species may also be degraded by harmful algal blooms, coastal erosion and flooding, and pollution runoff.[1]

For more information on climate change impacts on ecosystems, please visit the Ecosystems Impacts page.

Top of Page

References

[1] USGCRP (2014)  Pryor, S. C., D. Scavia, C. Downer, M. Gaden, L. Iverson, R. Nordstrom, J. Patz, and G. P. Robertson, 2014: Ch. 18: Midwest. Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment, J. M. Melillo, Terese (T.C.) Richmond, and G. W. Yohe, Eds., U.S. Global Change Research Program, 418-440.

[2] NOAA (2013). Regional Climate Trends and Scenarios for the US National Climate Assessment. Part 3. Climate of the Midwest. NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 142-3. United States Department of Commerce.

[3] US EPA (2014). Climate change indicators in the United States, 2014. Third edition.

[4] USGCRP (2014). Luber, G., K. Knowlton, J. Balbus, H. Frumkin, M. Hayden, J. Hess, M. McGeehin, N. Sheats, L. Backer, C. B. Beard, K. L. Ebi, E. Maibach, R. S. Ostfeld, C. Wiedinmyer, E. Zielinski-Gutirrez, and L. Ziska, 2014: Ch. 9: Human Health. Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment, J. M. Melillo, Terese (T.C.) Richmond, and G. W. Yohe, Eds., U.S. Global Change Research Program.

[5] USGCRP (2014). Schwartz, H. G., M. Meyer, C. J. Burbank, M. Kuby, C. Oster, J. Posey, E. J. Russo, and A. Rypinski, 2014: Ch. 5: Transportation. Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment, J. M. Melillo, Terese (T.C.) Richmond, and G. W. Yohe, Eds., U.S. Global Change Research Program, 130-149.

[6] US EPA (2012). Great Lakes: Basic Information.

[7] USGCRP (2014). Hatfield, J., G. Takle, R. Grotjahn, P. Holden, R. C. Izaurralde, T. Mader, E. Marshall, and D. Liverman, 2014: Ch. 6: Agriculture. Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment, J. M. Melillo, Terese (T.C.) Richmond, and G. W. Yohe, Eds., U.S. Global Change Research Program, 150-174.

[8] USGCRP (2009). Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States. Karl, T.R., J. M. Melillo, and T. C. Peterson (eds.). United States Global Change Research Program. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, USA.

[9] USGCRP (2014). Projected Mid-Century Temperature Changes in the Midwest.

Top of Page

Climate Change Impacts

Climate Change Home

Climate Impacts Home

—Impacts by Region

Alaska

Northeast

Northwest

Southeast

Southwest

Midwest

Great Plains

U.S. Islands

International

—Impacts by Sector

—Impacts by State


text:
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML+RDFa 1.1//EN">

  <meta charset="utf-8" />
<meta http-equiv="cleartype" content="on" />

<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/sites/all/themes/epa/favicon.ico" type="image/vnd.microsoft.icon" />
<meta name="MobileOptimized" content="width" />
<meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="true" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width" />
<meta http-equiv="ImageToolbar" content="false" />

<meta name="keywords" content="climate impacts, human health, global warming, children, environmental justice, Indigenous Populations, occupational groups, occupational hazard, older adults, elderly, people with disabilities, medical conditions, pregnancy, pregnant women" />
<link rel="canonical" href="/climate-impacts/communicating-vulnerabilities-climate-change-occupational-groups" />
<link rel="shortlink" href="/climate-impacts/communicating-vulnerabilities-climate-change-occupational-groups" />

<meta name="WebArea" content="Climate Change Impacts" />
<meta name="WebAreaType" content="Microsite" />
<meta name="ContentType" content="document" />
  <title>Communicating Vulnerabilities to Climate Change: Occupational Groups | Climate Change Impacts | US EPA</title>

  <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_3h5HfPyG4w0xmgk_oaLP90_rUIs7Xmed0sNIfCxGAyg.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_NFNG4tEiKv-n_hlnQ4iBNlFbb-9XRaRVA9wRk6nUPHY.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_Pvo-DHIdW2Qn9LljtH2R1QKqzm8QoJ18zl6wR9Dk-Ak.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_28CvFue6tf4M8aL9zid2j2W58Z6HleySMQyNH35QhI0.css" media="all" />

<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_68w49Vk1SYPj8EPx2iW8fUagDJ4xc2WJQO7Dn7aLNaU.css" media="all" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="EPA.gov All Press Releases" href="/newsreleases/search/rss" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="EPA.gov Headquarters Press Releases" href="/newsreleases/search/rss/field_press_office/headquarters" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Greenversations, EPA's Blog" href="https://blog.epa.gov/blog/feed/" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Climate Change Impacts" href="/feed/125319/rss.xml" />

Jump to main content

  <hgroup class="site-name-and-slogan">

            US EPA

United States Environmental Protection Agency

  </hgroup>

Climate Change Impacts

Communicating Vulnerabilities to Climate Change: Occupational Groups

EPA has developed communication materials that summarize key points from the U.S. Climate and Health Assessment on eight different populations that are disproportionately affected by climate change impacts. The agency is providing these materials for use and modification for anyone seeking to communicate the health impacts of climate change to a range of audiences.

How to Use these Materials and Summary Points: Occupational Groups (.docx)(6 pp, 1 MB)

Customizable Powerpoint Presentation: Occupational Groups (.ppt)(10 pp, 4 MB)

Shareable graphics (.jpg): [550x375] [1024x512] [1200x630]

See the Occupational Groups factsheets below. See communications materials for other populations of concern. For questions or assistance, please email climatehealth@epa.gov.

      Climate Change and the Health of Occupational Groups (PDF)(4 pp, 4 MB)

      El Cambio Climático y la Salud de los Grupos Ocupacionales  (PDF)(4 pp, 4 MB)

      Printable (11"x17") Version:  Climate Change and the Health of Occupational Groups (PDF)(2 pp, 5 MB)

Climate Change Impacts

Climate Change Home

Climate Impacts Home

—Impacts by Region

—Impacts by Sector

—Impacts by State


text:
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML+RDFa 1.1//EN">

  <meta charset="utf-8" />
<meta http-equiv="cleartype" content="on" />

<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/sites/all/themes/epa/favicon.ico" type="image/vnd.microsoft.icon" />
<meta name="MobileOptimized" content="width" />
<meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="true" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width" />
<meta http-equiv="ImageToolbar" content="false" />

<meta name="keywords" content="climate impacts, human health, global warming, children, environmental justice, Indigenous Populations, occupational groups, occupational hazard, older adults, elderly, people with disabilities, medical conditions, pregnancy, pregnant women" />
<link rel="canonical" href="/climate-impacts/communicating-vulnerabilities-climate-change-pregnant-women" />
<link rel="shortlink" href="/climate-impacts/communicating-vulnerabilities-climate-change-pregnant-women" />

<meta name="WebArea" content="Climate Change Impacts" />
<meta name="WebAreaType" content="Microsite" />
<meta name="ContentType" content="document" />
  <title>Communicating Vulnerabilities to Climate Change: Pregnant Women | Climate Change Impacts | US EPA</title>

  <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_3h5HfPyG4w0xmgk_oaLP90_rUIs7Xmed0sNIfCxGAyg.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_NFNG4tEiKv-n_hlnQ4iBNlFbb-9XRaRVA9wRk6nUPHY.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_Pvo-DHIdW2Qn9LljtH2R1QKqzm8QoJ18zl6wR9Dk-Ak.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_28CvFue6tf4M8aL9zid2j2W58Z6HleySMQyNH35QhI0.css" media="all" />

<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_68w49Vk1SYPj8EPx2iW8fUagDJ4xc2WJQO7Dn7aLNaU.css" media="all" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="EPA.gov All Press Releases" href="/newsreleases/search/rss" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="EPA.gov Headquarters Press Releases" href="/newsreleases/search/rss/field_press_office/headquarters" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Greenversations, EPA's Blog" href="https://blog.epa.gov/blog/feed/" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Climate Change Impacts" href="/feed/125319/rss.xml" />

Jump to main content

  <hgroup class="site-name-and-slogan">

            US EPA

United States Environmental Protection Agency

  </hgroup>

Climate Change Impacts

Communicating Vulnerabilities to Climate Change: Pregnant Women

EPA has developed communication materials that summarize key points from the U.S. Climate and Health Assessment on eight different populations that are disproportionately affected by climate change impacts. Stakeholders are encouraged to use or modify these materials to strengthen their conversations about climate change and health impacts to vulnerable populations.

How to Use these Materials and Summary Points: Pregnant Women (.docx)(6 pp, 800 K)

Customizable Powerpoint Presentation: Pregnant Women (.ppt)(10 pp, 1 MB)

Shareable graphics (.jpg): [550x375] [1024x512] [1200x630]

See the Pregnant Women factsheets below. See communications materials for other populations of concern. For questions or assistance, please email climatehealth@epa.gov.

      Climate Change and the Health of Pregnant Women (PDF)(2 pp, 2 MB)

      El Cambio Climático y la Salud de las Embarazada (PDF)(4 pp, 1 MB)

      Printable (11"x17") Version: Climate Change and the Health of Pregnant Women (PDF)(2 pp, 4 MB)

Climate Change Impacts

Climate Change Home

Climate Impacts Home

—Impacts by Region

—Impacts by Sector

—Impacts by State


text:
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML+RDFa 1.1//EN">

  <meta charset="utf-8" />

<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/sites/all/themes/epa/favicon.ico" type="image/vnd.microsoft.icon" />
<meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="true" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width" />
<meta name="MobileOptimized" content="width" />
<meta http-equiv="ImageToolbar" content="false" />
<meta http-equiv="cleartype" content="on" />

<meta name="keywords" content="climate change, global warming, impacts, effects, Northwest, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, wildfire, hydroelectricity, flood, forests, Cascade Mountain Range, salmon, transportation infrastructure, coastal erosion, sea level rise, early snowmelt, snowpack, streamflow, king county, Native Americans, Swinomish, Olympia" />
<link rel="canonical" href="/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-northwest" />
<link rel="shortlink" href="/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-northwest" />

<meta name="WebArea" content="Climate Change Impacts" />
<meta name="WebAreaType" content="Microsite" />
<meta name="ContentType" content="page" />
  <title>Climate Impacts in the Northwest | Climate Change Impacts | US EPA</title>

  <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_3h5HfPyG4w0xmgk_oaLP90_rUIs7Xmed0sNIfCxGAyg.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_NFNG4tEiKv-n_hlnQ4iBNlFbb-9XRaRVA9wRk6nUPHY.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_Pvo-DHIdW2Qn9LljtH2R1QKqzm8QoJ18zl6wR9Dk-Ak.css" media="all" />
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_28CvFue6tf4M8aL9zid2j2W58Z6HleySMQyNH35QhI0.css" media="all" />

<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/sites/production/files/css/css_68w49Vk1SYPj8EPx2iW8fUagDJ4xc2WJQO7Dn7aLNaU.css" media="all" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="EPA.gov All Press Releases" href="/newsreleases/search/rss" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="EPA.gov Headquarters Press Releases" href="/newsreleases/search/rss/field_press_office/headquarters" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Greenversations, EPA's Blog" href="https://blog.epa.gov/blog/feed/" />
  <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Climate Change Impacts" href="/feed/125319/rss.xml" />

Jump to main content

  <hgroup class="site-name-and-slogan">

            US EPA

United States Environmental Protection Agency

  </hgroup>

Climate Change Impacts

Climate Impacts in the Northwest

On This Page:

Overview

Water Resources

Coastal Resources

Ecosystems and Agriculture

Key Points

Warming temperatures and declines in snowpack and streamflow have been observed in the Northwest in recent decades.

Climate change will likely result in continued reductions in snowpack and lower summer streamflows, worsening the existing competition for water.

Higher temperatures, changing streamflows, and an increase in pests, disease, and wildfire will threaten forests, agriculture, and salmon populations.

Sea level rise is projected to increase erosion of coastlines, escalating infrastructure and ecosystem risks.

Overview

The Northwest is best known for its vast Pacific coastline and rainy weather. The region is home to the Cascade Mountain Range that runs north-south through Washington and Oregon, resulting in large climatic differences on the western and eastern sides of the range. West of the mountains, year-round temperatures are mild, winters are wet, and summers are dry. East of the mountains, it is typically sunnier and drier throughout the year, winters are colder, and summers can be significantly hotter.[1]

Over the last century, the average annual temperature in the Northwest has risen by about 1.3°F.[2] Temperatures are projected to increase by approximately 3°F to 10°F by the end of the century, with the largest increases expected in the summer.[2] Precipitation in the region has seen a decline in both the amount of total snowfall and the proportion of precipitation falling as snow. Declines in snowpack and streamflows have been observed in the Cascades in recent decades. In Washington state, record low snowpack values were measured in April 2015 and in seventy-four percent of long-term monitoring stations.[3] Changes in average annual precipitation in the Northwest are likely to vary over the century. Summer precipitation is projected to decline by as much as 30%, with less frequent but heavier downpours.[2]

Top of Page

Impacts on Water Resources

Related Links

EPA:

EPA Region 8 (including the Northwest state of MT)

Other:

IPCC Working Group II. Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability Exit

USGCRP, Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States: Northwest

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Climate Change in the Pacific Northwest

U.S. Forest Service: Pacific Northwest Global Change Research Exit

Oregon State University's Oregon Climate Change Research Institute (OCCRI) Exit

ITEP, Tribes, & Climate Change Exit

A reliable supply of water is crucial for energy production, agriculture, and ecosystems. Much of the Northwest's water is stored naturally in winter snowpack in the mountains. The snowpack melts and replenishes streams and rivers in the late spring and summer, when there is very little rainfall. Climate change threatens this natural storage by changing the timing of snowmelt and the amount of water available in streams and rivers (streamflow) throughout the year.[2] Warmer springs contribute to earlier melting of the snowpack, higher streamflows in late winter and early spring, and lower flows in summer. Spring snowmelt is projected to occur three to four weeks earlier by mid-century and summer streamflows are likely to decline.[2] In the Cascade Mountains, measurements of snowpack taken on April 1 (when snowpack is usually at its peak) have decreased by about 20% since the 1950s.[2]

Climate change can also lead to changes in the type of precipitation. Warmer winters cause more precipitation to fall as rain instead of snow, particularly at lower elevations. This reduces soil moisture, snow accumulation, and the amount of water available from snowmelt.[2][4] Further, increased flood risks around rivers that receive waters from both winter rains and peak runoff in late spring are expected.[2]

Changing streamflows are likely to strain water management and worsen existing competition for water. Competing demands for water currently include hydropower, agricultural irrigation, municipal and industrial uses, and protection of ecosystems and threatened or endangered species. Increasing temperatures and populations could deepen demand and further stress urban water supplies that are already at risk of diminishing because of climate change.[2]

Forty percent of the nation's hydropower is generated in the Northwest.[2] Lower streamflows will likely reduce hydroelectric supply and could lead to large economic losses in the region. Reduced streamflows combined with rising temperatures and a growing population are raising concerns about the ability to meet increased air conditioning and other electricity demands.[2]

For more information on climate change impacts, please visit the Water Resources Impacts or the Energy Impacts pages.

Natural surface water availability during late summer is projected to decline across most of the Northwest. This map shows expected changes in local runoff (shading) and streamflow (colored circles) for the 2040s (compared to the period 1915 to 2006), assuming that heat-trapping greenhouse gases will be reduced in the future. Source: USGCRP 2014[6]

Click the image to view a larger version.

Top of Page

Impacts on Coastal Resources

Climate change is damaging the Northwest coastline. Projections indicate an increase of 1 to 4 feet of global sea level rise by the end of the century, which may have implications for the 140,000 acres of the region that lie within 3.3 feet of high tide.[2] Sea level rise and storm surge pose a risk to people, infrastructure, and ecosystems, especially in low lying areas, which include Puget Sound. Warming waters and ocean acidification threaten economically important marine species and coastal ecosystems.[2]Many areas of Seattle are projected to fall below sea level during high tide by the end of the century. Shaded blue areas depict three levels of sea level rise, assuming no adaptation. The high (50 inches) and medium (13 inches) estimates are within the range of current projections, while the highest level (88 inches) includes the effect of storm surge. Source: USGCRP 2014[6]

Flooding, seawater inundation, and erosion are expected to threaten coastal infrastructure, including properties, highways, railways, wastewater treatment plants, stormwater outfalls, and ferry terminals. Coastal wetlands, tidal flats, and beaches are likely to erode or be lost as a result of seawater inundation, which heightens the vulnerability of coastal infrastructure to coastal storms.

Some coastal habitats may disappear if organisms are unable to migrate inland because of topography or human infrastructure. This is expected to affect shorebirds and small forage fish, among other species. Warmer waters in regional estuaries, including Puget Sound, may contribute to an increase in harmful algal blooms, which could result in beach closures and declines in recreational shellfish harvests. Ocean acidification is also expected to negatively impact important economic species, including oysters and Pacific salmon.

For more information on climate change impacts on coastal resources, please visit the Coastal Resources page.

Top of Page

Impacts on Ecosystems and Agriculture

Higher temperatures, changing streamflows, and increases in pests and disease threaten forests, agriculture, and fish populations in the Northwest.[2]

Forests make up nearly half of the Northwest landscape. These areas provide important habitat for fish and wildlife and support local economies, recreation, and traditional tribal activities.[2] Forests have become warmer and drier due to rising temperatures, changes in precipitation, and reduced soil moisture. These stresses make trees more susceptible to insect outbreaks and disease and make forests highly flammable. An increase in the number and size of wildfires has been observed in the region in recent decades.[2] These impacts are expected to worsen in the future, resulting in larger areas burned each year and expanded spread of pests, including the mountain pine beetle. Some types of forests and other ecosystems at high elevations are also expected to disappear from the region by the end of the century from inability to survive changing climatic conditions.[2] These changes are likely to have significant effects on local timber revenues and bioenergy markets.

Under hotter, drier conditions, insects and fire can have large cumulative impacts on forests. This is expected to be the dominant driver of forest change in the near future. The top map shows areas burned between 1984 and 2008 or affected by insects or disease between 1997 and 2008. The bottom map indicates the expected increase in area burned resulting from a 2.2°F warming in average temperature. Source: USGCRP 2014[6]

Click the image to view a larger version.Commercial fish and shellfish harvested in the Northwest were valued at $480 million in 2011.[2] Warming waters have already contributed to earlier migration of sockeye salmon in some streams and earlier growth of algal blooms in some lakes. Warmer waters are likely to increase spring and summer disease and mortality in Chinook and sockeye salmon in some river basins. Species that spend all or part of their lives in rivers, including salmon, steelhead, and trout, will suffer from decreased summer flows and increased flooding and winter flows. Projections suggest that suitable habitat for the four trout species in the region will decline by an average of 47% near the end of this century, compared to past decades.[2]

Ocean acidification is also expected to negatively impact shellfish, including oysters, and others species, including Pacific salmon, resulting in economic and cultural implications. Warmer coastal waters may alter migratory patterns and areas of suitable habitat for marine species, resulting in changes in abundances.

Agriculture is an important economic and cultural component in rural areas of the Northwest. In the short-term, a longer growing season and higher levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide may be beneficial to crops.[2] In the longer-term, reduced water availability for irrigation, higher temperatures, and changes in pests, diseases, and weeds may harm crop yields.

Threatened Salmon Populations

Salmon swimming upstream. Credit: US Fish and Wildlife ServiceHuman activities already threaten Northwest salmon populations. These activities include dam building, logging, pollution, and overfishing. Climate change impacts further stress these salmon populations. Salmon are particularly sensitive due to their seasonally timed migration upstream to breed. Higher winter streamflows and earlier peak steamflows due to climate change will damage spawning nests, wash away incubating eggs, and force young salmon from rivers prematurely. Lower summer streamflows and warmer stream and ocean temperatures are less favorable for salmon and other cold-water fish species. These climate change impacts facilitate the spread of salmon diseases and parasites. Many salmon species are already considered threatened or endangered under the Federal Endangered Species Act. Studies show that by 2100, one third of current habitat for Northwest salmon and other coldwater fish will be too warm for these species to tolerate.[5]

For more information on climate change impacts on forests, please visit the Forests Impacts page.

For more information on climate change impacts on agriculture and food supply, please visit the Agriculture and Food Supply Impacts page.

Top of Page

References

[1] U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (2011). Climate Change in the Pacific Northwest .

[2] USGCRP (2014) Mote, P., A. K. Snover, S. Capalbo, S. D. Eigenbrode, P. Glick, J. Littell, R. Raymondi, and S. Reeder, 2014: Ch. 21: Northwest. Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment, J. M. Melillo, Terese (T.C.) Richmond, and G. W. Yohe, Eds., U.S. Global Change Research Program, 487-513.

[3] U.S. Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washington. Accessed June 1, 2015.

[4] US EPA (2016). Climate Change Indicators in the United States: Trends in April Snowpack in the Western United States, 1955-2016.

[5] USGCRP (2009). Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States. Karl, T.R., J. M. Melillo, and T. C. Peterson (eds.). United States Global Change Research Program. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, USA.

Top of Page

Climate Change Impacts

Climate Change Home

Climate Impacts Home

—Impacts by Region

Alaska

Northeast

Northwest

Southeast

Southwest

Midwest

Great Plains

U.S. Islands

International

—Impacts by Sector

—Impacts by State