Town Metting to Discuss Possible Impacts of Climate Change on California

(10 Oct., 1996 — New York) The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today expressed concern over the potential consequences of climate change for California. These concerns are based on EDF’s review of projections of global climate models which suggest that California could warm an average of 2 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit by the middle of the next century, and that California’s coastline could experience sea level rise due to climate change of 1 to 1 1/2 feet over the next century if greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced. This and other information on impacts will be presented at a town meeting on climate change being held today, co- sponsored by EDF, UCS, NRDC, Sierra Club, Energy Foundation, the World Affairs Council, Sustainable San Francisco, EDGE, International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives and the US Climate Action Network at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

“Projections based on the global climate models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, an international panel composed of over 2,000 scientists, show that the impacts of climate change on California include a risk of increased frequency and intensity of flooding, wildfires and droughts,” said EDF scientist Janine Bloomfield. “To protect the economy and the ecology of California, the burning of fossil fuels which contribute to global climate change must be reduced and the state’s commitment to clean, renewable energy must be increased. California industries at risk include agriculture, tourism, real estate, skiing, forestry and water resource management. Sea level rise threatens beaches and beach communities as well as wetlands, delta regions and drinking water aquifers in the coastal region.”

Sustained warming could lead to shorter winters and longer, hotter summers as well as the conditions that tend to lead to higher fire frequency and severity. Record high temperatures and dry brush from five years of drought contributed to the severity of the Oakland-Berkeley hills fire of 1991 which resulted in 25 deaths, 150 injuries and an estimated loss of over $1.5 billion dollars. To date, in 1996, drought conditions have contributed to forest fires that have burned more than 530,000 acres, causing losses in excess of $35 million. Although there is no evidence that either the Oakland-Berkeley hills fire or this year’s forest fires were related to climate change, they provide examples of events which could become more common in the future.

“California’s water supply system is very sensitive to climatic conditions. Longer summers and shorter winters would increase the risk of flooding in the early spring but lead to greatly reduced water flows in summer and early fall,” said Bloomfield. “The Sacramento Delta, which supplies much of the irrigation water for state agriculture, is particularly vulnerable to the combination of saltwater intrusion from sea level rise and decline in freshwater runoff during the dry season. Lower quantities and less predictable availability of water as well as decreased water quality could reduce agricultural productivity.”

“Tourism, including fishing, camping, hiking, hunting and skiing, are all vulnerable to climate change. Lower water quality, warmer water, lower stream flows and saltwater inundation could reduce fish and wildlife habitat. Ski seasons could be considerably shortened as warmer temperatures lead to later snowfall and earlier snowmelt. This would also result in decreased cover, depth and quality of the snow during the season,” said Bloomfield.