Third National Climate Assessment

You might have heard about the release of the Third U.S. National Climate Assessment (NCA) in the news recently. There has been a lot of coverage about this report!

The NCA, released on May 6, 2014 by the US Global Change Research Program, is the most comprehensive, authoritative scientific report ever generated about climate changes that are happening now in the U.S. and further changes that we can expect to see throughout this century. The report confirms that climate change is affecting Americans in every region of the United States and key sectors of the national economy. The findings about climate change are translated from scientific insights into practical, usable knowledge that can help decision makers and citizens anticipate and prepare for specific climate change impacts.  The new NCA is a result of a three-year analytic effort by a team of over 300 climate scientists and experts, informed by inputs gathered from technical reports, town hall meetings, public comment opportunities, and technical workshops.

The assessment begins by stating that "climate change, once considered an issue for a distant future, has moved firmly into the present". The report discusses how climate change will move directly into American homes, citing models that show a potential for worsened rates of asthma, and higher pollen levels that may trigger allergies, among other effects. The report states that U.S. temperatures have warmed 1.3 to 1.9 degrees since 1895, with most of the increase coming since 1970. Sea levels have risen and residents of some coastal cities see their streets flood more regularly during storms and high tides. Inland cities near large rivers also experience more flooding after heavy rainfall events.

Now how may this relate to those of you doing your condition monitoring reports? It relates to you because you are collecting local condition data that helps assessments such as the NCA monitor localized changes. It also helps us collect the data we need to collaborate with our partners such as the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), the Southeast Regional ClimateCenter (SECRCC) and the North Carolina and South Carolina state climate offices, to report your findings so that we are aware of what is going on in your town. As you continue submitting condition monitoring reports, especially if you continue the practice into the future, you may run into local changes yourself such as when certain trees or flowers bloom in your area or changes in rainfall patterns. Keeping written records of this type of information will help to document the types of changes we may begin to see and when those changes begin to occur.