Climate change is rapidly accelerating in California, state report says
The report, entitled “California’s Climate Crisis: A National Disaster,” by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, was released Wednesday. The center was established by the U.S. government and released its report Friday. The report is part of Pew’s ongoing series of reports on climate change and state of the nation issues.
The study’s authors said in their foreword that “environmental catastrophe will no longer be regarded as a distant threat” in the 21st century and called for “the swift implementation of climate policies.”
The report looks at the risks and impacts of climate change and examines how the state will adapt to them.
“California is not only the most populous, but also the most vulnerable state to climate change,” the report concluded.
The report notes that “states are beginning to see the impact of climate change” and warned that there was “no turning back now.”
“We know that this is a climate emergency: it is our country’s collective and individual responsibility to manage the risks of climate change,” Gov. Jerry Brown said in a news release. “With this report, the Obama administration is clearly committed to taking action – now.”
“We need to transform our state to build a low-carbon future that is healthier, stronger, and more prosperous,” Gov. Brown said. “California is ready to lead. It is our responsibility to protect our beautiful state. Every Californian has a stake in making our communities, businesses and farms more resilient to climate change.”
“Today, we are releasing a comprehensive climate change report on California,” Gov. Brown said. “This is not an environmental crisis; it is our economic crisis.”
“The report was developed through a series of research workshops in California and across the nation to examine a range of potential futures with climate change,” said Pew’s executive director Steve Killelea. “It explores the vulnerabilities and challenges that face communities across the state, examines what we know today about climate change and its impacts on California, and evaluates policy changes to mitigate these risks in the next few years.”
“This is not just a study on a political hot