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January 18, 2024
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing about the U.S. Global Change Research Program's fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5). NCA5 is the most comprehensive, holistic, and inclusive report to date on national climate risk and response. Panelists discussed the report’s emphasis on the need for “rapid and deep” greenhouse gas emission reductions and the resulting economic and health benefits. The report also highlights the importance of investing in adaptation to the impacts of climate change—impacts which exacerbate existing climate and social injustices.
NCA5 draws from a wide breadth of scientific literature across the fields of energy, natural resources, air quality, agriculture, and other sectors to provide insights tailored to different regions and communities across the United States. Speakers discussed how members of Congress can use this report to understand the nuances of climate impacts and solutions in their districts and states, leveraging its takeaways to inform decision-making at the national level.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Rep. Scott Peters, U.S. Representative (D-Calif.)
Rosina Bierbaum, Westin Chair of Natural Economics, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland; Professor, School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan
Allison Crimmins, Director, National Climate Assessment, U.S. Global Change Research Program; Office of Science & Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President
Adrienne Hollis, Vice President of Environmental Justice, Public Health, and Community Revitalization, National Wildlife Federation
Caitlin Simpson, Climate Adaptation Partnerships Program Manager, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Program Office
Louie Rivers, Senior Social Science Advisor, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development
“Patterns of climate risk, social vulnerability, and climate adaptation in the Southeast echo centuries of human history. The region consists of highly diverse communities and landscapes, including one of the most biodiverse areas in the continental United States. The Southeast’s ecosystems, stewarded for generations by Indigenous Peoples, are now in a precarious state. Centuries of political and land-use decisions have threatened the landscape and the people, with a few prospering at the expense of many. These decisions, shaped by a long history of systemic and structural racial discrimination and aggression, continue to have lasting harmful effects on the preparedness of Southeast communities for mounting climate change threats. The institutions of slavery and intergenerational ownership of individuals as property, Jim Crow segregation, and housing discrimination have resulted in many Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities living in neighborhoods that are disproportionately exposed to environmental risks and with fewer resources to address them when compared to majority White communities.”
Introduction of NCA5 Chapter 22: Southeast
Q&A
Q: How do the findings in NCA5 relate to items on the Congressional agenda?
Bierbaum
Crimmins
Hollis
Q: If a Congressional district is not in a position to prioritize greenhouse gas emission reductions, what do you recommend it prioritize?
Rivers
Q: What are examples of bipartisan solutions to climate change?
Q: Does NCA5 address the issue of waste?
Q: How does NCA5 talk about agriculture? How would you like to see the agriculture sector change?
Compiled by Anna McGinn and edited for clarity and length. This is not a transcript.