Building a Plan for Comprehensive Climate Action in the US Congress

Abstract

The stark realities of climate change present a serious and mounting challenge for the United States. For decades, scientists have warned that rising greenhouse gas emissions will carry profound implications for our ecosystems and human life. Scientific evidence of this reality is definitive and clear. Last year marked the fourth‐highest average global temperature in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's 139‐year record, exceeded only by the three previous years. The consequences of systemic warming are evident in the increasing frequency of extreme weather and climate events, which are already extracting substantial tolls from the US economy, human health, and safety. The US Department of Defense has determined that climate change presents a national security threat, with a significant number of US military installations surveyed facing climate risks. Without substantial action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and implement adaptation and mitigation measures, climate change will disrupt nearly every sector of American society and economy, including energy and transportation systems, agricultural productivity, and vital water resources.