NPR: Climate change affects your life in 3 big ways, a new report warns

[DBoon]

...
Released every five years, the National Climate Assessment is a congressionally mandated evaluation of the effects of climate change on American life. This new fifth edition paints a picture of a nation simultaneously beset by climate-driven disasters and capable of dramatically reducing emissions of planet-warming gasses in the near future.

This is the first time the assessment includes standalone chapters about climate change's toll on the American economy, as well as the complex social factors driving climate change and the nation's responses. And, unlike past installments, the new assessment draws heavily from social science, including history, sociology, philosophy and Indigenous studies.
...
Food, housing, labor – it all gets pricier as the Earth heats up, according to the National Climate Assessment.

Climate-driven weather disasters, like heat waves, floods, hurricanes and wildfires, are particularly expensive. They destroy homes and businesses, wreck crops and create supply shortages by delaying trucks, ships and trains. Such disasters make it more likely that families will go bankrupt, and that municipal governments will run deficits, the authors note.

The report also notes that climate change affects health, and affects the special places that many of us value.

https://www.npr.org/2023/11/14/1206506962/climate-change-affects-your-life-in-3-big-ways-a-new-report-warns

[patphil]

1. A couple observations on climate change in my area.

My wife and I live about 60 miles north of New York City, on the west side of the Hudson River.
Over the last 30 years or so, we've seen the first frost date go from the second half of September to the second half of October. And, 3 times now, the first frost didn't occur until November.
Also we've seen more extremes in weather and rainfall patterns. All too often now we have periods of no rain, followed by periods of too much rain. Among other things, this tends to lead to a diminishing of the colors of the leaves in the fall. Too often they just go "brown and down", with not much color at all. There's also a lot more mold and mildew on plants and the houses. Our roses have been struggling.
We've also seen the rise of the stink bug...nuff said about those little nasties.
And then there's the heat. Ugh!

[Bayard]

2. Stink bugs!

God I hate those things! We have to shake out anything we bring in from the garage, plus they get on the house plants and suck them dry.

We're seeing the same on weather patterns here in KY. We've never had our farm pond dry up completely before. A few years ago, we had actually dug a second drainage pond.

We had our first frost a few weeks ago, but now its back in the 70's. I'm seeing flowers in the garden that are supposed to be annuals, that are actually making it through the winter.

Its bizarre.

[patphil]

3. Yeah, we had some potted geraniums survive the winter outside a few years ago.

My wife dumped them on the edge of the woods behind our house, and in the spring they were coming back. So, she re-potted them and got a 2nd year out of them. Never seen that before.