Bad To Worse

Climate Change Ruining California’s Environment, Says Report

Droughts, fires, warmer temperatures all point to man-made climate change.

There is “unequivocal” evidence that man-made climate change is having a ruinous effect on California’s environment, according to a new report from the California Environmental Protection Agency. The 350-page report—based on research from scientists, academia, and research institutions—sets out how forest fires, droughts, and warmer ocean temperatures all point to man-made climate change destroying the state’s environment. Despite a downward trend in greenhouse-gas emissions measured in California, CO2 levels in the atmosphere and in seawater continue to increase at a steady rate. The report shows that night temperatures have increased 2.3 degrees over the past century. “To me, it shows how important it is to bring carbon emissions down to zero and to limit the amount of climate change that occurs as much as possible,” said Christopher Field, a top climate scientist whose research is reflected in the report. “The risks are coming into sharper focus, the range of impacts are coming into sharper focus. [The report] reinforces and amplifies the messages we’ve already seen.”