Sunday 01 / June / 2025
Muscat: The world's climate is changing at a faster pace than any other time in Earth's history, according to a new U.S. federal report.
Utilising research conducted by a team of more than 300 federal and non-federal experts, the Fourth National Climate Assessment details the wide-ranging affects climate change could have on agriculture, infrastructure, tourism, among other key economic areas.
The report states, "Climate change creates new risks and exacerbates existing vulnerabilities in communities across the United States, presenting growing challenges to human health and safety, quality of life, and the rate of economic growth.
"The impacts of climate change are already being felt in communities across the country. More frequent and intense extreme weather and climate-related events, as well as changes in average climate conditions, are expected to continue to damage infrastructure, ecosystems, and social systems that provide essential benefits to communities.
"Without substantial and sustained global mitigation and regional adaptation efforts, climate change is expected to cause growing losses to American infrastructure and property and impede the rate of economic growth over this century."
Katherine Hayhoe, Director of the Texas Tech University Climate Science Centre and co-author of the report, said, "We are seeing the things we said would be happening, happen now in real life.
"As a climate scientist it is almost surreal."
Outlining the reports key points, she added, "First, climate change creates new risks and exacerbates existing vulnerabilities in communities across the U.S.
"Second, without substantial and sustained global mitigation and regional adaptation efforts, climate change will impede the rate of economic growth over this century.
"Third, communities, governments, and businesses are working to reduce risks from and costs associated with climate change by taking action to lower greenhouse gas emissions and implement adaptation strategies.
"But fourth, this is not enough. While mitigation and adaptation efforts have expanded substantially in the last four years, they do not yet approach the scale considered necessary to avoid substantial damages to the economy, environment, and human health over the coming decades."
The report has already caused a storm of controversy in Washington D.C., as a result of the Trump administration's dismissive attitude towards climate change. Shorty after becoming President, Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the landmark Paris Agreement, and has been a constant critic of climate change.
In tweets, Trump has said, "Brutal and Extended Cold Blast could shatter ALL RECORDS - Whatever happened to Global Warming?"
He has also stated, "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive."
Responding to the report and Trump's criticism of global warming, Senator Bernie Saunders, said, "The fact that we have a President of the United States who doesn't believe in science is an international embarrassment and incredibly dangerous.
"Climate change is already causing devastating consequences. We need bold action, not denials."
Senator Elizabeth Warren added, "Climate change is already happening – and we are not doing enough to stop it. If we don’t take aggressive action now, we risk destroying our environment – and our economy. We all have a stake in this, so we all need to work together to fix it."
