Feeling the crunch lately? Cost of gas, food, airfare, and nearly everything else getting you down? Well what if your energy costs reached $141 billion a year? What if you're water costs reached upwards of $950 billion a year?
According to a report from researchers at Tufts University commissioned by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the estimated cost of inaction on climate change could cost the U.S. as much as $3.8 trillion annually by 2100. The report takes both a comprehensive outlook as well as a bottom up approach looking at hurricane damage, real estate losses, increased energy costs, and water costs.
So yes, among the more devastating effects that will be caused by increased temperature, sea level rise, and erratic weather events, one more thing to look forward to if nothing is done is a big fat wallop to the U.S. Economy. Overwhelming? Mmm, just a bit, but perhaps the best way to combat feeling overwhelmed is to do something.
Though Senators chose not the continue the debate on the Climate Security Act earlier this month, it did show momentum and support towards comprehensive global warming legislation. And while talking seems to be of little comfort when it seems that action is more desperately needed, it is still an important and needed part of the process to combat this issue. So do something. In the next several months debate surrounding the upcoming presidential election will be a frenzy of policy, fundraising, and speculation. Why not make sure that global warming becomes one of the issues at the forefront of the election? Why not demand to know what real action will be taken by the next president? Demand that the national media make global warming part of the debate here. It may cost you a few minutes away from the pool, but hopefully it won't end up costing you trillions.
