White House, EPA say climate change a dire threat to economy, human health
WASHINGTON (AP) — Failure to act on climate change could cause an estimated 57,000 deaths a year in the United States from poor air quality by 2100, the Obama administration argued in a report released Monday that warns of dire effects of global warming.
The report says inaction on climate change could cost billions of dollars a year in damage from rising sea levels, increased wildfires and drought, as well as higher costs for electricity to cool homes and businesses in hotter temperatures. "
*Decisions are not going to wait 50 years," EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy told reporters at a White House briefing. "They are today's decisions."
McCarthy called the report "a wake-up call for some who may not be aware" of the potential damages of climate change.
Obama, in an interview out Monday with comedian Marc Maron for his popular podcast, said he was acting on his own on power plants and other environmental regulations because the GOP-controlled Congress has blocked more comprehensive efforts.
"We'll get that stuff done," Obama said, adding that "it would be a lot better, it would be a lot more helpful, if we had some cooperation from Congress, and if I didn't have the chairman of the energy and environment committee in the Senate holding up a snowball as if that was proof that climate change wasn't happening, that would be useful."
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/06/23/white-house-epa-climate-change-threats/29165589/
= new reply since forum marked as read
The Federal government (eg taxpayers) are underwriting all the damage that insurance companies won't cover, plus crop insurance.
Actual cost of climate change related damage for 2011 + 2012: $188 billion
FEMA budget for 2014 $9.96 bil
2015 $10.38 bil
Disaster Relief Fund (separate from FEMA): $7 billion
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2013/09/12/73895/states-of-denial-states-with-the-most-federal-disaster-aid-sent-climate-science-deniers-to-congress-2/
