Climate Change Effects

In California, signs of climate change are already evident and are expected to worsen. The quality of life our children and grandchildren will experience depends on how rapidly San Diegans and the rest of the world reduce their emissions and plan for global warming.

Consequences of Climate Change:

• More frequent and intense heat waves and droughts
• Rising temperatures will likely damage fisheries, increase heat-related deaths, and alter where crops can grow
• Growing threats to public health from heat waves, worsening air quality and vector-borne disease
• Sea level rise by 1 to 1.5 feet, putting our coastal communities at risk
• Decreased precipitation leading to drought in the Colorado River Basin and drastically reduced snowpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains are diminishing our major sources of drinking water
• Storms and wildfires may occur more often
• Native plants and wildlife will be pushed to the brink of extinction

 

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