New Data Consistent with Predicted
Impacts of Global Warming
U.S. Senate Committee Urged to
Strengthen Global Warming Bill This Week
Providence,
RI—Scientists have said for years that global
warming will increase the frequency of severe storms, and a new report written
by the Environment Rhode Island Research &
Policy Center makes
it clear that the Rhode Island
is already experiencing extreme downpours and heavy snowstorms much more
frequently.
The key finding of the report –
entitled “When It Rains It Pours”-- found that storms with heavy rainfall or
snowfall are now 88 percent more frequent in the Ocean State
than they were 60 years ago. Additionally, the New England region saw an
increase in these events of 61 percent, the largest in the US.
The report’s release comes days
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works prepares to
vote on comprehensive legislation to address global warming.
“More frequent heavy downpours and
snowstorms make Rhode Island
more vulnerable to dangerous flooding and major pollution problems in the Bay
and our rivers,” said Agatha Wein, Environment Rhode Island’s Global Warming
Associate. “The report’s findings point to the urgent need to act now – and to
act decisively – to reduce global warming pollution at the rates that scientists
say are necessary to avert the worst impacts of global warming.”
To develop its findings the Environment Rhode Island
Research & Policy Center examined trends in the frequency of large rain
and snow events across the continental United States from 1948 to
2006. Using data from 3,000 weather
stations and a methodology originally developed by scientists at the National Climatic Data
Center and the Illinois
State Water Survey, the report identifies storms with the greatest 24-hour
precipitation totals at each weather station, and analyzes when those storms
occurred.
Key findings for the New England
Region and Rhode Island include the fact that Rhode Island shows a
significant increase in the frequency of large storms with heavy precipitation,
roughly estimated to be an 88 percent increase over the nearly 60-year period. Storms
with extreme precipitation increased in frequency by 61 percent in New England from 1948 to 2006. The New England
region ranks 1st nationwide for the largest increase in the frequency of storms
with heavy precipitation.
“The results of this analysis add
to the accumulating evidence that the impacts of the warming environment are
being felt in ways that impact everyone,” says John
Merrill, Professor at the University of Rhode Island’s
Graduate School of Oceanography. “And this analysis is based on direct
observations, not model simulations. It's not only about increased risk from
the strongest tropical storms, or longer-term concerns about rising sea level; changes
in extreme precipitation have widespread and immediate impacts.”
Nationally, the report shows that
storms with extreme precipitation have increased in frequency by 24 percent
across the continental United
States since 1948.
Environment Rhode Island was careful to note that an
increase in the frequency of extreme rainstorms does not mean more water will
be available. Scientists expect that as
global warming intensifies longer periods of relative dryness will mark the
periods between extreme rainstorms, increasing the risk of drought. For example, the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that, under a scenario of intense warming, the
percent of land enduring severe drought globally could be 30 times greater by
the end of the century than it is today.
According to the most recent
science, the United States
must reduce its total global warming emissions by at least 15 to 20 percent by
2020 and by at least 80 percent by 2050 in order to prevent the worst effects
of global warming.
Tomorrow, the U.S. Senate
Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee is expected to vote on
amendments to the “Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2007” (S. 2191), a
global warming bill introduced by Senators Lieberman (I-CT) and Warner (R-VA). While recognizing the important efforts of
the bill’s supporters on this critical issue, Environment Rhode Island said
that the legislation must be significantly strengthened to address the
challenge of global warming.
Specifically, the bill’s current pollution reduction targets fall short
of what the science says is necessary to avoid the worst effects of global
warming, and the bill gives away far too many subsidies to dirty and dangerous
energy sources.
“If we are going to solve the
problem of global warming, this bill must be substantially strengthened. Environment
Rhode Island is
pleased that Sen. Whitehouse has signaled his support for amendments that will
strengthen the bill by requiring science-based pollution reduction targets, and
limiting giveaways to dirty and dangerous energy sources. This is a critical
time for our environment, and it is crucial that these amendments are approved,”
concluded Wein.
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Environment Rhode
Island is a statewide, citizen-based environmental
advocacy organization.
