Reading about the melting ice sheets in the Arctic or desertification in Africa may seem like remote instances, but the effects of climate change also can be seen locally throughout the United States. In order to help make connections between temperature records, extreme weather events, and the spread of disease, the NRDC has created the Snapshot Tool, an online program that allows users to search for occurrences by community.
The Snapshot Tool focuses on data concerning extreme heat, flooding, air quality, drought, dengue fever, wildfires, sea level rise, and extreme weather events. Citizens can log onto a webpage, enter their zip code, and receive information on how global warming has affected their neighborhoods in the past, and what they might expect in the future. To see the data for your area, visit the NRDC website.
Images via Wikicommons users Master Sgt. Mark C. Olsen/U.S. Air Force/New Jersey National Guard and FEMA.