From 1950 to 2018, average annual precipitation has risen in 90% of the U.S. states analyzed. The great majority of the country has experienced above-average rainfall so far this year – in fact, the last 12 months have been the wettest on record.
Planning to reduce vulnerability to climate change enables land managers to mitigate risks and increase resilience.
Climate change is causing temperatures to rise throughout the year, but some seasons are warming faster than others. As we approach the start of meteorological winter on December 1st, we see that winter is warming the fastest in most of the country.
Global temperatures interact with nearly all aspects of our climate, from the amount and timing of precipitation to storm and wind intensity. These effects — known as climate change impacts — are happening faster than in previous periods of climate change. These shifts can present management challenges to the conservation community.
Land trusts are already mitigating climate change through carbon sequestration, leading efficiency innovations by example as well as flexible easement language, and making socially responsible investments. By raising awareness and calling for individual and community climate action, land trusts can play a critical role in guiding future land use planning in their region.
Climate Central’s Independence Day edition provides helpful template graphics to help visualize and communicate about climate change.
Climate change is a natural process that has been sped up by human activities. Natural or geologic climate change should not be confused with modern climate change. Today, when most people talk about climate change, they are really talking about modern climate change, also known as anthropogenic — human-caused — climate change.
Climate change describes the process of altering our planet’s climatic conditions. This involves more than temperature; climate is determined by precipitation patterns, minimum and maximum temperatures, drought, storm intensity and more.
Introductory discussion addressing why it is important to plan for climate change.