NEW: Trump Administration Report on Climate Change Warns of Dire Environmental, Economic Consequences
A striking new scientific report issued by 13 federal agencies revealed dire environmental and economic consequences for the United States within the next 100 years. The report contradicts President Donald Trump‘s belief on global climate change and threatens to derail his agenda of environmental deregulation.
According to the New York Times‘ analysis of the Congressionally-mandated report, which is required by law to be produced every four years, “if significant steps are not taken to rein in global warming, the damage will knock as much as 10 percent off the size of the American economy by century’s end.”
While the report was initially scheduled to be released next month, CNN reported, the Trump administration decided to make it public on Friday afternoon — during a holiday weekend.
Trump mocked the idea of global warming this week, tweeting on Thursday:
Brutal and Extended Cold Blast could shatter ALL RECORDS – Whatever happened to Global Warming?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2018
“When most Americans are tucking into turkey leftovers and waiting in line for Black Friday sales the government has released a huge report on the impact of climate change, and the findings are dire — not just for our health and our environment the way you expect it to be, but also for our economy,” MSNBC anchor Ali Velshi said.
NBC News correspondent Tom Costello summarized the report, saying “there is clear and compelling evidence that the temperature is rising fast and that humans are responsible for it. The real-time evidence that the scientists point to include the devastating fires in California and the Smoky Mountains, the horrific hurricanes and tsunamis we’ve seen. Scientists are pointing to more frequent and intense extreme weather that will, they say, damage the health of the environment, human health and the infrastructure.”
“They argue this is primarily a manmade catastrophe caused by greenhouse gases — rising oceans, melting ice, erosion,” he added.
The report highlights scientists’ expectations for the near future, which includes a decrease in cold weather-related deaths but an increase in heat-related deaths — everything from drought to insect-causing diseases like Lyme disease, Zika and West Nile Virus.
Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com
