DEP: Climate Change Will Impact Agriculture, Health, Biodiversity

The Department of Environmental Protection is releasing a report on how climate change could impact Pennsylvania. The report is mandated by a 2008 state law and is a compilation of previous studies to be used by a state advisory committee to develop a climate change action plan for the state. Climate change is defined as long-term variations to daily weather patterns, which have positive and negative effects on various sectors of everyday life. Some of those areas include:

*Agriculture - A longer growing season could be helpful to some crops (corn, soy) and harmful to others (apples, potatoes).
*Biodiversity - Higher temperatures will create a ripple effect as changes to one species impacts the food chain. A number of tree species may be unable to survive, including some kinds of birch, aspen, maple and black cherry. Aquatic ecosystems will heat up and become more variable- the Eastern Brook Trout will be especially susceptible. Species that are already struggling will become even more stressed.
*Energy Use and Health - Temperatures could rise 2 to 5 degrees, increasing energy use in the summer and upping the number of "ozone" days. There may be fewer deaths from the cold in the winter.

The DEP used a number of approaches to inform their projections, including quantitative modeling and input from stakeholders. The report now heads to the General Assembly for comment.

The full report can be found here.