FactsGlobal warming Impacts on South CarolinaGlobal temperatures rose steadily over the past century with damaging impacts on our environment, health and livelihoods. A recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)1 estimates average South Carolina temperatures could rise by approximately 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit more by 2100, if global warming continues unabated. In South Carolina, the effects of global warming could pose serious risks to human health, wildlife and ecosystems, and may adversely impact recreational activities, tourism and state revenue. Global Warming Impacts on Jobs in South CarolinaWith rising fuel prices, the residents and the economy of South Carolina are hurting. Our reliance on oil, coal, and other non-renewables is fueling global warming, too. The threat posed to our economy, our health, and our environment posed by the current trend of global warming demands urgent and aggressive action. South Carolina could lose 22,000 jobs due to global warming. Global warming effects on South Carolina wildlifeSouth Carolina is home to an incredible diversity of native wildlife species, including 313 birds, 96 mammals, 120 fish, 72 reptiles and 66 amphibians. Rising temperatures and sea level in the state will likely change the makeup of entire ecosystems, forcing wildlife to shift their ranges or adapt. Southern Alliance for Clean Energy's South Carolina Global Warming Fact SheetIn 2007, the world's leading authority on global warming, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), stated with 90% certainty that global warming is occurring and that human-caused pollution is the main factor in warming since 1950. A 2007 report released by the National Environmental Trust entitled Taking Responsibility concluded that South Carolina emits nearly 90 million metric tons of CO2 annually equaling the emissions of 75 developing counties. The Effects of Sea Level Rise on South CarolinaWarming temperatures are threatening South Carolina's coastlines. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global sea levels are predicted to rise between 0.6 and 24 inches within the next century. According to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 20th century rates of erosion in South Carolina and adjacent coastal regions varied from 2.4 millimeters to 4.4. millimeters per year, totaling about a foot over the century. In the future, it is almost certain that coastal headlands, spits and barrier islands will erode faster than they have in the past. As a result, South Carolinians will feel the economic burden of additional conservation measures required to preserve beaches and coastal properties.
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