Ordered by Congress and made public by the Trump administration, it says the Earth and the U.S. economy are in danger. It warns that the cost of climate change could reach hundreds of billions of dollars each year by the end of the century.
It warns of $141 billion from heat-related deaths as temperatures increase. Sea level rise will also cost an estimated $118 billion, and damages to infrastructure could total $32 billion, the report says.
The report covers every major area of the country. Crop yields are predicted to drop in the Midwest. Agricultural productivity could reach levels last seen in the 1980s. It warns droughts in the Southwest are expected to increase. And coastal flooding is projected to force communities to move elsewhere.
The report saw contributions from 300 leading scientists and 13 federal agencies. The first part, released last year, says the only convincing explanation for climate change is human activity.
In this video, Meteorologist Mike Favetta, also consultant meteorologist with international climate risk firms, explains why humans are causing climate change and where these greenhouse gases are coming from.