The Environmental Protection Agency released a report on Wednesday warning of disturbing changes across the United States caused at least partially by global warming.
Why it matters: The report was delayed for three years under the Trump administration. The former president and his officials, including EPA administrators, disputed the scientific evidence on global warming and rolled back several Obama-era climate policies.
Our thought bubble, via Axios’ Andrew Freedman: The updated “Climate Indicators” site depicts a country increasingly buffeted by the effects of climate change.
- It’s noteworthy that the agency moved to add new indicators based on scientific data that has come out in the past few years, and signals the Biden administration’s approach to communicating science.
Details: In 2020, ocean heat hit its highest level in recorded history, causing marine heat waves and coral bleaching.
- Wildfire and pollen seasons are beginning earlier each year and spanning a longer duration.
- Thawing permafrost in Alaska, the loss of winter ice on the Great Lakes and a surge in summer heat waves across the U.S. also indicate the effects of unprecedented climate change.