5th Report of Climate Change for Policymakers (PDF) is linked below. Take time to read it thoroughly. The alarm bells are ringing!
As I review this report it is clearer to me that each country, and region within a country that represents a particular biome (distinctive ecosystems associated with regional temperature, precipitation, altitude, etc…we know them as boreal forests, coastal zones, deserts, and so forth) must start analyzing these predictions and present state of the ecosystems, cities, farms, and associated economies and begin adaptation strategies.
In the Gulf coastal communities this should be very deliberate planning to clean up and protect water quality. That means restoring the marshlands to full health so that future warming and sea level rise can be met with greater resiliency than is present in the degraded coastal ecosystems we have in and around Pensacola. As weather warms and storms increase in intensity, how are we adapting to hurricanes and severe flooding? Who is most vulnerable and how can we prepare now to minimize impacts?
Our tourism industries are at risk. We need to develop other economic drivers for our community and stop building tourism as the main driver. BP funding can help make that shift.
Use the charts in the report for policymakers and find your continent and type of ecosystems. We are now into adaptation not mitigation. What has been set into action by heating the atmosphere cannot be reversed, but it can be minimized for current and future generations.
5th Report of IPCC for Policymakers
Here is a shorter press release that summarizes the report contents:
Susan Feathers 