Connecticut

Global climate change poses risks to human health and to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Important economic resources such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and water resources also may be affected. Warmer temperatures, more severe droughts and floods, and sea level rise could have a wide range of impacts. All these stresses can add to existing stresses on resources caused by other influences such as population growth, land-use changes, and pollution.

Climate Change in Connecticut

Below are some of the potential impacts:

  • Over the last century, average temperatures in Storrs, Connecticut, have increased from 45.8°F (1892-1921 average) to 48.2°F (1966-1995 average), and precipitation in some locations has increased by 20%.
  • By 2100 the temperature in Connecticut could increase about 4°F (with a range of 2-8°F) in all seasons. The frequency of extreme hot days in summer is expected to increase along with the general warming trend.
  • Sea level already is rising 8 inches per century, and it is likely to rise another 22 inches by 2100. Cumulative costs through 2100 to protect Connecticut’s coastline from a 20-inch sea level rise could be $0.5-$3 billion. sea level rise update
  • Warmer seas could contribute to the increased intensity, duration, and extent of harmful algal blooms. These blooms damage habitat and shellfish nurseries, can be toxic to humans, and can carry bacteria like those causing cholera.
  • A warmer climate could change the character of Connecticut’s forests. Maple dominated hardwood forests could give way to forests dominated by oaks and conifers, species more tolerant of higher temperatures. This change would diminish the brilliant autumn foliage as the contribution of maples declines.
  • Warming and other climate changes could expand the habitat and infectivity of disease-carrying insects. Lyme disease, which is carried by ticks, has increased in Connecticut. If conditions become warmer and wetter and thus support larger populations of mosquitos and ticks, diseases may be transmitted more widely.

The above are based on from the Environmental Protection Agency's report on climate change, which uses data from the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2001).

For more info on climate change impacts on Connecticut's water resources, agriculture, forests and ecosystems, you can download pdf of full EPA Report.

CO2: How Does Your State Rank?

Connecticut is the highest emitter of C02 of all 50 states and the most populous.

See all rankings

Maps

See CO2 output by sector, coastal population maps, and maps of regional initiatives.

USA Map

Regional Initiatives

In the absence of federal action, many U.S. states are banding together to explore and employ greenhouse gas-reducing policies.


Connecticut participates in the following:

Eastern Climate Registry (ECR)

New England Governors: Climate Change Action Plan (NEG-ECP)

Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)

Learn about climate initiatives in all U.S. states and regions

Your Impact

Estimate your CO2 footprint by using a carbon calculator such as the one on the Inconvenient Truth web site.

How green is your energy? The EPA has a power profiler that can tell you.