Idaho

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 Idaho

Below are some of the potential impacts:

• By 2100 temperatures in Idaho could increase by 5°F (with a range of 2-9°F) in winter and summer and 4°F (with a range of 2-7°F) in spring and fall.
• Higher temperatures and increased frequency of heat waves may increase the number of heat-related deaths and the incidence of heat-related illnesses. The elderly, particularly those living alone, are at greatest risk.
• Idaho relies on surface water as the primary source of water supply. Most of Idaho is drained by tributaries to the Columbia River, including the Spokane, Pend Oreille, Kootenai, and Snake rivers. These rivers are regulated by dams and reservoirs to reduce spring flooding and augment summer flows. Runoff in the state is strongly affected by winter snow accumulation and spring snowmelt. A warmer climate could mean less snowfall, more winter rain, and a faster, earlier snowmelt. This could result in lower reservoirs and water supplies in the summer and fall. Additionally, without increases in precipitation, higher summer temperatures and increased evaporation also would contribute to lower streamflows and lake levels in the summer.
• Warmer temperatures could increase the incidence of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases in Idaho, because populations of ticks, and their rodent hosts, could increase under warmer temperatures and increased vegetation.
• With changes in climate, the extent of forested areas in Idaho may change little or could decline by as much as 15-30%. The uncertainties depend on many factors, including whether soils become drier and, if so, how much drier. Hotter, drier weather could increase the frequency and intensity of wildfires, threatening both property and forests. Drier conditions would reduce the range and health of lodgepole and Douglas fir forests, and increase their susceptibility to fire. Milder winters could increase the likelihood of insect outbreaks and of subsequent wildfires in the dead fuel left after such an outbreak. These changes would significantly affect the character of Idaho forests and the activities that depend on them.
• In northern Idaho, Whitebark pine stands have decreased by anywhere between 50 and 100%, due in part to fire suppression and white pine blister rust, a non-native fungus that has defied control. Fewer than 1 in 10,000 trees is resistant. Loss of this forest type may be catastrophic for grizzlies. Even a modest warming and drying could reduce whitebark pine habitat by up to 90%. Whitebark pine nuts and the army cutworm moth caterpillars found in southeastern forests provide vital food for grizzly bears.

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 Idaho's water resources, agriculture, forests and ecosystems, download pdf of full EPA Report.

CO2: How Does Your State Rank?

Idaho 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.

Regional Initiatives

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

Idaho participates in the following:

Western Governors' Association (WGA): Clean and Diversified Energy Initiative

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.