Michigan

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 Michigan

Below are some of the potential impacts:

• By 2100 temperatures in Michigan could increase by about 4°F in all seasons (with a range of 2-8°F). The frequency of extreme hot days in summer is expected to increase along with the general warming trend.
• Higher temperatures and increased frequency of heat waves may increase the number of heat-related deaths and the incidence of heat-related illnesses. Michigan, with its irregular, intense heat waves, seems somewhat susceptible.
• Shorter ice-cover seasons and increased lake evaporation could have major effects on the Great Lakes. Fresh water flowing into the Great Lakes could decrease by 20% with a 4°F warming, potentially reducing lake levels by a foot or more. Flood damage could be reduced, but shorelines could be more susceptible to erosion damage from wind and rain. Reduced fresh water in the Great Lakes could impede shipping to and from Michigan ports, primarily because of lower water levels in the shipping channels connecting the lower Great Lakes.
• A rise in water temperatures in the Great Lakes would reduce the size of favorable habitat for trout, whitefish, and other coldwater fish species. If groundwater-fed streams experienced an increase in temperature, brook trout could lose all their habitat, and brown and rainbow trout could lose most of their habitat. Warm water fish, both native and introduced, could experience longer growing seasons and flourish in a warmer climate.
• The well-known Kirtland’s warbler breeds only in the jack pine forests of northern lower Michigan. Because the jack pines may not survive in Michigan if the climate warms, the existence of the Kirtland’s warbler could be threatened.

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 Michigan in areas such as water resources, agriculture, forests and ecosystems, you can download pdf of full EPA Report.

CO2: How Does Your State Rank?

Michigan 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.

Michigan participates in the following:

Midwest GHG Registry

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.