Minnesota
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 Minnesota
Below are some of the potential impacts:
- By 2100 temperatures in Minnesota could increase by about 4°F (with a range of 2-7°F) in winter, spring, and fall, and by some-what less in summer. Higher temperatures and increased frequency of heat waves may increase the number of heat-related deaths and the incidence of heat-related illnesses. Minnesota, with its irregular, intense heat waves, seems somewhat susceptible.
- Minnesota is known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.” About two-thirds of the state lies within the headwaters of the Mississippi River. The remainder is drained by the Red River and small tributaries of Lake Superior. If climate warms, the ice cover on Minnesota’s lakes and streams would not last as long as it does today. Streamflows could peak sooner in the spring because of earlier snowmelt and ice breakup. Reduced summer flows could decrease water quality.
- Lake surface temperatures would be warmer in the summer, although the temperature changes generally would be less than the increase in air temperature. As a result, lake evaporation would increase considerably, perhaps by as much as 20% for a 4°F warmer climate.
- The prairie potholes of Minnesota are the single most important breeding area for North American waterfowl such as mallards, pintails, and blue-winged teals. The drying effects of climate change could reduce the size and number of prairie potholes, with damaging effects to the waterfowl.
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 Minnesota in areas such as water resources, agriculture, forests and ecosystems, you can download pdf of full EPA Report.
CO2: How Does Your State Rank?
Minnesota is the highest emitter of C02 of all 50 states and the most populous.
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.
Minnesota participates in the following:
Midwest GHG Registry
Powering the Plains
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.
