Montana

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 Montana

Below are some of the potential impacts:

• By 2100 temperatures in Montana could increase by about 4°F in spring and summer (with a range of 1-8°F) and 5°F in fall and winter (with a range of 2-10°F).
• Warming and other climate changes may expand the habitat and infectivity of disease-carrying insects, thus increasing the potential for transmission of diseases. A recent study has concluded that a 5-9°F temperature increase would cause a significant northern shift in Western equine encephalitis outbreaks.
• Climate change could have a serious impact on Glacier National Park. The park has approximately 50 glaciers today, down from an estimated 150 glaciers in 1850. The recession of Sperry Glacier illustrates the impact of recent warming temperatures in the park. If these warming trends continue, it is estimated that no glaciers will be found in the park by 2030. Without glaciers, stream temperatures are expected to rise, which could affect aquatic ecosystems in the park, including trout species.
• Changes in rainfall and snowfall throughout the state could alter streamflows and wetlands, affecting wildlife and possibly accelerating the invasion of non-native plants into streamside habitats. Aquatic species that are sensitive to water temperature could be affected adversely by climate change. Brown trout and rainbow trout could lose habitat.
• Climate change also could affect the types of trees found in the forests. Lodgepole pine and western cedar forests could yield to forests dominated by spruce and western hemlock. Six rare alpine plants that are at the southern border of their geographic range would be especially vulnerable to climate change.
• Warming and changes in precipitation could affect alpine areas, causing tree lines to rise by roughly 350 feet for every degree Fahrenheit of warming. Mountain ecosystems such as those found in Glacier National Park could shift upslope, reducing habitat for many subalpine species. Alpine animals and species, many of which are unique to the region, could disappear from the highest elevations.

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

CO2: How Does Your State Rank?

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

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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.

Montana 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.