Missouri

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 Missouri

Below are some of the potential impacts:

• By 2100 temperatures in Missouri could increase by about 2°F in summer (with a range of 1-4°F) and about 3°F in the other seasons (with a range of 1-7°F).
• Missouri, with its irregular, intense heat waves, could be especially susceptible. Higher temperatures and increased frequency of heat waves may increase the number of heat-related deaths and the incidence of heat-related illnesses.
• A 4°F warming in the Midwest, with no other change in weather or emissions, could increase concentrations of ozone, a major component of smog, by as much as 8%. Ground-level ozone has been shown to aggravate respiratory illnesses such as asthma, reduce existing lung function, and induce respiratory inflammation. In addition, ambient ozone reduces crop yields and impairs ecosystem health.
• Changes in temperature and rainfall could shift the types and locations of habitats and ecosystems, in particular, the tallgrass prairies. Climate change could increase pressure on Missouri prarie lands from non-native plants, including Prarie State Park, which is Missouri's largest remaining tallgrass prarie and provides habitat for approximately 150 bird species and 25 rare or endangered species.
• An increase in the frequency and intensity of summer thunderstorms is possible and, thus, could lead to localized flooding. However, summer flows could be reduced considerably if summer rainfall decreases overall. These conditions could present a range of problems for municipal and industrial water supply, as well as for instream water uses such as navigation and recreation.

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

CO2: How Does Your State Rank?

Missouri 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.

Missouri 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.