Oregon
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 Oregon
Below are some of the potential impacts:
- Over the last century, the average temperature in Corvallis, Oregon, has increased 2.5°F, and precipitation has increased by up to 20% in many parts of the state, except along the leeward side of the Cascades where precipitation has fallen by 20%.
- By 2100 temperatures in Oregon 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. Precipitation is estimated to increase slightly in spring, decrease slightly in summer, and increase by 15% in fall and winter. The frequency of extreme hot days in summer would increase because of the general warming trend.
- Oregon has a 1,400-mile tidally influenced shoreline that consists mostly of steep slopes, pocket beaches, and small embayments, with a few natural coastal plains. Coastal marshes in Oregon are limited to the Tillamook and CoosBay regions. Under a sea level rise of 1-3 feet, the salt marshes along these bays and harbors could be lost (although some migration onto undeveloped lowlands could partially offset losses). sea level rise update
- In the mountains, warmer winter temperatures could mean less snowfall, more winter rain, and a faster, earlier snowmelt. More rain and greater streamflow, particularly during the winter, could benefit hydropower production and water supplies, but also could increase flooding in some areas.
- In the rainfall-dominated rivers in the west, projected changes result in increased winter sreamflows and decreased summer streamflows. Because of limited storage capacity, there could be lower reservoir and water supplies in the summer and fall. Oregon is a major producer of hydropower, and lower flows could affect its ability to meet energy production requirements, particularly during critical low flow periods in summer.
- Hotter, drier weather, particularly in the summer, could increase the frequency and intensity of wildfires, threatening the important timber-producing areas of the state.
- Warmer counditions could increase the elevation of the timberline, resulting in a reduction or the disappearance of alpine tundra and its unique (and in some cases already endangered) species.
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 Oregon in areas such as water resources, agriculture, forests and ecosystems, you can download pdf of full EPA Report.
CO2: How Does Your State Rank?
Oregon 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.
Oregon participates in the following:
West Coast Governors' Global Warming Initiative
Western Governors' Association (WGA): Clean and Diversified Energy Initiative
Western Regional Climate Action 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.
