Washington

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 Washington

Below are some of the potential impacts:

• Over the last century, the average temperature in Ellensburg, Washington, has increased from 46.2°F (1900-1929 average) to 47.2°F (1966-1995 average), and precipitation has increased by up to 20% in some areas of the state, especially in the west.
• Temperatures could increase by about 5°F in winter and summer, and by about 4°F in spring and fall (with a range of 2-9°F). Precipitation is projected to change little in spring, summer, and fall, and to increase by around 10% in winter. The frequency of extreme hot days in summer is expected to increase along with the general warming trend.
• Increased emissions and accelerated atmospheric chemistry could slow progress being made in Washington to provide healthy and clean air. Currently, the Seattle-Tacoma area does not meet the national health standards for ozone and particulate matter. The particulate matter standard is also not met in Olympia, Spokane, Wallula, and Yakima. Ground-level ozone has been shown to aggravate existing respiratory illnesses such as asthma, reduce lung function, and induce respiratory inflammation. In addition, ambient ozone reduces agricultural crop yields and impairs ecosystem health.
• Trees and forests are adapted to specific climate conditions, and as climate warms, forests will change. These changes could include changes in species, geographic extent, and health and productivity. With changes in climate, the extent of forested areas in Washington could change little, or they could decline by 15-25%, primarily east of the Cascades. The uncertainties depend on many factors, including whether soils become drier and, if so, how much drier.
• Wildfire frequency and intensity could increase and threaten the important timber producing areas of the state. In Washington's highly productive conifer forests, drier conditions would favor an expansion of Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, and ponderosa pine forests at the expense of wet-loving hemlock and sitka spruce along the coast. These changes could affect the character of some of Washington's forests and the activities that depend on them.
• At Seattle, Washington, sea level already is rising by 8 inches per century, and it is likely to rise another 19 inches by 2100. Washington’s coastal region consists primarily of cliffs and a few low-lying tidal flats. The Puget Sound region contains tidal flats, river deltas with salt marshes, and swamps, as well as a heavily modified urban shoreline around Seattle. Many marshes in this region have been diked, drained, and converted to farmland during the last century. Sea level rise could gradually inundate the remaining tidal flats. Over half of these could be lost under a 1-3 foot rise in sea level.

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

CO2: How Does Your State Rank?

Washington 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.

Washington 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.