Tennessee

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 Tennessee

Below are some of the potential impacts:

• Over the last century, the average temperature in Nashville, Tennessee, has increased nearly 1°F, and precipitation has increased by up to 10% in many parts of the state. These past trends may or may not continue into the future.
• By 2100 temperatures in Tennesse could increase by 2-3°F (with a range of 1-5°F) in all seasons. Precipitation is estimated to increase only slightly in winter (with a range of 0-10%), by 20% in spring and fall (with a range of 10-30%), and by 30% in summer (with a range 0f 10-50%).
• Higher temperatures and increased frequency of heat waves may increase the number of heat-related deaths and the incidence of heat-related illnesses.
• If rainfall and runoff increase in the Tennessee region, then higher streamflows and lake levels could benefit hydropower production, enhance recreational opportunities, and improve water availability for water supplies. Although higher flows would dilute pollutants, erosion and levels of pesticides and fertilizers in runoff from agricultural areas could increase. It also could increase pollution in runoff from mining areas. Many river basins in western Tennessee are susceptible to sedimentation and nutrient enrichment from farming activities.
• Increased rainfall also could increase flooding, which is currently a problem in the steep terrain in eastern Tennessee, along the many unregulated streams throughout the state, and in growing urban areas such as Chattanooga-Hamilton, Nashville-Davidson, and Memphis- Shelby counties.
• Higher water temperatures could also impair the cold water fisheries that have been established below many dams and reduce the efficiency of industrial and power plant cooling systems.
• With changes in climate, the extent of forested areas in Tennessee could change little or decline by as much as 5-15%. However, the types of trees dominating those forests and woodlands are likely to change. Forested areas could be increasingly dominated by pine and scrub oaks, replacing many of the eastern hardwoods common throughout Tennessee. As a result, the character of forests in Tennessee could change. Climate change could also affect the success of tree plantings to stabilize open-face mining sites.

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

CO2: How Does Your State Rank?

Tennessee 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

This state does not participate in any regional initiatives.

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.