U.S. Senate Urged to Strengthen Key Global Warming Legislation
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania—Scientists have said for years that global warming was “loading the dice” when it comes to increasing the frequency of severe storms, and a new PennEnvironment report makes it clear that Pennsylvania is already experiencing extreme downpours much more frequently. Specifically, the new report found that storms with heavy rainfall are now 41 percent more frequent in Pennsylvania than they were 60 years ago.
“At the rate we’re going, what was once the storm of the decade will soon seem like just another downpour,” said Adam Garber, PennEnvironment Field Organizer.
Garber pointed to the rainstorms that hit the Greater Philadelphia area in June of 2006 as an illustration of what more extreme rainstorms could mean for the region. That rainstorm caused flooding in hundreds of homes in the greater Philadelphia area, closed numerous businesses with flooding damage, and caused millions of dollars in damage.
“More frequent downpours, fueled by global warming, will leave Pennsylvania even more vulnerable to dangerous flooding in years to come,” said Garber.
The new PennEnvironment report, When it Rains, It Pours: Global Warming and the Rising Frequency of Extreme Precipitation in the United States, examines trends in the frequency of large rain and snow events across the continental United States from 1948 to 2006. Using data from 3,000 weather stations and a methodology originally developed by scientists at the National Climatic Data Center and the Illinois State Water Survey, the report identifies storms with the greatest 24-hour precipitation totals at each weather station, and analyzes when those storms occurred.
Nationally, the report shows that storms with extreme precipitation have increased in frequency by 24 percent across the continental United States since 1948. At the state level, 40 states show a significant trend toward more frequent storms with extreme precipitation, while only one state (Oregon) shows a significant decline. Key findings for the Mid-Atlantic Region and Pennsylvania include:
- Storms with extreme precipitation increased in frequency by 42 percent in the Mid-Atlantic from 1948 to 2006. The Mid-Atlantic region ranks /2nd nationwide for the largest increase in the frequency of storms with heavy precipitation.
- Pennsylvania experienced a 41 percent increase in extreme rainstorms.
- In addition, Reading (116%), Williamsport (103%),Harrisburg (84%) and State College (69%) all showed a significant increase in the frequency of large storms with heavy precipitation over the nearly 60-year period.
These findings are consistent with the predicted impacts of global warming. Scientists expect some parts of the United States to receive more precipitation as a result of global warming, while other parts receive less. But regardless of the trend in total precipitation, scientists predict that the rain and snow that does fall will be more likely to come in big downpours and heavy snowstorms.
At press conferences in Philadelphia and Harrisburg, PennEnvironment was joined by state Representative Greg Vitali and the Sierra Club.
"Increased incidences of extreme weather such as the information highlighted in today's PennEnvironment report is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the negative effects that global warming can have on the Commonwealth," stated state Representative Greg Vitali. "We need to take immediate actions to avoid the worst effects of global warming--we owe to the people of Pennsylvania, and to future generations of the state's residents."
“We have constant reminders of global warming as Pennsylvania gets pounded by increasingly frequent and heavy storms. Extreme weather is causing flooding in homeowners’ basements, destruction of local crops, public transportation delays, and painful summer droughts,” said Stephanie Odell, conservation organizer with the Sierra Club. “Our local cities, townships, and county governments can take action against these changes by reducing carbon emissions and supporting clean energy solutions, which will set achievable examples for how we can halt global warming.”
Garber was careful to note that an increase in the frequency of extreme rainstorms does not mean more water will be available. Scientists expect that, as global warming intensifies, longer periods of relative dryness will mark the periods between extreme rainstorms, increasing the risk of drought. For example, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that, under a scenario of intense warming, the percent of land enduring severe drought globally could be 30 times greater by the end of the century than it is today.
“How serious this problem gets is largely within our control – but only if our country acts boldly to reduce the pollution that fuels global warming,” said Garber.
According to the most recent science, the United States must reduce its total global warming emissions by at least 15 percent by 2020 and by at least 80 percent by 2050 in order to prevent the worst effects of global warming.
“Steep reductions in global warming pollution are challenging but achievable,” noted Garber. “And we already have the energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies we need to get started.”
Tomorrow, the U.S. Senate Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee is expected to vote on amendments to the “Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2007” (S. 2191), a global warming bill introduced by Senators Lieberman (I-CT) and Warner (R-VA). PennEnvironment, while applauding the original bill as an important starting point for action, warned that weakening amendments are quickly taking the bill in the wrong direction. Specifically, the group pointed to amendment language that would weaken the pollution control requirements for coal-fired power plants seeking subsidies under the bill.
“We applaud Senator Casey for backing the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act—the only legislation in Congress that would reduce pollution fast enough to protect future generations from the worst effects of global warming. We also urge him to speak out in favor of strengthening the “Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2007,” concluded Garber.
When-It-Rains-It-Pours.pdf