Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah and the rest of the West are reeling through the effects of a warming climate firsthand, enduring cataclysmic and prolonged drought, catastrophic wildfires, shortened growing seasons and other threats to food security.
The International Panel on Climate Change's Sixth Annual Assessment underscores what millions of residents, water managers, farmers and power generators in Northern America already know — the situation is dire and the fixes aren't easy.
Even at an increase of 1.5 degrees, the report points out the vulnerabilities in food supplies, in particular as rangeland grows arid, water scarcity becomes a reality, fisheries are threatened and demand for production grows with an increasing population.
Globally, the current food production system supports the livelihood of more than a billion people, but declines in crop yields and crop suitability are predicted to happen increasingly amid the warming temperatures and a more arid climate, the report said.
Already about 25% to 30% of food production ends up as waste across the world, even as an estimated 821 million people are undernourished.
Utah and other states in the West saw shortened growing seasons as the hot temperatures dragged on and water reductions were implemented in drastic fashion.
A wide array of climate change advocates say the drought and the report are a collective springboard to further invest in water-saving strategies in multiple arenas such as agriculture, which commands 80% of the water use in Utah and the rest of the Colorado River Basin.
Sarah Bucci, director of strategic communications of the Water Hub at Climate Nexus, said water users need to stretch available water supplies, consider switching out crops and updating irrigation systems.
To that end, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox in his budget has recommended $20 million in agricultural optimization funds, which are grants farmers and ranchers can apply for to boost efficiencies in water delivery, including the installation of advanced technology or lining of canals.
The report notes that climate change disproportionately affects developing nations and minorities that lack access to dependable supplies of food, water and ways to cool their homes.
Some nations, too, have failed to implement any climate-adaptive or mitigation strategies.
"This report is a wake-up call. Already, the climate crisis is devastating communities across the country. Delaying action any longer will be disastrous. The magnitude of the global climate crisis demands action at the same scale. This means transitioning to a clean energy economy and climate-proofing our nation's critical infrastructure as swiftly as possible," said Lori Lodes, executive director of Climate Power.
"It also means we must invest in low-income communities and communities of color, who are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change."
The report notes that the effects of climate changes are already making some places around the globe uninhabitable and driving migration patterns.
One need only to look to the West.
David Wrathall, an Oregon State University researcher who is a lead author of the international report, specializes in environmental change and human migration.
"Human-induced climate change is a powerful influence that is already affecting the natural world, the lives and livelihoods of billions of people around the globe, and the risks from climate change are expected to increase substantially over the next 20 years and beyond," Wrathall said.
"One of the key questions about climate change is where people will no longer be able to live because it is too dangerous," he said. "Climate change is rendering places uninhabitable. It is a complex problem and it is already happening in many areas. Wildfires in 2020 displaced more than 4,000 people in Oregon. Many of those people are migrating right now as they look to rebuild their lives."
