REPORT CITES INCREASING COST OF GLOBAL WARMING
USIA
22 October 1998
REPORT CITES INCREASING COST OF GLOBAL WARMING
(Disaster declarations increase dramatically) (720)
By Julia Burdsal
USIA Staff Writer
Washington -- A staggering increase in U.S. disaster declarations,
high economic loss and more deaths are a direct result of global
warming, according to a report released October 21 by the Public
Interest Research Group (PIRG).
The report, "The Rising Cost of Global Warming," blames extreme
weather events for 376 deaths and $14,500 million in economic loss
suffered by U.S. victims between January and August of this year. It
added that the frequency and cost of extreme weather events are
consistent with scientists' predictions about global warming.
PIRG is a non-profit, non-partisan watchdog organization that conducts
research and public education on environmental, consumer and democracy
issues. The report's data comes from the U.S. Federal Emergency
Management Agency, the Small Business Administration, the Army Corps
of Engineers and the Farm Service Agency.
"Big business keeps making claims about how much it's going to cost us
to fight global warming," said Katherine Silverthorne, staff attorney
for PIRG. "But the better question is what's it going to cost us if we
don't fight global warming?"
The average number of disaster declarations has increased
dramatically, said Silverthorne, from 25 per year between 1979-1983 to
46.6 per year between 1994-1998 -- an 86 percent increase.
"Communities all over the United States are suffering the effects of
extreme weather this year," added Silverthorne. "It hasn't been
centralized in one region.
"In fact," she continued, "when we calculated the amount of monies
given to various states that have suffered, and looked at which ones
ranked at the top, in descending order, it started with Minnesota,
then California, North Carolina, Tennessee and New York."
The report compiles and analyzes data on economic loss, insured loss
and federal disaster aid due to extreme weather related disasters this
year, said Silverthorne.
However, the report does not include data on disaster spending from
Housing and Urban Development, the Federal Highway Administration or
state emergency management offices, added Silverthorne.
PIRG also found that worldwide, the economic loss related to natural
catastrophes in the last 10 years is 8.5 times the cost in the 1960s
(adjusted to present value). American communities experienced more
than $5,300 million of insured losses due to weather-related events in
the first eight months of 1998, said Silverthorne.
She also noted that the U.S. government spent more than $1,300 million
in disaster assistance in the first eight months of 1998.
Last December in Kyoto, Japan, nations gathered at the international
climate summit and agreed to reduce the emissions of heat-trapping
gases that cause global warming. Countries will reunite November 2-13
in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to work out the details of the agreement.
"When the American delegation goes to Buenos Aires next month, they
should represent the interests of the American people, not the
polluters," stressed Silverthorne. "They should commit to cut global
warming pollution in the United States and to sign the Kyoto Protocol
as a signal of our commitment to find an international answer to the
problem of global warming."
PIRG challenged Congress to limit greenhouse gas emissions. In the
United States, Silverthorne said, power plants, automobiles and sport
utility vehicles are the largest sources of carbon dioxide emissions
from burning fossil fuels. However, no limits exist on the amount of
carbon dioxide vehicles and power plants can emit.
A national public opinion survey conducted on behalf of the World
Wildlife Fund, a non-profit environmental organization, concluded that
overwhelming majorities of American voters support the Kyoto Protocol
and that support crosses party lines.
Voters also believe that America should be a leader in efforts to
combat global warming. The survey noted that voters also were willing
to pay modestly higher prices for clean energy such as solar and wind
power.
Leigh Hauter, an American farmer, expressed grave concern to
journalists at the briefing. "While most people in the city spend all
of their time indoors and the weather doesn't seem to affect them, we
are part of a larger system," he said. "Our food comes from the
outdoors. A farmer needs predictability and we have to do something
about global warming before it's too late. We are dependent on the
weather."