Prev Next
Featured Quizzes
Politix Daily Headlines
Featured Debates
Issues

See all 17 issues

People
White House

See all people

THE HEAT IS ON

GAO: Climate Change Poses 'Significant Financial Risk' to U.S. Taxpayers

New report warns government leaders to step up preparations for extreme weather events

Next>

by Lisa Fine

Staff Writer t

Image: AP

The U.S. government faces "significant financial risk" from extreme weather related to climate change and needs to come up with a coordinated response, according to a new federal report.

The Government Accountability Office added climate change to its 2013 "High-Risk List" on the greatest threats to the government.

Extreme weather will be costly to the federal government because of its role in managing disaster aid, federal property, infrastructure, agriculture, ecosystems, defense installations, crop and flood insurance programs, and public health issues.

The report says the federal government needs to develop a strategic plan and coordinated response. It also points out the need to improve weather satellite data.

Via the GAO
Like this article? B Vote Up
?

Should addressing climate change be a priority of the federal government?

View results

Comments (view in Forum)

  • MrGreenHerb
    !
    Well lets see, if climate goes crazy wouldn't we be effected by this? I'm sure this should be a high risk, maybe focus on our ecosystem instead of focusing on another pregnant teen on "Teen Mom"
  • LGRepublican
    !
    We'd be affected if an asteroid slams into the country as well, but since the likelihood of that happening is about the same as global warming (oops, "climate change"...) reeking havoc, it's not something to worry about.
  • Zazziness
    !
    @LGRepublican Actually, there's a fairly high chance of asteroid impact. You do know that one was so close last year it actually passed between the moon and Earth, right? You need to pay more attention to science before making these high-handed and incorrect pronouncements.
  • Zazziness
    !
    @MrGreenHerb Holy smokes! In space, no one can hear the whizzing noise as another giant flying rock just barely misses our planet...
  • u
    metre
    !
    @LGRepublican SO! Going by your 'argument' that, the "likelihood" of "global warming (oops, "climate change"...) reeking havoc" is the SAME as "an asteroid slams into the country" is pretty close to 100% since "an asteroid" DID slam into Russia just THIS MORNING!

  • View all 16 replies >

  • DARSB
    !
    @OhWiseOne Armageddon was a terrible Bruce Willis movie. Climate change is, to use the fashionable phrase, and "existential threat".

  • View all 6 replies >

  • Russell797
    !
    I don't know if your comment was meant as sarcasm, but you need to get on board with this issue. Sorry about yesterday by the way.
  • jessejaymes
    !
    @Russell797 Climate change/ozone pollution has been know for half my lifetime and the politicians do nothing. They came up with "smog credits" that amounted to nothing more than big companies could buy credits from little companies that didn't pollute to start with. Sacrasm? You bet. Do I believe in man made climate change? You bet. Do I think the ultra rich who live the lifestyles they live by polluting our earth are going to allow meaningful change? EVER? No.
  • Russell797
    !
    @jessejaymes If you are saying we are controlled by corporate America, I couldn't agree with you more. People think they are hamstrung by the power of government, but they somehow fail to see how the ultra rich pull the strings on all of us...including the government.
  • Malitia_Man
    !
    Climate change??? I thought it was "global warming"!!! Wait!!! Wasn't it "global cooling" in the 1960's that you green beans were hollering about then??? I'm so confused!!!

    Do y'all even know what you're talking about???

  • View all 16 replies >

  • CanadianIndy
    !
    I think it's fairly obvious that the administration should focus, at least a little bit more, on climate change policies.

    It's been grossly overlooked as of late, by one party completely and by the other maybe not entirely, but enough to still have wreaked havoc. This is an issue where the Democrats and Republicans are nearly at par over.

    On the right hand, we have a party who near-as-makes-no-difference claims that climate change isn't happening. This is appalling, yes, that the policy makers of the USA are so ignorant, and so by choice. But not quite as disastrous as what is happening on the left hand. That party knows full well that climate change is happening and they're not doing anything about it (of substance)!

    So tell me, which is worse: staunch ignorance or willful indifference?
  • DogLady_1
    !
    We need to prepare for climate change... This is the first civilization in history (that we know of) that can predict storms and climatic events... what's the point in predicting them if we do not prepare for the ultimate destruction caused by them?
  • CanadianIndy
    !
    "Global Warming" is, "climate change" is not. It is happening, as can be seen by rising temperatures and sea levels, more frequent and more violent storms, etc.

    The policy wouldn't be to try and 'stop' climate change. That's impossible. It's a nature cycle that occurs on this little terraqueous globe every once and a while. So it'd be ridiculous to attempt to control Mother Nature.

    However, it would be incredibly prudent to invest in better disaster relief, infrastructure, etc. We're not saying 'try and stop the storm' but rather,'prepare for it's arrival.'

    And since this deals with the protection of the general populace, it falls into the purview of governmental duties.
  • Zazziness
    !
    @CanadianIndy You are mistaken to think life forms do not affect the environment. Did you know that for a long while there was no oxygen in our atmosphere. The planet was inhabited only by single-cell life forms. They excreted oxygen as a waste product. And excreted it, and excreted it, and excreted it -- that's where the oxygen in our atmosphere came from, originally. The biological processes of life.
    Similarly, as we pump tens of millions of cubic yards of C02 into our atmosphere, it *does* affect things. Which means we can affect things, for better or worse.
  • CanadianIndy
    !
    @Zazziness I never said we didn't make it worse, I just said we didn't /cause/ it. Obviously we're helping the process along, but we didn't start the ball rolling. It's a natural cycle. It's happened before, it'll happen again. We, as humans, have merely sped up the process.
  • u
    Hireman
    !
    Climate change can effect finances, whether government or private. Addressing the change is paramount for any organization. No matter whether you believe the climate is changing due to nature or man, it IS changing. Not adapting to change is one of the most sure tickets to obsolescence.
  • justapirate
    !
    Look, Ma Nature is throwing a wrench in the works. I don't doubt that humans have a bit to do with it. We ain't helping a thing. But, to the issue...
    Yeah, it would be foolish for government to be unprepared for disaster. I'm afraid that any such attempt is going to be nothing more than political fighting, though. The crisis is relavant, the response is,,,, well, let's talk about it.
    Yeah, that'll handle it.
  • DARSB
    !
    The Democrats are the party that says government will make you smarter, taller, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn. The Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work and then they get elected and prove it. - P. J. O'Rourke

  • View all 6 replies >

  • CPT_Ethanolic
    !
    The problem with addressing climate change here in the US is that countries like China and India release more greenhouse gasses than the rest of the world combined. Reducing emissions here will do nothing until China and India get onboard - which they won't because they can't afford to. They simply don't have the infrastructure to produce cleaner energy for the size of population they have.
  • Russell797
    !
    China is already out producing the U.S. in the deployment of clean energy. They understand the value in the all inclusive, use everything we have approach.
  • u
    BelinKS
    !
    Our govt. needs to have the funds on hand to deal with catastophic events within our own country. That could happen by stop giving tax payer money to other countries, even if they've had a catastrophic event. If our people want to help the other country, then they need to raise the funds themselves. Our country can not afford it anymore!
  • justapirate
    !
    That's true. Unfortunately, I don't see the politicians allowing that money to be saved. Might have to cut a bank or an oil company a break or something. Would be a nice plan if it would work, though.
  • u
    BelinKS
    !
    @justapirate
    Why do politicians seem to be smart and have common sense until we elect them into office? Does getting elected make your intellect fall out of your ear or something? If we get it, why don't they?
  • u
    Realthinker
    !
    Balderdash. It is all a fraud; a manufactured excuse to raise taxes on energy. The "facts" have all been exposed as faked. The IPCC itself has now admitted that between faked results and poor modeling in the beginning there is NO 'consensus" and no science that verifies climate change.
  • justapirate
    !
    Uh, to try to get back to the news story- Sandy was real. Nemo was real. Even ol' Katrina was real. The government response and handling of all this? Unreal. The article is about being able to respond to crises and the idea that we are currently unable to do so. It wasn't about climate change so much as it was about "We ain't ready fer this."
  • LGRepublican
    !
    @justapirate Sandy and Nemo..... Because we've NEVER had a hurricane or blizzard before. 150 years of data DOESN'T equal all of history.....
  • Zazziness
    !
    No, the facts have not been exposed as faked. Yes, there is a consensus. Has been for years now. You are out of date and out of touch.
  • Zazziness
    !
    @LGRepublican There is considerably more data than that. For instance, by examining air bubbles in ice cores, scientists can measure the CO2 in the atmosphere going back millions of years. Guess what? Our oceans current hold over 300% more CO2 *than they ever have before.*

  • View all 10 replies >

  • Vance1
    !
    climate change and the federal government........is a liberals wetdream, Just a way to over tax and over regulate and have people control.
  • Russell797
    !
    Scientists inform the public of research as a means to advance our culture and inform of problematic matters that come to light. As someone close to the science of climate change, I can assure you this is no hoax. This reality has been confused by a group of politically motivated folks who view mitigation attempts as an attack on the status quo or business as usual. Don't let them fool you. Every National Academy of Science in the world of nations including the U.S. endorses the science and general consensus that we have a problem. Burying our heads in the sand will not make it go away. The choice to mitigate or not is ours, but don't deny the problem as revealed by science.
  • u
    IMAQT
    !
    I am not sure what is more pretentious, that man has changed the climate or that man can change the climate. Our climate has had dramatic shifts in our climate with or without mans presence. 10,000 years ago, a short time in regards to earth's history, a large portion of the USA was under ice. And a mere 35 years ago, many "experts" believed the earth was cooling.
  • Zazziness
    !
    I am not sure which is more short-sighted -- the idea that we can empty waste products into our environment without it affecting anything or the idea that because our climate naturally fluctuates, man can't affect it. Both are completely wrong.
  • justapirate
    !
    Should Ma Nature decide to park another glacier on top of my county the response of "Oh, bummer" ain't gonna get it. Having a plan to relocate might be a good idea.
  • Russell797
    !
    Back then, the Earth was showing signs of cooling and the reason for it was thought to be the enormous clouds of industrial pollution filling the skies with aerosol particles which scatter sunlight back to space before reaching the surface where it warms. It was a legitimate concern then and continues to be part of the reason global warming does not progress at a steady pace.
  • u
    IMAQT
    !
    @Zazziness So perhaps you can enlighten us as to how the ice age ended without man's presence a mere 10,000 years ago? The earths climate has changed and will change with or without man's presence.
  • Zazziness
    !
    There are multiple reason the climate can change. Ocean currents can be altered. Our planet can wobble on its axis. Or mankind can dump millions of cubic tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. I use this example: a forest can burn because of natural lightning strike. It can also burn because a human being lit a match and was careless. See how one does not eliminate the chance of the other?
  • Zubo_I
    !
    Most food crops are climate sensitive; yet I find it foolish that people say its bad to give major tax cuts to energy company's for going 100% renewable (referring to solar and wind power stations) AND the people making waves about climate problems CONTENTLY fail to mention personally funded efforts into climate control research, like for instance the hybridization of cretin plant species known for sucking up C02 in mass quantities.
  • Buzzfriendly
    !
    You don't have to believe in climate change and can think it is out right rubbish. But what you can't deny the fact that more and more of your tax dollars going towards dealing with the aftermath.
  • R Load more comments...