S 2355 The Climate Change Adaptation Act

Professor Cohen's Workshop group is studying The Climate Change Adaptation Act, examining this climate change legislation and the environmental problems addressed in it. The Workshop's emphasis has been on the impact of climate change on coastlines.  The cohorts have also focused on understanding why government action is needed and what plans the government has developed and implemented.  The Act is designed to assess impacts of climate change, ensure that the U.S. is fully prepared for these impacts, and focus on adaptation to climate change.  The Act presents a variety of important impacts ranging from ocean acidification to shifts in the hydrological cycle. The key environmental problems identified in the legislation range from those affecting the oceans and coast lines to the effects of severe weather and storms. About 50% of Americans live within 50 miles of coastline, areas of heightened vulnerability to climate change.  While natural disasters are already common in coastal areas, climate change has increased the risks of these. Natural ecosystems have been severely affected: wetlands have shrunk and disappeared.  But climate change in coastal regions also impacts human infrastructure like roads, bridges, and subways through flooding, scouring and salinity.  Due to the magnitude of climate change impact, The Climate Change Adaptation Act was designed to assess and prepare for the impacts of climate change at a national level, provide funding for research and assessments, establish a Grant program to support Coastal States' plans, and develop a National Strategic Plan for Climate Change Adaptation every five years.  The Workshop has analyzed the proposed solution and the science behind it and to predict and learn scientific issues and controversies that are related to the problem and its solutions.

Policy analysis