Climate change will continue to drive up consumer costs

Climate change is already causing price increases on everyday items, and researchers warn it will only worsen, impacting both the planet and the economy.

Sarah Kaplan and Rachel Siegel report for The Washington Post.

In short:

Rising temperatures are linked to a 1.2 percentage point increase in annual global inflation by 2035.
Extreme weather events are disrupting supply chains and pushing insurance costs higher.
Food prices, particularly for climate-sensitive crops like olive oil and cocoa, are especially vulnerable.

Key quote:

“These are really big effects … and they are going to get worse. The clearest way we can limit that is just trying to limit climate change itself.”

— Max Kotz, climate economist at the Potsdam Institute

Why this matters:

From the grocery store to the gas pump, prices are rising, and researchers warn that the situation is poised to get worse. The economic impacts of climate change are being felt in myriad ways, as extreme weather events, shifting agricultural patterns, and disrupted supply chains drive up costs.

www.washingtonpost.com

Climate change will continue to drive up consumer costs

Opinion: Al Gore was right

Many people aren’t connecting the dots between climate change and extreme weather

One effect of climate change: More rats, ticks and mosquitoes — and more disease

New York’s subways weren’t built for this

Why it's so hard to predict a tragedy like Nepal's glacier collapse

A mysterious kidney disease has arrived in Texas

‘More toxic than car exhaust’: What’s the solution to Europe’s wildfire air pollution problem?

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.