The Human and Economic Cost of Climate Change: Assets at Risk 11
November, 2010 | (01 hr) Climate Change presents a variety of
risks to human health and our built environment, such as heat-
related illness and disease, insect born disease, rising sea
levels, stronger storms, more floods and storm-related damage,
drought, crop failure and fire hazards. According to the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the last
decade is the warmest on record, and 2010 is breaking new
records. In Russia temperatures hit a record 111 degrees F this
summer, fires smothered Moscow in smog and crop losses from
drought amount to about 30 billion dollars – roughly 10 percent
of the national budget. Russian economic growth is expected to
fall by 0.8-1 percent from estimated 4 percent growth. After the
Russian ban on wheat exports the price of wheat per bushel rose
nearly 55 percent since the beginning of this summer. Flooding
in Pakistan means that at least six million people will go
hungry and a 10 to 15 percent