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		Climate Change Climate Change and Global Warming What's New The Impacts of Climate Change Climate Change and Biodiversity: An Interactive Map What You Can Do:   Carbon Footprint Calculator Offset Your Emissions   Contribute Now   Contribute Monthly   Climate-Saving Tips   Get the Facts   Take a Quiz   Get our e-Newsletter   Donate now What We Do:   Stop Deforestation   Adapt to Impacts   Support Policy Where We Work on Climate Change Contact Us Press Releases Tell us what you think about climate change

Help fight climate change With your help, we can reduce the impacts of climate change on our lives, on our environment and on future generations. Economic losses from weather and flood catastrophes have skyrocketed. Declining crop yields could put hundreds of thousands of people at risk for starvation. Learn more climate change facts. We Want to Hear from You Tell us what you think about our climate change work. What do you think are the biggest impacts of climate change?

Climate change is affecting businesses and economies at home and around the world. If action is not taken to curb global carbon emissions, climate change could cost between 5 and 20 percent of the annual global gross domestic product, according to a British government report. In comparison, it would take 1 percent of GDP to lessen the most damaging effects of climate change, the report says.

These global costs will be felt by local communities and businesses:

• In southern New England lobster catches have plummeted because of heat stresses and growing parasite threats due to rising sea temperatures.
• Ski resorts located in the lower altitudes of the Swiss Alps have difficulty obtaining bank loans because of declining snow.
• In Lake Erie, climate change may significantly lower lake levels, altering shoreline habitats and costing millions for the relocation of ports and shore infrastructure.

Globally, more intense hurricanes and downpours could cause billions of dollars in damage to property and infrastructure. Declining crop yields due to prolonged drought and high temperatures, especially in Africa, could put hundreds of thousands of people at risk for starvation.

High sea temperatures also threaten the survival of coral reefs, which generate an estimated $375 billion per year in goods and services.

Climate change picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © iStockPhoto.com (tractor and dust); Photo © Lynda Richardson (blue crabs, Georgia); Graph © UNEP/Grid-Arendal (economic losses); Photo © John Maier (banana farmer, Brazil).