World leaders met recently at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Paris to try to agree on ways to limit global warming to 3.6°F. This temperature change may not sound like much in Minnesota, a place of temperature extremes, but the effects of the over 2°F rise so far have been felt in many ways already in the land of 10,000 lakes:
- More and heavier rainstorms and snowfalls throughout the state
- More sticky days with tropical dew points, putting older, younger and sick people at risk for dehydration and heat stress/stroke
- Wildlife populations like the moose and cisco fish are declining, while invasive species like the emerald ash borer are on the rise
Click here for the story on climate changes taking place in Minnesota.
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Caption: Replacing fossil fuel use with alternative energy sources such as wind and solar reduces the amount of CO2 entering the atmosphere, a leading cause of climate change.
To get in touch with an MPCA spokesperson on this issue contact Dan Olson.
