Get ready for sea level rise and other impacts from climate change. That’s what California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger directed state agencies to do over the months ahead. In an executive order issued November 14, Schwarzenegger called on the California Resources Agency to join with other state offices in studying the impacts of sea level rise on crucial infrastructure and resources and to feed the information into an overall climate change adaptation plan due next summer. Schwarzenegger’s executive order marks the state’s first formal effort to systematically try to adapt to climate change. It came on the heels of a report by the Palo Alto public policy organization Next 10 estimating that $2.5 trillion worth of real estate in California is vulnerable to climate change impacts, including sea level rise and more frequent wildfires. The state’s energy industry stands to lose as much as $6.3 billion a year, mainly due to loss of hydropower production, the report said. The state is spending money on infrastructure every day, noted Skip Laitner, American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy economist, so it may as well spend it in a way that protects residents from climate change impacts. The governor’s office said that other west coast states and nations are interested in coordinating with California in developing a climate change adaptation strategy, particularly on sea level rise. The office said that sea level has risen 7 inches in San Francisco Bay over the past 100 years and is projected to rise at least another 23 inches during this century. Editors’ note: For a more detailed version of this story, please see our sister publication E=MC2 – Energy Meets Climate Challenge. You can find it at www.energymeetsclimate.com.
