Background - Climate Change and Infrastructure, Urban Systems, and Vulnerabilities - page 9

Table 1. Impacts on Environment, Economy, and Society

System Impacts Environment Economy & Society

Energy Summer Summer Summer Summer

More electricity demand.
Also more brown-outs
and more local emissions.
Winter
Less gas and heating oil.
demand

Summer
Also more emissions
of pollutants.
Winter
Also fewer emissions
of pollutants.

Summer
Need to expand peak
capacity. Also
disproportional impact
on elderly and poor.
Increased energy
expenditures, loss of
productivity and quality
of life.
Winter
Reduction in heating bills.

More electricity demand. Also more emissions Need to expand peak

Also more brown-outs of pollutants. capacity. Also

and more local emissions. Winter disproportional impact

Winter Also fewer emissions on elderly and poor.

Less gas and heating oil. of pollutants. Increased energy

demand expenditures, loss of

productivity and quality

of life.

Winter

Reduction in heating bills.

Health Summer N/A Also stress on health care

Summer
Slightly higher heat related Slightly higher heat related systems, loss of

mortality until about 2010. productivity, loss of mortality until about 2010.

Also increased emission quality of life. Also increased emission

related illness.

related illness.

Transportation Increased travel time . . . Also more emissions Also loss of productivity

Increased travel time . . .
Loss of trips . . .
More miles.
More hours.

Also more emissions
due to more travel
miles.

Also loss of productivity
and disruption of
production chains.

Impacts Due to Loss of trips . . . due to more travel and disruption of

River and More miles. miles. production chains.

Coastal Flooding More hours.

River Flooding Temporary loss of land More non-point source Property losses. Also

Temporary loss of land
and land activity. and land activity. loads. Also extended productivity and quality of

floodplains, more, life losses. In addition, see

debris and more Transportation

erosion. Infrastructure damage

Sea Level Rise Permanent loss of some Also wetland loss Property losses. Also Permanent loss of some

coastal land. Temporary loss
of land and land activities.

Also wetland loss
and erosion.

Property losses. Also
productivity and quality of
life issues. In addition, see
Transportation
infrastructure damage.

coastal land. Temporary loss and erosion. productivity and quality of

of land and land activities. life issues. In addition, see

Transportation

infrastructure damage.

Water Supply Less reliable local supply. Higher or lower stream Also, productivity and Less reliable local supply.

flows and water tables. quality of life losses.

Water supply Less dissolved oxygen Also ecosystem stress Also productivity

Less dissolved oxygen
More non-point source pollution.
Warmer water.

Also ecosystem stress
More non-point source pollution. and less biodiversity.

Also productivity
property values and
quality of life issues.

More non-point source pollution. and less biodiversity. property values and

Warmer water. quality of life issues.