Environmental Matters in the Commonwealth of Kentucky

Published May 2008, the Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.3 (SAP 4.3): The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity in the United States is the most extensive examination of the impacts of climate change on important U.S. ecosystems undertaken to date. SAP 4.3 is one of a series of 21 Synthesis and Assessment Products being produced under the auspices of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP), which coordinates the climate change research activities of U.S. government agencies.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the lead agency for this report, with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) managing the effort under a cooperative agreement with USDA.

This report identifies effects that are specific enough that they might be the subject of litigation, and the report was written by highly qualified scientists within the federal government.  Judging from my read of a highly interesting report and the many dire consequences predicted for our country’s future, it is a safe bet that White House staff members did not read or edit the report before its publication.  The report can be found at: http://www.sap43.ucar.edu/documents/