Opinion: Climate Change Threatens Nevada’s Economy

My latest column in the Sierra Nevada Ally dives into climate economics. Below is an excerpt, check it out! -Howard

Floods, hurricanes, and wildfires cause damage, and that damage has a price tag. That cost gets picked up by affected individuals and businesses; passed on to families, friends, and customers; and hopefully offset by taxpayers (paying for federal disaster relief) and insurance. Drought has all kinds of costs, from spending to preserve or enhance the water supply, to reduced crop yields and increased crop failures (that means higher food prices), and of course the link between dryness and wildfires.

And what about the impacts on recreation and tourism when a ski resort’s season is shortened or the majority of a national park is incinerated? What about when families, insurance companies, and government health plans have to spend more on treatment for heat illnesses and lung diseases? And let’s not forget that all of these costs fall disproportionately on lower-income families and communities of color.