Climate change threatens the economy of the United States in myriad ways, including increased flooding and storm damage, altered crop yields, lost labor productivity, higher crime, reshaped public-health patterns, and strained energy systems, among many other effects. Combining the latest climate models, state-of-the-art econometric research on human responses to climate, and cutting-edge private-sector risk-assessment tools, Economic Risks of Climate Change: An American Prospectus crafts a game-changing profile of the economic risks of climate change in the United States.This prospectus is based on a critically acclaimed independent assessment of the economic risks posed by climate change commissioned by the Risky Business Project. With new contributions from Karen Fisher-Vanden, Michael Greenstone, Geoffrey Heal, Michael Oppenheimer, and Nicholas Stern and Bob Ward, as well as a foreword from Risky Business cochairs Michael Bloomberg, Henry Paulson, and Thomas Steyer, the book speaks to scientists, researchers, scholars, activists, and policy makers. It depicts the distribution of escalating climate-change risk across the country and assesses its effects on aspects of the economy as varied as hurricane damages and violent crime. Beautifully illustrated and accessibly written, this book is an essential tool for helping businesses and governments prepare for the future.

Foreword, by Michael R. Bloomberg, Henry M. Paulson Jr., and Thomas F. SteyerPrefaceAcknowledgments1. IntroductionPart 1. America's Climate FutureOpening Commentary, by Michael Oppenheimer2. What We Know3. What Comes Next4. U.S. Climate ProjectionsPart 2. Assessing the Impact of America's Changing ClimateOpening Commentary, by Michael Greenstone5. An Evidence-Based Approach6. Agriculture7. Labor8. Health9. Crime10. Energy11. Coastal CommunitiesPart 3. Pricing Climate RiskOpening Commentary, by Geoffrey Heal12. From Impacts to Economics13. Direct Costs and Benefits14. Macroeconomic Effects15. Valuing Risk and InequalityPart 4. Unquantified ImpactsOpening Commentary, by Nicholas Stern and Bob Ward16. What We Miss17. Water18. Forests19. Tourism20. National SecurityPart 5. Insights for Climate-Risk ManagementOpening Commentary, by Karen Fisher-Vanden21. Mitigation22. AdaptationTechnical AppendixesAppendix A. Physical Climate ProjectionsAppendix B. Climate ImpactsAppendix C. Detailed Sectoral ModelsAppendix D. Integrated Economic AnalysisAppendix E. Valuing Risk and Unequal ImpactsReferencesAbout the AuthorsIndex