The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) makes historic investments to mitigate risks and reduce carbon emissions.
Washington, D.C. – This week, the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) announced the release of the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5). Led by USGCRP and its 14 member agencies, NCA5 draws on the expertise of nearly 500 authors and 250 contributors from every state, as well as Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“Transportation generates more carbon emissions than any other sector, which means that transportation should be the biggest part of the solution to the climate crisis,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Thanks to President Biden, we are making the largest investment in U.S. history to combat climate change, including making our transportation systems cleaner and more resilient.”
To date, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has provided more than $9 Billion in funding for climate resilience projects to protect infrastructure from extreme weather and pursue USDOT’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. NCA5 is the most comprehensive analysis of the state of climate change in the United States, providing authoritative, decision-relevant information on how people across the country are experiencing climate change, current and future risks, and actions underway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience.
The NCA5 evaluates climate impacts across 10 U.S. regions and a wide range of interests, including water, forests and ecosystems, coasts and oceans, agriculture and rural communities, the built environment, energy and transportation, health and air quality, and economic and social systems. The extensively reviewed NCA5 includes input from public comment and engagement, and an external peer review conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
“The need for climate mitigation and adaptation has created an opportunity to rethink transportation systems at all levels,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology and Chief Scientist Dr. Robert C. Hampshire. “Making transportation investments that are sustainable, climate-resilient, evidence-based, and equitable involves risk assessment and detailed dynamic analysis of long-term costs and impacts,” Hampshire added.
The transportation sector is experiencing rapid changes involving technologies, behaviors, workforce, supply chains, and logistics, all of which face increasing risks posed by climate hazards. Transportation system decisions made today have long-term implications for greenhouse gas emissions and climate adaptation. New investments, tools, and training have the potential to help the nation navigate climate adaptation, avoid disruption, and decarbonize the transportation sector.
USDOT oversees more than 4.2 million miles of public roads, 617,000 bridges, 136,851 railroad route miles, 2.8 million miles of pipelines, 25,000 miles of commercially navigable waterways, 3,321 public-use airports, 950 urban transit agencies, and more than 300 coastal, Great Lakes, and inland waterways ports.
For more on the USDOT’s Climate Change activities, see https://www.transportation.gov/priorities/climate-and-sustainability/dot-climate-change-center.
Idara ya Usafiri ya Marekani (USDOT) imefanya uwekezaji wa kihistoria ili kupunguza hatari na kupunguza uzalishaji wa kaboni. Washington, D.C.  Wiki hii, Marekani Programu ya Utafiti wa Mabadiliko ya Ulimwenguni (USGCRP) ilitangaza kutolewa kwa Tathmini ya Tano ya Taifa ya Hali ya Hewa (NCA5). Kwa kuongoza na USGCRP na mashirika yake 14 wanachama, NCA5 inategemea utaalam wa waandishi wa karibu 500 na wachangiaji 250 kutoka kila jimbo, pamoja na Guam, Puerto Rico na Visiwa vya Virgin vya Marekani. """Usafirishaji ni chanzo cha uzalishaji mkubwa wa kaboni kuliko sekta nyingine yoyote, ambayo inamaanisha usafirishaji unapaswa kuwa sehemu kubwa ya suluhisho la mgogoro wa hali ya hewa,"" Katibu wa Usafiri wa Marekani Pete Buttigieg alisema." "Kwa shukrani kwa Rais Biden, tunafanya uwekezaji mkubwa zaidi katika historia ya Marekani kupambana na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa, ikiwa ni pamoja na kufanya mifumo yetu ya usafiri safi na yenye nguvu zaidi. ""Kufikia sasa, Sheria ya Miundombinu ya Bipartisan imetoa zaidi ya $ 9 bilioni katika ufadhili kwa miradi ya upinzani wa hali ya hewa kulinda miundombinu kutoka hali ya hewa kali na kufuata lengo la USOTA la uzalishaji wa kaboni wa sifuri ifikapo 2050." NCA5 ni uchambuzi wa kina zaidi wa hali ya mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa nchini Marekani, kutoa mamlaka, habari muhimu ya uamuzi juu ya jinsi watu kote nchini wanavyojionea mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa, hatari za sasa na za baadaye, na hatua zinazofanyika kupunguza uzalishaji wa gesi chafu na kujenga upinzani. NCA5 inathamini athari za hali ya hewa katika mikoa 10 ya Marekani na maslahi mbalimbali, ikiwa ni pamoja na maji, misitu na mazingira, pwani na bahari, kilimo na jamii za vijijini, mazingira yaliyojengwa, nishati na usafiri, afya na ubora wa hewa, na mifumo ya kiuchumi na kijamii. NCA5 imepitiwa kwa kina na inajumuisha maoni kutoka kwa maoni ya umma na ushiriki, na ukaguzi wa rika wa nje uliofanywa na Chuo cha Kitaifa cha Sayansi, Uhandisi na Tiba. "Hitaji la kupunguza na kukabiliana na hali ya hewa limeunda fursa ya kufikiria tena mifumo ya usafiri katika ngazi zote,"" alisema Naibu Msaidizi wa Katibu wa Utafiti na Teknolojia na Mwanasayansi Mkuu Dk Robert C. Hampshire." "Kufanya uwekezaji wa usafiri ambao ni endelevu, sugu kwa hali ya hewa, msingi wa ushahidi, na usawa unahusisha tathmini ya hatari na uchambuzi wa kina wa nguvu ya gharama za muda mrefu na athari", Hampshire aliongeza. Sekta ya usafiri inakabiliwa na mabadiliko ya haraka yanayohusisha teknolojia, tabia, nguvu za kazi, minyororo ya usambazaji, na vifaa, ambayo yote yanakabiliwa na hatari zinazozidi kuongezeka zinazosababishwa na hatari za hali ya hewa. Maamuzi ya mfumo wa usafiri yaliyofanywa leo yana athari za muda mrefu kwa uzalishaji wa gesi za chafu na marekebisho ya hali ya hewa. Uwekezaji mpya, zana, na mafunzo yana uwezo wa kusaidia taifa kusafiri kukabiliana na hali ya hewa, kuepuka usumbufu, na kuondoa kaboni katika sekta ya usafiri. Kampuni hiyo inasimamia zaidi ya kilomita milioni 4.2 za barabara za umma, madaraja 617,000, njia za reli 136,851, maili milioni 2.8 za mabomba, maili 25,000 za njia za maji za kibiashara, viwanja vya ndege vya matumizi ya umma 3,321, mashirika ya usafiri wa mijini, na bandari zaidi ya 300 za pwani, Maziwa Makubwa, na njia za maji za ndani. Kwa maelezo zaidi juu ya shughuli za USDOT za Mabadiliko ya Hali ya Hewa, angalia https: www.transportation.gov/priorities/climate-and-sustainability/dot-climate-change-center.