Changing global climate presents potential for effects close to home

Minnesota’s weather is changing. As the state’s climate is altered, the plants, residents, and animals are affected. Climate change could be the cause of this extreme weather and its subsequent effects.

Humans are increasing the amount of carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere due to a variety of causes, especially through deforestation and driving vehicles. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the increase has led to the Earth’s warming. In Minnesota, the climate has warmed one to three degrees Fahrenheit in the last century.

The high carbon dioxide concentrations will likely shorten the snow season and consequently shrink time for winter recreation. According to the EPA, since the early 1970s, winter ice coverage in the Great Lakes has decreased by 63 percent. If winters disappear, the Minnesotan identity may simultaneously vanish.

It is possible that such a situation could occur. According to MinnPost, “Minnesota temperatures may increase 12 to 15 degrees by the end of the century,” Lee Frelich, the director of the University of Minnesota Center for Forest Ecology, said. If Minnesota were to warm by 15 degrees, the state would feel more like Kansas.

The fluctuating temperatures in Minnesota corroborate how global warming has led to extreme weather events. According to Lakeshore Weekly News, from 1951 to 1980, temperatures could fluctuate from 13 degrees below average to 15 above. For the last 30 years, the range has fluctuated from 12 below to more than 21 above.

The warmer weather will result in both negative and positive effects on Minnesota’s agriculture. According to the EPA, the rising temperatures have increased the growing season by 15 days since the beginning of the 20th century. While global warming extends the frost-free growing season, it changes crop yield. According to the MinnPost, Northern Minnesota crop yield could increase by nearly 40 percent. However, in Southern and Central Minnesota, the average yield for crops could be 20 to 30 percent lower.

Despite possible short-term economic benefits caused by climate change, the agriculture business would suffer financially nationwide. According to Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) news, crops that once could not grow farther north than Iowa have successfully grown in Southern Minnesota. While it’s an example of how warming temperatures have benefited Minnesota, the question arises: what happens when organisms run out of northern space? For instance, polar bears live in the Arctic circle and therefore, cannot merely travel north. “Basically if you looked at a map, take the habitats and shift everything north,” AP Environmental Science teacher Eric Burfeind said.

The increasing rates of precipitation and temperature may harm Minnesota’s water quality. According to the EPA, the Great Lakes are likely to warm another 3 degrees to 7 degrees Fahrenheit in the next 70 years. The warmer waters will cause more algal blooms. During the decomposition of the blooms, the algae consume dissolved oxygen and thus, damage aquatic life and water quality.

Additionally, rising water temperatures will change fish habitat. Habitat for warm-water fish such as bass will increase, while the habitat of coldwater fish will decrease. For instance, in Minnesota, the population of walleye, a coldwater fish, will likely suffer. “As lake temperatures increase, the amount of the dissolved oxygen in the lakes will decrease. Walleyes are dependent on high levels of dissolved oxygen and their populations will be decimated,” Burfeind said.

Similarly, the warmer temperatures may harm Minnesotan trees. According to MPR news, increased precipitation and temperatures have made aspen and tamarack trees more susceptible. While these tree populations decline, the oak, hickory, and pine trees could increase according to the EPA.

In contrast to other states, Minnesota will not be greatly affected by wildfires, hurricanes, or tornadoes. Despite smaller environmental consequences, those extreme events caused by climate change will still cost Minnesota financially. For instance, President Donald Trump signed a Hurricane Harvey relief package. The relief efforts cost taxpayers billions of dollars, including Minnesota residents.

Other costs include a loss of Minnesota life. A warmer Minnesota will drastically change farming practices, the renowned harsh winters, plant and animal survival, and human recreation. The costs will result in an unrecognizable Minnesota, perhaps a Kansas.