Pennsylvania

Arthur Matthew Holst

BECAUSE OF PENNSYLVANIA'S interior location in the northeast, it is in prime position to experience the many negative effects associated with global warming. By 2100, average summer temperatures in Pennsylvania could increase between 7–9 degrees F (4–5 degrees C). This temperature change could cause extreme cases of precipitation. Some parts of the state could experience up to a 50 percent increase in rainfall, while other areas face drought conditions. In Philadelphia, by 2050, heat-related deaths during a typical summer could increase by 90 percent, from about 130 deaths per summer to more than 240. Currently, “red alert” air quality days happen about two days every summer in Pittsburgh. By the middle of the century, this number could rise to five days per summer. Also, ozone levels in the city are already above the Environmental Protection Agency's healthy standard at least 10 days out of the year. Global warming could cause ...

Users without subscription are not able to see the full content on this title. Please, subscribe or login to access all content on this website.