Climate change matters to Northamptonshire because it will affect how people live and many of the key local services we use, as well as the environment that we enjoy. Not all of these changes will be negative, but coping with some others may be challenging.
Impacts in the East Midlands
The following possible impacts of climate change have been predicted for the East Midlands (source: East Midlands Sustainable Development Round Table, 2000):
Threats
- Less water for domestic and other uses
- More flooding on coast and around rivers
- Changes in crop types
- Poorer working conditions for staff, demand for cooling causes higher energy use
- Stress on wetlands, agriculture
- Subsidence damage to buildings
- Added stress on biodiversity
- Increased tourism “wearing out” attractions, eg Peak District
Opportunities
- Switch to renewable energy could reduce energy bills
[note: this now seems optimistic]
- Biofuel crops
- New food crops/ garden plants hence new markets
- Environmental technology markets
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Impacts on local services
Here are some examples of how local services in the UK might be affected by climate change (note - not all of these will necessarily happen in Northamptonshire) (source: UK Climate Impacts Programme):
Emergency Planning
- Increased risk of flooding and severe weather
Transport Planning
- Increased temperature causing service disruption and heat stress to travelling public
Highway Maintenance
- Increased rainfall intensity affecting embankments and bridge piers, and washing more debris into gullies
- Increase in rate of growth and length of growing season of road verges
Health and Social Services
- Higher risk of skin cancer / sun burn due to hotter summers and increased outdoor recreation
- Heat stress to the old, poor and vulnerable communities and people likely to increase
Greenspace Management
- Increase in rate of growth leading to year-round grass maintenance
- Loss of trees and shrubs due to drier summers and wetter winters
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