Without action to address climate change, Columbia could be in for hotter summers — to the tune of 95 degrees for as many as 50 days during the year. Currently, the city experiences less than five days during the summer that are over 95 degrees. By the late 21st century, that could reach 50 days.
Additionally, Columbia could see wetter springs, drier summers and more frequent severe storms as a result of climate change, according to a city news release explaining a climate trends summary conducted in March.
“Right here in the Midwest, our average temperatures are 1.3 degrees warmer compared to the 1900s-1950s. In the winter, that number is closer to 3 degrees warmer,” Mayor Brian Treece told over 100 Columbia residents in crowded City Council chambers Wednesday.
Residents came out for a second community forum to provide input about strategies to address climate change proposed by the Mayor’s Task Force for Climate Action & Adaptation Planning. Public input given at the community forums will be used to shape the task force’s recommendations.
The city held its first community workshop in May that about 150 residents attended to consider ways Columbia could address climate change. Since the first public forum, the task force has had 30 meetings, according to task force chair Jay Hasheider. They’re developing a Climate Action & Adaptation Plan that encompasses 14 goals and 52 strategies to achieve those goals.
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