Out of the frying pan and into the fire: Climate change and the Southwest United States

What do 56 million people, including 182 federally recognized tribes, almost 700,000 square miles of land surface and most of the wildlife and vegetation therein, a thriving agricultural region that includes the fruit and vegetable basket of the West, and a diverse economy that accounts for 20% of the nation’s GDP have in common?  They’re out of luck, unless society substantially reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and the Southwest United States establishes robust plans to adapt to a hotter, drier, and more extreme climate.  This presentation summarizes what the National Climate Assessment has to say about the region’s future.