The Climate Has Already Changed

The Washington Post today published a massive, interactive feature on the effects of climate change in the United States, headlining the story by promising to illustrate the corners of the country that are warming fastest as the effects of a century's worth of carbon emissions take hold.

Climate change doesn't warm the globe equally, according to the article, and some parts of the Lower 48 have already crossed the critical threshold of a 2 degrees Celsius temperature increase.

"Today, more than 1 in 10 Americans — 34 million people — are living in rapidly heating regions, including New York City and Los Angeles. Seventy-one counties have already hit the 2-degree Celsius mark," according to the article. Alaska is the fastest-warming state in the country. Rhode Island has already crossed the 2 degrees Celsius mark. New Jersey, Connecticut, Maine, and Massachusetts are close. The article includes an searchable graphic that produces the increase in temperature for U.S. counties. 

Steven Mufson, Chris Mooney, Juliet Eilperin, and John Muyskens write the article, with photography by Salwan Georges.