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Though the year isn't yet over, 2011 proved to be rough when it came to extreme weather and perhaps, environmentalists suggest, climate change is to blame. Records for extreme heat and extreme cold were broken in all 50 U.S. states, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, an international nonprofit environmental organization.
The extremes at time have been disastrous, costing Americans an estimated overall $53 billion.
In a conference on Thursday, the NRDC plans to release a map showing exactly how areas have been hit, including state-by-state analyses on weather extremes, record breakers, rainfall and snowfall.
What's causing the changes? Perhaps climate change, according to the NRDC. A Special Report on Extreme Events from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has already concluded that the effects of climate change will intensify extreme heat, heavy precipitation, and maximum wind speeds of tropical storms.
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The extremes at time have been disastrous, costing Americans an estimated overall $53 billion.
In a conference on Thursday, the NRDC plans to release a map showing exactly how areas have been hit, including state-by-state analyses on weather extremes, record breakers, rainfall and snowfall.
What's causing the changes? Perhaps climate change, according to the NRDC. A Special Report on Extreme Events from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has already concluded that the effects of climate change will intensify extreme heat, heavy precipitation, and maximum wind speeds of tropical storms.
-- A streaming audio replay of the NRDC's event will be available on the web at nrdc.org/extremeweather at 3 p.m. EST on December 8, 2011
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