California is synonymous with opportunity, prosperity, and natural beauty, but climate change will change the state's future and image. How can we expect the economy, natural resources, public health, agriculture, and our own livelihoodsto be affected? How will California's inhabitants (human, animal, and plant communities) adapt? What will it cost? This book is the first to address these and other questions so central to the long-term health of the state. While California is undeniably unique and diverse, the challenges it faces will be mirrored everywhere. This succinct and authoritative rev ... More

California is synonymous with opportunity, prosperity, and natural beauty, but climate change will change the state's future and image. How can we expect the economy, natural resources, public health, agriculture, and our own livelihoodsto be affected? How will California's inhabitants (human, animal, and plant communities) adapt? What will it cost? This book is the first to address these and other questions so central to the long-term health of the state. While California is undeniably unique and diverse, the challenges it faces will be mirrored everywhere. This succinct and authoritative review of the latest evidence suggests feasible ways to adapt to these changes while sustaining prosperity, mitigating impacts of climate change, and stimulating research and more effective policy across the globe. The authors argue that the sooner society recognizes the reality of climate change, the more effectively we can begin adaptation and limit costs to present and future generations. They show that climate risk presents a new opportunity for innovation, supporting aspirations for prosperity in a lower-carbon, climate-altered future where we can extend economic progress without endangering the environment and ourselves.