Climate change in Rhode Island

Climate change in Rhode Island affects several systems, including fishing, agriculture and wetland loss.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency reports that Rhode Island's climate has warmed about three degrees Fahrenheit since 1900.

Rising temperatures will melt snow earlier in spring and increase evaporation, and thereby dry the soil during summer and fall.

[1] Due to increases in temperatures, Rhode Island experienced "uncomfortably warm" weather in 2015 to 2016, three weeks longer than in the 1950s.

This may lead to hundreds of additional heat-related ER visits per year in Rhode Island (an increase between 6.8 and 25%, depending on emissions levels).

Warmer temperatures allow deer populations to increase, leading to a loss of forest underbrush, which makes some animals more vulnerable to predators.

Tidal wetlands are inherently vulnerable because of their low elevations, and shoreline development prevents them from migrating inland onto higher ground.

Storms can destroy coastal homes, wash out highways and rail lines, and damage essential communication, energy, and wastewater management infrastructure".

[1] Based on projections by Climate Central, a New Jersey–based research group, sea level rise and flooding is particularly concerning in Rhode Island due to the pattern of development in the state.

Climate change may also pose challenges for agriculture: Some farms may be harmed if more hot days and droughts reduce crop yields, or if more flooding and wetter springs delay their planting dates.

[1] Rhode Island participates in the Northeastern Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, an effort to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the power sector through a market-based program.

[4] In July 2024, a state agency co-received a $450 million federal grant for "community-driven solutions to cut climate pollution across New England," the US EPA announced.

Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II (Report).