Oklahoma ranks 10th highest in the U.S. when it comes to the economic impact of climate change, according to a new analysis released by the Brookings Institution. The study suggested states that voted heavy Republican in 2018 will be hurt the hardest.
The same study attempted to claim that many states facing the biggest economic threats from global warming were those that voted for President Trump and GOP candidates in the 2018 midterms.
The study suggested it highlights how areas facing the greatest peril are backing policymakers who oppose strong federal steps to cut emissions.
The top states facing a reported harmful economic impact of climate change are in the Deep South. Florida is ranked number one followed by Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, South Carolina and Hawaii.
Missouri is ranked 12th while Kansas is 16th on the economic impact aspect of the study.
The study examined changes in farm yields, coastal damage from rising seas, heat-related threats to workers and more. The results are obviously meant to be used by environmentalists and activists who want to change the politics of the issue in the U.S.
“Activists who want to change the political can derive a clear strategy from the harm data: Work in the reddish swing states by focusing spotlights and cost accounting on the severe economic effect wrought by climate change,” the paper states.
Nine of the 10 states facing the biggest long-term losses in county income voted for Trump in 2016, including Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Alabama, the analysis states.
Counties that voted for Trump will face, by the end of the century, average GDP loss of 4.8%, compared to 3.3% in counties that Hillary Clinton carried, the paper estimates.
In congressional districts that backed Republicans last November, residents face an average 4.4% hit to regional income, compared to a 2.7% loss projected for districts that backed Democratic candidates.
