(New York, NY, Wednesday, September 2, 2020) – A new report from Datu Research and commissioned by Environmental Defense Fund analyzes decades of data and reveals that extreme weather driven by climate change has already cost the U.S. more than a trillion dollars, with impacts certain to rise.

The report shows how extreme weather driven by climate change is a “threat multiplier” making the pandemic, the recession and other challenges that much harder to fight.

Extreme weather costs are skyrocketing. Since 1980, the number of annual billion-dollar severe weather disasters has increased fourfold, costing U.S. taxpayers more than $1.75 trillion. Extreme weather doesn’t impact the U.S. equally, with minority communities taking the brunt of the damage.

A recent poll showed that climate action is a high priority for two-thirds of Americans, and that many Americans are more concerned about hurricane season this year than in past years.

Holstein has also held senior rules at the Department of Energy, the White House Office of Management and Budget, the White House National Economic Council and NOAA.

Environmental Defense Fund’s mission is to preserve the natural systems on which all life depends. Guided by science and economics, they find practical and lasting solutions to the most serious environmental problems.