Climate change — driven mainly by burning coal, oil and gas — is already reshaping everyday life. It raises food and energy costs, damages infrastructure, and increases health risks such as heat stress, respiratory problems and longer allergy seasons. Insurance markets and utilities are strained, coastal and agricultural systems are vulnerable, and communities may face relocation and lasting economic harm.
How Climate Change Is Reshaping Everyday Life — Rising Costs, Health Risks and What to Expect
Climate change — driven mainly by burning coal, oil and gas — is already reshaping everyday life. It raises food and energy costs, damages infrastructure, and increases health risks such as heat stress, respiratory problems and longer allergy seasons. Insurance markets and utilities are strained, coastal and agricultural systems are vulnerable, and communities may face relocation and lasting economic harm.
04:53 PM, 11/18/2025Environment
How climate change is already affecting daily life
Rising average temperatures driven largely by burning fossil fuels — especially coal, oil and gas — are changing daily routines, local economies and ecosystems, experts say. The United Nations' Climate Action initiative estimates that fossil fuels account for roughly 68% of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90% of all carbon dioxide emissions.
Below are concrete ways climate change is affecting people and communities today, compiled from research and reporting by organizations including the Environmental Defense Fund and government science agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Immediate impacts on households
- Higher food prices: Crop failures and reduced yields for staples like rice, wheat and corn — and for commodities such as coffee, cocoa and hops — shrink supply and raise grocery bills.
- Rising energy costs: More frequent and intense heatwaves increase household electricity use for cooling, pushing up bills.
- Health threats: Heat stress, worsened respiratory symptoms from wildfire smoke and longer allergy seasons (warmer, wetter conditions boost pollen) pose growing public-health risks.
- Insurance and housing: Insurers are withdrawing or raising premiums in high-risk areas, leaving some homeowners with unaffordable or unavailable coverage.
Infrastructure, work and communities
- Damage to critical systems: Floods, storms, wildfires and sea-level rise can damage roads, power plants, sewage systems and ports, causing outages and costly repairs passed to consumers.
- Disrupted work and higher costs: Outdoor and seasonal work can be slowed or halted by extreme heat or storms, increasing project timelines and labor costs.
- Relocation and erosion: In severe cases, persistent flooding and rising seas force communities to relocate; coastal erosion can wipe out beaches and local economies reliant on tourism.
Nature and ecosystems
Warmer ocean temperatures are causing coral bleaching and die-offs, degrading fisheries and tourism-dependent livelihoods. More broadly, shifting temperatures, droughts and floods are driving habitat loss and reducing biodiversity — changes that can be irreversible and that undermine the services ecosystems provide to people.
These trends interact and compound: extreme weather raises repair and insurance costs, which are ultimately borne by consumers and communities, while environmental degradation threatens long-term resilience and livelihoods.
Sources: United Nations Climate Action; Environmental Defense Fund; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
This reporting was produced in partnership with several funders and Journalism Funding Partners. Original reporting by Erica Van Buren for The Augusta Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network. Contact: EVanBuren@gannett.com; X: @EricaVanBuren32.