Stick Around The Desert ‘Til 2100…Life Could Get Interesting; UCR Study Takes Looooong Term View

Coachella Valley tourism officials have their work cut out for them, at least the young ones.

A new study from the University of California at Riverside study shows tourism will be greatly impacted by global warming by the year 2100.

That’s right, over the next 80+ years, the number of days from November to April where the temperature will be above 85 degrees for daytime highs, will increase by 150 percent during the rest of this century.

The study indicates that rise will impact the snowbirds who flock to the desert during our autumn, winter and spring seasons.

In addition to the warmer winter weather, researchers analyzed two key components of the local tourism industry; the number of visitors to The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert and the likelihood of extreme heat at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which has seen plenty of very warm days since it came into existence. The inside of a porta-potty on a 99 degree day evidence enough of that.

Researchers found that the Living Desert stands to lose up to $1.44 million annually with 18% fewer visitors at the end of the century, and also discovered  that the probability of attendee exposure to extreme heat at the music festival — if it continues to be held in April — could increase sixfold by the end of the century if climate change trends continue.

But like most surveys conducted by the government or academia, the study offers no suggestions on what actions can be taken to mitigate the pending doom.

 

Photo From Alpha Media USA Portland OR

More about: