91制片厂

It鈥檚 not just about the money.

It may seem that way when looking at the impact climate change could have on New Hampshire鈥檚 key tourism industries: The state annually collects $650 million from the ski industry, $484 million from coastal tourism and $292 million during foliage season.

But beyond money, climate change is taking a significant toll on the things we in New England hold dear.

Take fall foliage, already impacted by summer droughts and warmer autumn nights. Data shows sugar maples鈥� leaves are changing color as many as five days later than they once did.

鈥淐limate change affects the trees鈥� timing,鈥� says Scott Ollinger, a professor of ecosystem ecology who holds joint appointments in 91制片厂鈥檚 and the . 鈥淚f spring is earlier, summer is warmer and autumn is drier, the timetable will be altered and the likely outcome is you won鈥檛 see the short intense burst of color you鈥檙e used to.鈥�

鈥淲e are already seeing fewer birch, fewer maples, the vibrant color makers,鈥� he says.听 鈥淭hose colors are what create the experience that people love. I don鈥檛 know if there ever will be an 鈥榓ha鈥� moment where they say it鈥檚 not the same anymore. But if the season happens two weeks earlier or later, there is a chance they won鈥檛 have the experience they鈥檝e had in the past.鈥� That, he adds, could influence the kinds of vacations they plan in the future.

鈥淎s sea levels continue to rise there is going to be an impact on our cultural heritage, our maritime heritage 鈥� things that matter greatly to many, many people.鈥�

鈥淐limate change is making us reckon with the things we value,鈥� says Meghan Howey, associate professor of anthropology. 鈥淎s sea levels continue to rise there is going to be an impact on our cultural heritage, our maritime heritage 鈥� things that matter greatly to many, many people.鈥� A report from the 91制片厂-based estimates that sea levels will rise between eight inches and more than six feet by the end of the 21st century.

Howey has been looking at how climate change is affecting cultural heritage in places like Portsmouth鈥檚 Strawbery Banke and the Wentworth Coolidge Mansion and New Castle鈥檚 forts Constitution and Stark, places that hold New Hampshire鈥檚 history. All, she says, are at risk of being lost to the sea within 100 years.

鈥淣ot even 100 years 鈥� these sites are already being impacted,鈥� Howey says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a matter of coming to terms with what can be lost, of getting people to realize that places they love are going to be gone, and with them, their history. We need to connect the pieces.鈥�

Those pieces are the straight line between climate change and rising ocean levels, more frequent and violent storms, erosion, flooding. 鈥淲hen people start putting it together 鈥� 鈥極h, that鈥檚 what flooding is about鈥� 鈥� it could make a difference,鈥� Howey says. 鈥淥ne of the reasons people come to Portsmouth is to feel reminiscent, to feel the past. It鈥檚 a big economic driver for the area and it鈥檚 very vulnerable.鈥�

As is New Hampshire鈥檚 ski industry. In recent years, skiers have been experiencing shorter seasons, as their favorite mountains open later and close sooner. The duration and volume of snowpack has changed; warmer temperatures result in less snowpack that melts sooner. The amount of rainfall versus snowfall is increasing, resulting in fewer skiers and dollars: In 2001-02 and 2006-07, lesser snowfall amounts led more than $50 million in lost revenue.

鈥淚f the season starts later, and ski areas miss out on that critical week between Christmas and New Year鈥檚, that can mean 20 percent fewer skier visits and that can spell bad news for their bottom line,鈥� says Elizabeth Burakowski 鈥�13G, a postdoctoral researcher at 91制片厂 and a visiting scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. In 2012, Burakowski and fellow graduate student Matt Magnusson authored 鈥�,鈥� a high-profile research report for the and .

Snowfall is driven by precipitation and temperature. A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, meaning there could be a span of increased snowfall in the near future.听 However, the temperature dictates whether it stays on the ground. And records indicate that winters are still getting warmer, according to Burakowski.

鈥淯nfortunately we are already committed to global warming,鈥� says Burakowski. 鈥淥n average, our winters will be six to eight degrees warmer by 2100. That puts a lot of places above freezing.鈥�

And that freezes out other winter recreation 鈥� snowmobiling and cross-country skiing, ice fishing and pond skating 鈥� that has been woven into New England鈥檚 fabric for decades.听

鈥淎s winters continue to warm 鈥� it鈥檚 already happening; it is becoming rarer and rarer to see ponds with ice 鈥� those kinds of activities won鈥檛 be part of our culture anymore,鈥� says , research professor of climatology and glaciology and the Josephine A. Lamprey Professor in Climate and Sustainability. He notes that ice-out dates on two of New Hampshire鈥檚 largest lakes, Winnipesaukee and Sunapee, are occurring 10 to 20 days earlier than in the past. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 dear to me is winter recreation,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t is such a part of the New England culture and it could be gone.鈥�

But it鈥檚 not too late, Wake says. If we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions to below 1990 levels, average temperatures are modeled to rise just four degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century, half of the increase predicted if fossil fuels remain a primary energy resource, Wake and his collaborators demonstrate in a Climate Solutions New England report on climate change in New Hampshire.

鈥淭he sky is not falling,鈥� Wake says. 鈥淪ome things will disappear and we have to accept that. We can鈥檛 protect everything.听 But if we start now, if we adapt and project out over the next decade, the next two, three, we can spread out the cost. If we wait, it will cost much more. And more will be lost.鈥�