Severe weather due to climate change is disrupting global supply chains, and putting Michigan companies at risk, according to a new report. It says in the last five years, the state has experienced 11 climate or weather-related disasters that each topped $1 billion in damages. Jim Doyle, president of Business Forward, the non-profit group that compiled the findings, tells us extreme weather has affected farmers, manufacturers, and other businesses across the state.
“First, it’s reasonable for people in Michigan to be looking around and saying, ‘Look, I believe in climate change, but can we afford to fix it?’ And what this report tries to do is show that we can’t afford not to fix it.”
The report says Michigan’s infrastructure is particularly vulnerable to severe weather events. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the state has 140 high-hazard potential dams and more than one-thousand structurally deficient bridges.
