South Carolina
Environment
Human life depends on an environment that can provide for the most basic human needs. But climate change is increasing the earth's temperature, melting glaciers, raising sea levels, and likely shifting ocean currents. This, in turn, appears to be reducing biodiversity and increasing the intensity of extreme weather, such as floods, droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, and excessive heat days. The quality of the air we breathe is also critical to our existence.
Climate change and air quality are driven mainly, although not entirely, by human activity. Climate change is also creating fast-rising financial losses from property damage as well as increased prevalence of asthma, dementia, heatstroke, exhaustion, and other health ailments. Some argue that the future effects are somewhat uncertain and that future technological developments might reduce greenhouse gas emissions, offset warming with technologies that cool the earth, or prevent some harms from climate change. However, given the major risks involved and the uncertainty about future technologies, there is broad agreement that greenhouse gas emissions are a significant problem. The actions we take on climate change also have a global impact. Each country's and each state's emissions affect everyone else.
Summary of Results.
South Carolina's progress in this area has been mixed. Air quality is improving over time. Net greenhouse gas emissions are worsening over time.
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Net Greenhouse Gas EmissionsSpecific Measure
Net greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, fluorinated gases), including discharge from land use and deforestation
(Source: Authors' analysis of Environmental Protection Agency data).State RankState vs. US trend17Why did we include this measure?
Greenhouse gases trap the sun's rays and cause the earth to warm, resulting in several predictable environmental effects. The number of extreme heat days increases, causing dehydration, exhaustion, and heat strokes and making us less healthy and productive. Warming also increases extreme weather events. The rising number and severity of droughts and floods make it difficult to grow crops, while the increasing severity of hurricanes, superstorms, and wildfires destroys homes and businesses and sometimes costs lives. Climate change is a concern in part because a large share of the nation's—and the world's—population lives near large bodies of water. Climate change is melting glaciers, raising sea levels, and likely increasing the severity of hurricanes, all of which particularly affect coastal areas.
How does South Carolina compare to the rest of the country?
Although South Carolina's trend in net greenhouse gas emissions has been worsening while the US has been improving, it did not change in state ranking by two or more places. Therefore, we categorize South Carolina's comparison to the US as neutral or stable. In the most recent year, South Carolina ranked 17 (out of 51). In the same year, Maine ranked first, and Texas ranked last. We note that the state and US scales in the above graph are quite different, which makes them difficult to compare
Additional Information.
Greenhouse gas emissions are driven heavily by economic activity, which is currently dependent on energy consumption and the burning of fossil fuels. Nationally, we are generating economic output more efficiently than in the past—with lower greenhouse gas emissions per unit of output—but the overall problem is getting worse because these gases accumulate in the atmosphere. The primary greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide, which is responsible for 80% of gross US greenhouse gas emissions. The main sources are transportation, electricity generation, and industry. We have improved nationally in these areas in recent years by switching from coal to natural gas, expanding the use of renewable energy, and improving efficiency in all of the major sources, especially vehicles. Methane represents only 12% of US greenhouse gas emissions but has particularly large warming effects. Methane comes mainly from animal agriculture, oil and gas industry operations, and landfills.South Carolina State Trend Worsening
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Air QualitySpecific Measure
Annual mean concentration of particulate matter with diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less (roughly 3% of the width of a human hair)
(Source: Authors' analysis of Environmental Protection Agency data).State RankState vs. US trend39Why did we include this measure?
Our lungs are designed to provide oxygen to the body and to remove pollution that interferes with basic bodily functions. However, this only works for larger particles that our bodies can filter out—not tiny particles. The main source of these tiny particles is combustion of fossil fuels—the same source as greenhouse gas emissions (transportation, electricity generation, etc.). This particulate matter directly enters our respiratory systems and bloodstreams and can bypass the usual defenses. This appears to create harmful breathing problems (asthma and bronchitis) and an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and hypertension.
How does South Carolina compare to the rest of the country?
Although South Carolina's trend in air quality has been improving more than the US, it decreased in state ranking by two or more places. Therefore, we categorize South Carolina's comparison to the US as neutral or stable. In the most recent year, South Carolina ranked 39 (out of 51). In the same year, Hawaii ranked first, and Texas ranked last.
Additional Information.
Given that greenhouse gas emissions and particulate matter have the same sources, the national decline in the burning of fossil fuels partly explains the decline in particulate matter. But particulate matter has declined much more quickly than carbon dioxide emissions because of technological advances and government regulations.South Carolina State Trend Improving
How to Read This Report:
We report each measure three different ways: State Rank, State Trend, State vs. US Trend. Each result is color coded as either red (negative/worsening), yellow (neutral/stable), or green (positive/improving), as indicated below. If the simple trends were erratic, had too few data points, or had no data points, we do not color code and label the trend as “mixed,” "unclear," or "NA," respectively.
State Rank
(Where are we now?)
State Trend
(Where are we going?)
State vs. US Trend
(How do we compare?)
Top third of states
(i.e., ranks 1-17)
Improving
Trendline is improving by >5% and most points are improving relative to the first data point.
Improving
Trendline is improving relative to the national trend and rank is improving by 2+ rank spots.
Middle third of states
(i.e., ranks 18-34)
Neutral/Stable
Doesn't fall into improving, worsening, mixed, unclear, or NA categories.
Neutral/Stable
Trendline is improving/worsening the same amount as the national trend or rank is changing by <2 spots.
Bottom third of states
(i.e., ranks 35-51)
Worsening
Trendline is worsening by >5% and most points are worsening relative to the first data point.
Worsening
Trendline is worsening relative to national trend and rank is declining by 2+ rank spots
Mixed
Large shares of points are improving and worsening by >5% in different parts of the trend.
Mixed
This label only applies when a measure has more than 1 trendline. One trendline is improving and another is worsening.
Unclear
Not enough data to determine a trend.
Unclear
Not enough data to determine a comparison.
Not Applicable
No data.
Not Applicable
No data.
Not Applicable
No data.
For more information on our definitions and methods, please see the Data Notes section.
