Since 1984, tropical waters in the Northern Hemisphere have warmed at a rateof about 1 degree Fahrenheit per decade, according to data compiled by NOAA. This figure is 10 times the global rate, a harbinger ofclimatechange.
As a result of the power of compound interest, the choice of discount rate used to estimate the potential economic costs ofclimatechange is more important for purposes of understanding the trade-offs associated with competing climate-change policy options than perhaps any other single issue in climatechange economics.
Unfortunately, due to climatechange, Alaska is warming at a faster rate than the rest of the United States, and some of the consequences within the national parks are cause for concern.