The Economic Costs of Climate Change for Oregonians: A First Look          
Forum on Oregon Climate Economics      

October 2024

In 2007, The Oregon Legislature began taking an interest in assessing the economic costs of climate change in Oregon. While economists have generally described the ways in which increased global mean surface temperature, as expressed through heat domes, wildfires, floods, drought, etc. In 2024, no attempt has been made to quantify those costs. 

In 2024, a group of economists from the University of Oregon, Reed College and two other non-profits, have a formed a group that is attempting to answer the question:  Is climate change today costing the typical Oregon household money? If so, how much? And what is the forecast?

The collaboration is called the Forum on Oregon Climate Economics (FORCE).  The group is lead by Keaton Miller, associate professor of economics at the U of O.

“We’re trying to estimate and communicate the real-life impacts of climate change on the bottom line for Oregonians,” said Dr. Miller.

The group sifted through available research to estimate specific costs for a range of climate impacts, including extreme heat, wildfires, deteriorating air quality, reduced water supplies, lost or damaged ecosystems, ocean acidification and warming, and global disruptions. The report is not intended to be comprehensive but rather a starting point, Miller said.

“Even with partial information we can say climate change is already having significant negative economic impacts on Oregonians,” he said. “We can already make some estimates of what will happen in the future if we don’t take action.”

A sampling of the ongoing economic “external” costs global warming is already imposing upon the typical Oregonian household Oregonians include:

          *$3,900 per household per year to contain wildfires and recover from their damage

          *$450 per household per day for intrusion by wildfire smoke

          *Roughly $12,000 in personal income per year per household due to greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere

Click here for the Executive Summary of ‘The Economic Costs of Climate Change for Oregonians. A First Look’ 

Click here to view the complete copy of the ‘Economic Costs of Climate Change for Oregonians: A First Look’  (as published by Miller, Keaton, Noelwah R. Netusil, Ernie Niemi, Joshua Skov, John Talberth. 2024. Forum on Oregon Climate Economics.)

Click here for the press release published in October 2024 from the University of Oregon announcing the release of the first installment of the study.

Click here for the press release from Reed College announcing the release of the first installment of the study. 

Click here for the press release from Ernie Niemi announcing the release of the first installment of the study. 

The evidence shows that climate change is already costing Oregonians dearly in terms of life and treasure.  It is not your grandchildren’s problem to solve. It’s your grandfather’s problem. Kicking the can down the road is no longer tenable.