How expensive is global warming really going to be? Reuters has this article up today:

Damage from climate change may cost Alaska $10 blnBELIZE CITY (Reuters) – Collapsing bridges, bursting sewer pipes and crumbling roads caused by global warming could cost Alaska up to $10 billion over the next few decades, researchers said.

Reuters makes this sound expensive, right? But, how exactly does Reuters define a few decades. We find out later in the article:

An analysis of close to 20 types of public works in Alaska, from schools to municipal buildings, showed flooding and erosion will increase the burden on state finances.
Regular upkeep until 2080 would cost Alaska between $32 and $56 billion without the extra stresses, said Larsen.

There you have it. A “few” decades, as defined by Reuters, equals 70+ years. So, at its worst, global warming might cost Alaska $137 million a year. Or, to put that in perspective, about 10 percent of the expected total cost of Alaska’s “Bridge to Nowhere.”