Climate Change Hometown Profile: Long Island, New York

Where Am I From?

• Long Island, New York
• Surrounded by water
  • Long Island Sound
  • Atlantic Ocean

Demographics

• NYS average temperature has risen 1°F – 3°F in the last century
• Sea is rising about one inch every 10 years
• Amount of CO2 has risen 40% since the late 1700s
• Heavy rainstorms will recur more often

(Source: EPA.gov; Aug 2016)

Climate Hazards

• Inundation- rise in water level
• Rain Storms- increased humidity in the air
• Coastal Erosion- rise in water level
• Heat Waves- increased temperature
• Natural Disasters- range of causes depending on kind of disaster
• Problematic Effects on Agriculture- increased temperature

(Source: C40.org; 2016)

Potential Water Lever Elevation- as of Apr. 2016

Today- 0 feet

100 to 300 Years- 5 feet

Year 2300- 12 feet

Upcoming Centuries- 25 feet

(Source: The New York Times; 2016)

Vulnerabilities

• Social Attributes
  • Flooding and loss of coastal homes
    • Increases home insurance premiums.
    • Affecting day to day lives and economy
    • Small initial effect, but large final result
  • Increase in heat may bring about new diseases, affecting human health and well being. (Source: EPA.gov)
• Physical Attributes
  • Makes living spaces smaller, forcing more people into smaller plots of land.
  • Pollution of all water
    • Flooding will lead to sewer overflows, which eventually all leads back to the bodies of water and to our drinking water. (Source: EPA.gov)
  • Rise in water will disrupt ecosystems, leading to the eventual extinction of species
• Economic Attributes
  • Increased chance of flood will cause an increase in flood insurance premiums.
  • Destruction of coastal businesses
    • Ex. Increase in rain will result in less snow, especially Upstate New York. Affects winter recreation businesses, then economy, and then people’s lives and costs of living. (Source: EPA.gov)

Local Adaptive Capacities

• People don’t feel the need to act because climate change is not affecting their lives gravely in the present moment

• Organizations and groups whose goal is slowing down the effects of climate change.
• Laws and reforms that aid in the conservation of the Earth
• Rallies, protests, marches