Climate Change Impacts in New York - Nature ConservancyClimate Change Impacts in New York A summary...
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Climate Change Impacts in New York A summary of the threats that climate change poses to the people, businesses and ecosystems of New York Increases in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have caused global temperatures to increase by more than 1°F over the past century. This global warming has resulted mainly from human activities such as the combustion of fossil fuels and deforestation. Global temperatures are expected to rise more this century as emissions of heat-trapping gases continue to mount. While the impacts of climate change will vary from region to region, it’s clear that almost every place on the planet will be affected. New York citizens have made substantial invest- ments in protecting the diverse and critical nat- ural resources throughout New York State, from the estuaries on Long Island to the forests of upstate New York. For example, on Long Island’s Peconic and Great South Bay, environ- mentally and economically important shellfish beds and coastal properties are at risk from sea level rise. On the Tug Hill Plateau, Adirondacks, and Catskills, large tracts of forest with econom- ically and ecologically valuable tree species, like sugar maples and spruce, are likely to be signifi- cantly affected by the northward shift in their range. Although New Yorkers produce more heat trap- ping gasses than all of Central America and Mexico combined, the State has a tremendous resource in its people, who now have the oppor- tunity to lead the way in finding solutions to cli- mate change and reducing its impact on future generations. Following is a summary of how climate change will affect New York: A rise in sea level would seriously threaten miles of natural shoreline that provide undisturbed nesting habitat for birds and turtles as well as a refuge for rare beach plants on Shelter Island’s Mashomack Preserve. © Carl Heilmann II. WHAT NEW YORK CAN EXPECT ■ Estimated minimum of 5° F increase in temperature by 2100 ■ Damage to coastal habitat, property and infrastructure due to sea level rise ■ Declining drinking water quality and quantity ■ Increased costs to dairy and agricultural farming ■ Declining freshwater and saltwater fish populations ■ Further degradation in air quality leading to exacerbated unhealthy conditions Global Climate Change
Transcript of Climate Change Impacts in New York - Nature ConservancyClimate Change Impacts in New York A summary...
Climate Change Impacts in New YorkA summary of the threats that climate change poses to the people, businesses and ecosystems of New York
Increases in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere have caused global temperatures to increase by
more than 1°F over the past century. This global warming has
resulted mainly from human activities such as the combustion of
fossil fuels and deforestation. Global temperatures are expected
to rise more this century as emissions of heat-trapping gases
continue to mount. While the impacts of climate change will vary
from region to region, it’s clear that almost every place on the
planet will be affected.
New York citizens have made substantial invest-ments in protecting the diverse and critical nat-ural resources throughout New York State, fromthe estuaries on Long Island to the forests ofupstate New York. For example, on LongIsland’s Peconic and Great South Bay, environ-mentally and economically important shellfishbeds and coastal properties are at risk from sealevel rise. On the Tug Hill Plateau, Adirondacks,and Catskills, large tracts of forest with econom-ically and ecologically valuable tree species, likesugar maples and spruce, are likely to be signifi-cantly affected by the northward shift in theirrange.
Although New Yorkers produce more heat trap-ping gasses than all of Central America andMexico combined, the State has a tremendousresource in its people, who now have the oppor-tunity to lead the way in finding solutions to cli-mate change and reducing its impact on futuregenerations.
Following is a summary of how climate changewill affect New York:
A rise in sea level would seriously threaten miles of natural shoreline that provide undisturbednesting habitat for birds and turtles as well as a refuge for rare beach plants on Shelter Island’sMashomack Preserve. © Carl Heilmann II.
WHAT N EW YOR K CAN EXPECT
n Estimated minimum of 5° F increase in temperature by 2100
n Damage to coastal habitat, property andinfrastructure due to sea level rise
n Declining drinking water quality and quantity
n Increased costs to dairy and agriculturalfarming
n Declining freshwater and saltwater fishpopulations
n Further degradation in air quality leading toexacerbated unhealthy conditions
Global Climate Change
Sea-level Rise Climate change is estimated to cause thesea level along the coast of New York Cityto rise anywhere from one to three and ahalf feet by 2080 at a cost of billions ofdollars in lost property and assets. Stormsurges affecting shoreline properties willalso increase by as much as 15 feet in thatsame timeframe. Wide-spread coastalflooding, accelerated beach erosion, andthe disappearance of important barrierand recreational beaches are all predictedto occur as a result of rising sea level.
Drinking Water Quantity and Quality ImpactsThe rapid run-off from increased precipi-tation levels is expected to affect NewYork City’s clean drinking water supply. Asthe sea-level rises, it will lead to increasedsaltwater intrusion when the seawatertravels up freshwater systems, like theHudson River, which serves as a backupwater supply system. New York City’squest for alternative water supplies is likelyto inflict a high economic burden.
Farming ImpactsNew York is currently the fifth largestdairy producer in the nation, but main-
taining current yields will cost more in thefuture. Increasing temperatures willrequire more air conditioning to maintainexisting levels of production, which will inturn cause electricity prices to rise.Furthermore, if the increased electricityused to cool the barns is produced by fossil fuel-generated electricity, it willexacerbate the severity of the impact ofclimate change.
Falling Lake Levels The levels of Lake Erie and Lake Ontarioare expected to drop due to increasedevaporation and lower recharge ratescaused by climate change. Lake Erie levelsare expected to decrease by as much as fivefeet by 2100, threatening wildlife andreducing waters supplies for electricitygeneration.
Forest Impacts Tree species are expected to migrate northas temperatures increase causing impor-tant species such as sugar maple and paperbirch to dwindle, eventually disappearingfrom New York permanently.
With increased temperatures and changesin precipitation, New York and otherstates in the Northeast are projected toexperience a 10-20% increase in the risk offorest fires. Additional damage to theforests will likely occur due to the spreadof pests and diseases. These impacts couldcause severe damage to wildlife habitats,homes, and public health.
Declining Fish PopulationsThe greatest dangers to the trout in thefreshwater rivers throughout New Yorkare low levels of dissolved oxygen, slowstream velocity, low depth of flow, highwater temperature, and high levels of tur-bidity. All these conditions could occurwith increased temperature and increaseddrought conditions as a result of climatechange, leading to the formation of oxygen-poor conditions that will suffocatetrout embryos.
Striped bass is expected to experience amajor loss in habitat as ocean tempera-tures rise, especially in the southern partof its range. This could have significanteffects on the overall health of bass stocksin New York waters.
Degrading Air QualityNorthern U.S. cities are likely to havemore heat related deaths because of insuf-ficient adaptation to extreme heat.Additionally, these higher temperatureswill exacerbate the problem of urban airpollution, like ground-level ozone, elevat-ing mortality and asthma rates.
Northeast Regional Greenhouse Gas InitiativeAmericans cannot continue to rely on voluntary approaches to address thethreat of climate change. Protecting thelast great places in New York for ourchildren and our grandchildren dependson the adoption of practical regulationslike the Northeast States’ RegionalGreenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a mar-ket-based proposal to place caps on car-bon dioxide emissions from powerplants. RGGI will achieve greenhousegas reductions at the lowest possiblecost and will serve as a model for othermulti-state and federal efforts.
The Nature Conservancy supportsthe adoption of RGGI and otherpragmatic policies that willreduce emissions causing globalclimate change.
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Sarah Murdock
Senior Policy Advisor
Global Climate Change
Initiative
The Nature Conservancy
(617) 542-1908 x204
http://nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/
David HigbyDirector, FederalGovernment RelationsNew York State OfficeThe Nature Conservancy(518) 690-7850 x 7867
[email protected]: Gornitz V., et al. (2002); US Global Change Research Program (2000); USDA, EconomicResearch Service, (2005); Union of Concerned Scientists and The Ecological Society of America (2003);Chao, P. (1999); Iverson, L.R., A. M. Prasad (2002); Flanagan, M.D. et al. (2000); Major, D. and R.Goldberg (2001); Coutant, C.C. (1990); Chestnut L.G., et al. (1998).
Economically important species of trees, such as spruceand maple, could disappear from the Adirondack andother New York forests with increased temperature fromclimate change. © The Nature Conservancy
