Tag Archives: climate change

Superstorm Sandy unleashed a powerful assault on Staten Island in late October. The island’s position in New York Harbor at the Narrows — where waters from the large Lower Bay funnel into the small Upper Bay — along with the storm’s westward shift at landfall focused Sandy’s energy on its southeastern shore. Communities such as New Dorp, Midland Beach and Oakwood Beach were battered by the storm surge, which also coincided with high tide. Continue reading →

Recognizing that Superstorm Sandy is “only the most recent example of extreme weather events,” the New York State Assembly’s Standing Committee on Environmental Conservation sought expert testimony about actions that might mitigate the factors contributing to a changing climate and the impacts caused by such alternations. Continue reading →

In his State of the State Address on Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for a series of measures to safeguard New York’s infrastructure during future severe weather events and adapt to a changing climate. Continue reading →

Since being pummeled by what climatologists are calling a one in multi-century event, the New York-New Jersey area has been the site of many programs analyzing Superstorm Sandy’s causes, effects and policy implications. Central to the presentations and discussions has been the question of Sandy’s significance for the future.  If what we now consider a rarity becomes more frequent in the future, what should state and local governments do to protect lives, infrastructure, and their economic health from extreme weather events? Continue reading →