Climate change is effecting everything from subway temperatures to rising coastlines. In a new report, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has outlined what he says is conclusive evidence of climate change along with urgent calls for action to be taken on the state level.
Schneiderman focuses on the increasing frequency and intensity of rainfall and its significant negative impact on state infrastructure. Last month, Islip suffered 13.57 inches of rainfall — an equivalent of an entire summer worth of rain in all of Long Island. Massive damage and disruptions ensued.
The report goes on to highlight the steadily increasing occurrences of 2-inch rainfalls since the mid-1990s.
Research from the Center also found that intervals between extreme “100-year” rainfall events shortened dramatically for the years 1978 to 2007, to a frequency of only 60 years.
The PDF reads a bit like a re-election platform and highlights Schneiderman’s climate change-related accomplishments, but the realities of the situation are made clear. The Attorney General is even suing the Environmental Protection Agency for not enforcing the Clean Air Act, which alone is admirable.
Climate change is a global problem but the approach of fighting it on a local level is picking up steam. Just today, New York’s most famous graphic designer, Milton “I ♥ NY” Glaser, released his design to raise awareness of the problem.
(Photo: @mtaphotos)
