The New York Panel on Climate Change released a report earlier in the week detailing some harsh realities that could unfold in the Big Apple due to climate change, one of which was a more than six feet of the sea level rising by the end of the end of the century.
The year 2100 is a long way away but the drastic change in sea level projected for the end of the century won't be happening all at once. The report stated that the sea level in New York City has risen an average of 1.1 feet per decade since the 1900, twice the rate sea levels all over the world have risen at an average of half a foot. With the expectation that sea level rise will be accelerating as the decades go by, the report projected sea levels to rise between 0.92 and 1.75 feet by the 2050s, 1.5 and 3.25 feet by the 2080s and up to 6.25 feet by 2100.
New York City is no stranger to extreme weather but residents can expect these events to become more common in the future, with rains spiking 4 to 11 percent by the 2050s and up to 13 percent by the 2080s. Extreme precipitation days are also expected to be more frequent, with about one and a half more events each year by the 2080s compared to the current rate.
Temperatures will also be on the rise, with the 2050s seeing an increase of between 4.1 and 5.7 degrees Fahrenheit and the 2080s having a city hotter by 5.3 to 8.8 degrees Fahrenheit. Around the 2080s as well, heat waves are projected to triple in frequency.
The projected increase in sea level is problematic because it also represents a possible increase in flooding when coastal storms are present, which will cause not just infrastructural problems but health and economic woes as well.
Given the huge impact climate change will have on New York City, ongoing research is needed to help provide the city and the surrounding region with the information they need to boost climate resiliency.
"High-resolution regional climate modeling is needed to illuminate how projected changes vary throughout the city due to factors including coastal breezes, topography, and different urban land surfaces," added the report.
With the Big Apple mainly reliant on mass transportation, majority of the city's carbon emissions are from buildings. This gives New York City a relatively low carbon footprint but it still can't escape the effects of climate change.
