"Sea levels are rising, and so are we!" chanted Climate change protestors on Folley Square in 2019.
The irreversible consequences of climate change -- a phenomenon impacting everyone across the globe -- led climate activists and civilians alike to take the future of our planet into their own hands and participate in protests in cities like New York, demanding authority figures to take action. Growing up in Indonesia, I grew accustomed to heavy rainfall, loud tropical storms, and driving through floods on my way to school during the rainy season. When moving to New York for college, I did not expect to experience similar global conditions, with hurricane warnings and flooded subway stations. For New York City, home to a melting pot of cultures and ambitions, rising sea levels threaten the safety of many who came into the city to make their dreams a reality.
While we all know that rising sea levels is bad for us, but what does it actually mean?
Global warming increases the temperature of the water, increasing the volume of water and therefore causing the sea level to rise. Rising Sea levels have been a long-standing climate issue for years. Historically a global scale, Sea levels averaged at 1.2-1.9 mm annually from 1900 to 1990. However, levels increased to more than 3mm annually from 1993 to 2019. Additionally, researchers predict that sea levels will continually increase in the years to come considering the changes in ocean temperature, circulation, and land ice movements.
In New York, the sea level averaged 2.9mm annually from 1900 to 1990. It nearly doubled between 1990 to 2019 to 4.5mm annually. Therefore, like our astronomical rent prices in New York, the city's sea level is higher than the global average. Why does a small change make such a big difference? This led to increased concerns regarding the influence of climate change and rising sea levels on the prevalence of extreme weather events such as storms and hurricanes in the near future.
Subway riders using protective rain material during extreme weather conditions in New York
"New York Flooding: Flooding From Ida Kills Dozens of People in Four States (Published 2021)."
The New York Times - Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos, 13 Oct. 2021,
http://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/09/02/nyregion/nyc-storm.
According to a report by the NOAA, the US is predicted to experience an immense sea level rise in 2050 that suppresses the predictions of previous years, leading to more coastal flooding without the occurrence of heavy rainfall or storms. Nicole LeBoef, the National Ocean Service Director of NOAA, stated that "By 2050, moderate flooding -- which is typically disruptive and damaging by today's weather, sea level, and infrastructure standards -- is expected to occur more than ten times as often as it does today." Thus demonstrating the link between increasing global temperatures to the rapid rise of sea levels that requires urgent action to ensure the safety of individuals.
The devastating impacts of climate change are right in front of us.
Phenomena like Hurricane Sandy demolished areas of New York City, clearly reflecting the magnitude of the climate crisis and New York City's vulnerability to it. New York has suffered through 26 Hurricanes since 1970. Evidently, due to the continuous rise in global temperatures, sea levels increase as the "ocean absorbed 90% of global warming caused by heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions," enabling storms to hold more power and trigger floods or weather conditions by 8-11% that pose detrimental effects to those living in the surrounding area.
Hurricane Ida, which took place in October of 2021, flooded subway platforms and basement apartments, took the lives of at least 43 people in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut, leaving thousands of others without power.
While it is possible to walk everywhere, taking the Subway is a key part of life in the city. New York's subway system transports approximately 2.4 million people daily. To take you to your destination, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) "pumps 53 million liters of water out of the subway system daily through a combined sewer system." Therefore, different sewage outlets are merged and collectively dumped into the New York harbor. If heavy storms or rain were to occur, the system may be overwhelmed and overflow -- moving into subway tunnels through vents and staircases.
Ultimately, it is evident that the detrimental effects of climate change is unavoidable. Together, we can bring awareness to this issue and create change that will positively impact the environment for everyone in the City who decided to live in New York for the opportunities this city brings. People should not have to risk their lives or live in fear of these extreme climate conditions to make a better life for themselves.
Works Cited
Barnard, Anne, and James Barron. "Climate Strike N.Y.C.: Young Crowds Demand Action, Welcome Greta Thunberg." The New York Times - Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos, 20 Sept. 2019, http://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/20/nyregion/climate-strike-nyc.html.
"Explainer: How Climate Change is Fueling Hurricanes." Reuters, 26 Sept. 2022, http://www.reuters.com/business/environment/how-climate-change-is-fueling-hurricanes-2022-09-20/#:~:text=This%20additional%20heat%20can%20fuel,break%2C%20sending%20down%20heavy%20rain.
"Explainer: the Science Behind Rising Sea Levels." Euronews, 5 Nov. 2021, http://www.euronews.com/green/2021/11/05/explainer-the-science-behind-rising-sea-levels.
Gornitz, Vivien, et al. "Enhancing New York City's resilience to sea level rise and increased coastal flooding." Urban Climate, vol. 33, 2020, p. 100654.
Luthy, Quinn. "Sea Level Rise NYC: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions." Earth.Org, 25 Nov. 2022, earth.org/sea-level-rise-nyc/).
"New York Flooding: Flooding From Ida Kills Dozens of People in Four States (Published 2021)." The New York Times - Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos, 13 Oct. 2021, http://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/09/02/nyregion/nyc-storm.
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