New York City, with a population fast approaching 9 million and vast cultural, historical, and financial resources, is fast approaching the danger zone for climate change.
Some would say it has already arrived.
The OECD ranked New York City among the 10 cities most vulnerable to climate change in terms of its population size, location, and risk of coastal flooding. When assets are considered, the Big Apple climbs to No. 2 on that list.
Hurricane Sandy, just one of the symptoms of a warming planet, was our first dire warning.
Hurricane Sandy struck without mercy. Tempestuous winds downed trees and electric lines, smashing cars and homes. Walls of water overwhelmed barriers, wiped away homes, and crippled subway lines.
Within hours, thousands of New York City homes lost power. In the ensuing chaos, the city lost $25 billion in estimated business activity.
Source: TIME
As bad as Sandy was, she was only a hint of the destruction to come. While our grandparents most likely lived through only one storm of Sandy’s scale, our grandchildren can expect to see at least 20.
Source: "Increasing Storm Tides In New York Harbor, 1844-2013," Geophysical Research Letters, May 2014
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