Global Waming In Nyc

GLOBAR WARMING EFFECTS IN NEW YORK CITY

Introduction

Will the Global warming affect NYC? The question isn't hypothetical anymore, is a reality, a nearly reality and unless we take action to stop climate change, we're going to have a huge problem in our hands. Far from being some future fear, global warming is happening now, right in our noses, and scientists have evidence that humans are to blame. For decades, cars and factories have spewed billions of tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and these gases caused temperatures to rise between 0.6oC and 0.9oC (1.08oF to 1.62oF) over the past century. The rate of warming in the last 50 years was double the rate observed over the last 100 years. Temperatures are certain to go up further. (Online John Weier NASA, accessed 29 Nov, 2007)

Consensus among Scientifics estimates warn of an average increase in temperatures of between 2 and 10 degrees Celsius over the next century.

Analysis

In a global warming case, NYC city will suffer heavy consequences from this temperature global raising. We must take under consideration that four of the five boroughs in the city are on islands (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island).

New York City has close to 600 miles of coastline, so the city is vulnerable increases in sea level. The projected amount of sea-level rise may not seem particularly large, estimated sea-level rise in the Metro East Coast Region could be Ñ* to 3 Ð... feet by 2100, but, when a storm hits, that small increase may be enough to flood coastal areas. At present, the rate of relative sea-level rise in New York City is 0.11 inches/year (2.73 millimeters/year).

(Online Janine Bloomfield, Impacts of Climate Change in the United States, accessed 03 Dic, 2007)

Me must take under consideration that most of the vital NY city mass transit is underground, too that the most important tunnel joining the city with New Jersey and all the three city airports; are all less than or near to ten feet above sea. So joining the Ñ* to 3 Ð... feet raising estimated with regular storm, those elements of the city will be flood (Remember how floods from the 1992 Nor'easter shut down the subway, PATH trains, FDR drive and LaGuardia Airport. Imagine the effects with a stronger storm and sea levels higher this will increment the chance of flooding in the city, so by the year 2050 there will be a major flood in the city every 8 to 18 years and in 2100 the range will be every 1 to 13 years.

(Online Frances Beinecke, stopglobalwarming, accessed 03 Dic, 2007)

Without expensive protection measures, the foundations of Battery Park City and the World Trade Center would be flooded regularly. The East River would flood Bellevue Medical Center, the FDR Drive and East Harlem between 96th and 114th Streets. Storms would flood much of Coney Island, submerging or creating islands of residential communities there and in Staten Island nearly annually.

(Online Janine Bloomfield, Impacts of Climate Change in the United States, accessed 03 Dic, 2007)

In a case of a Category 3 hurricane the city will be under siege. The storm will flood Airports, Tunnels, downtown Manhattan and a lot of more. That hurricane will paralyze the city and will trap millions of person in subways cars and tunnels. In the case of a Katrina-sized hurricane, 2.2 million New Yorkers would have to be evacuated.

(Online Frances Beinecke, stopglobalwarming, accessed 03 Dic, 2007)

The temperature projections show temperature increases of about 4 degrees year-round. Higher summer temperatures create more smog and increase ozone production, more air alert days and more trips to the emergency room for people with asthma and other respiratory troubles. Increased threats from mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and West Nile virus will appear. Increased temperatures would make the state more habitable to mosquitoes that carry the virus, likely leading to increased human infections,