News from the Office of Climate Change
September 2017

Earth & Climate Photo Op

Astronaut Randy Bresnik took this photo of Tropical Storm Harvey from the International Space Station on Aug. 28 at 1:27 p.m. CDT. Photo Credit: NASA.

Things We Like

September is preparedness month! Check out New York State Department of Health’s (NYSDOH) great tabletop presentation (below), designed to support counties in tackling preparedness for climate change health issues. Even if you’re not a county, NYSDOH has a variety of useful tools, guidance, and videos on their Climate, Weather & Health page.

Community News

The European Union’s International Urban Cooperation initiative in North America has launched a call for U.S. cities that wish to cooperate with a city in the EU to participate in a new City-to-City Exchange Program. Interested U.S. cities are encouraged to apply for a pairing by Friday, September 22, 2017. Successful cities will be paired with EU cities tackling related challenges, allowing the pairs to build cooperation, share experiences, and exchange knowledge. Representatives from each city will take part in study tours, staff exchanges, trainings, and seminars.     

By The Numbers

Registered Climate Smart Communities (CSC)...208
Certified Climate Smart Communities...15
Current atmospheric CO2 concentration (in ppm)...405
Gallons of water from Hurricane Harvey released on Texas and Louisiana...24.5 trillion
States in the U.S. Climate Alliance...14

States and Regions

New York and the eight other states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) are proposing to update the multi-state effort to lower carbon pollution by reducing the cap on power plant emissions an additional 30 percent below 2020 levels by 2030. With this program update, the regional cap in 2030 will be 65 percent below the 2009 starting level. Get more technical details through RGGI, Inc., or basic overview from Scientific American.

NYSDEC Commissioner Seggos has put out a call to New Yorkers to support the U.S. Climate Alliance. Since launching in June, the U.S. Climate Alliance has grown to include 14 member states and territories, representing more than 30 percent of Americans. Add your name in support of protecting the climate.

Science!

“[T]he concept of the “100-year flood” is one of the most misunderstood terms in disaster preparedness. In the wake of catastrophic flooding on the Texas coast, the media has been working hard to explain the term, turning out dozens of articles explaining that a “100-year flood” is not a flood that you should expect to happen only once every 100 years. Instead, it refers to a flood that has a 1 percent chance of happening in any given year. Over the course of a 30-year mortgage, a house in a 100-year floodplain has a 26 percent chance of being inundated at least once.”

- "It’s Time To Ditch The Concept Of ‘100-Year Floods,’" published August 30, 2017 on fivethirtyeight.com

Upcoming Events

Repair Cafes Hudson Valley 
Calendar of upcoming Repair Cafes, currently held in eight Hudson Valley locations.

National Drive Electric Week
September 9-17, 2017

Climate Smart Communities Webinar: Building Flood Resiliency at the Local Level
September 14, 2017, 10:30 am -12:00 pm.
In this webinar, participants will learn about how one New York town lowered its flood insurance premium rates by participating in the federal Community Rating System. Speakers will also discuss community flood resiliency in general and a project in Monroe County that is seeking to reduce flood-related problems, in partnership with the Genesee Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council and The Nature Conservancy. Information about accessing the webinar is available at https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/NYSDEC/bulletins/1b40c88.

New York State Bike Summit
September 15, 2017, 8:00 am – 7:30 pm
Hearst Media Center, 645 Albany Shaker Rd., Albany, NY
OCC staff will participate in the panel, “Advancing Ecotourism and Green Transportation in NYS” (4:30 pm), and discuss support for non-motorized transportation through the Climate Smart Communities program.

Climate Week NYC
September 18-24, 2017 

CDRPC Local Government Workshop 
October 5, 2017
Hudson Valley Community College, Troy
A workshop featuring relevant and timely topics for planning board members, zoning board of appeals members, municipal officials, and local professionals.

2017 Clean Energy Economy Conference
October 25th-26th, 2017
The Queensbury Hotel, Glens Falls, NY
An event to facilitate peer-to-peer collaboration and the exchange of knowledge between clean energy marketplace participants and champions including policy makers, decision makers, project developers and community members.

New York State Outdoor Education Association “Watershed Moments: Connecting to Our Natural World”
October 26-29, 2017
Clearpool Outdoor Education Center, 33 Clearpool Rd., Carmel, NY
OCC staff will present on climate change literacy for outdoor educators (Oct. 27, time TBD).

Southeast New York Stormwater Conference
October 18, 2017
263 NY-9D, Beacon, NY
OCC staff will discuss Community Risk and Resiliency Act implementation.

Clean Energy Economy Conference
October 25-26, 2017
Queensbury Hotel, Glens Falls, NY

Nature Across Boundaries: What Can We Do to Keep Lands and Waters Connected?
November 6, 2017
Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz
This day-long conference will explore the importance of connectivity and highlight projects from New York, including the Green Infrastructure Center’s case study in Ulster County. For more information, contact mohonkconsultations@hvi.net.

2017 Conference on the Environment
DATE CHANGE! November 17-18, 2017
Kingston, NY
The NYS Association of Conservation Commissions 2017 Conference on the Environment will bring together municipal officials, CACs and EMCs, Land Trusts, community leaders, environmental professionals and groups, concerned citizens, and any interested participants to learn, be inspired, and get engaged. 

Contact Us:

climatechange@dec.ny.gov
518-402-8448