July 2018 - Climate gardening, Digital Coast webinar, & Antarctic ice loss

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation sent this bulletin on 07/05/2018 12:23 PM EDT
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News from the Office of Climate Change

July 2018
Earth & Climate Photo Op

Urban Heat Island

Green space in cities can have a dramatic effect on temperature, as shown by the thermal image from the City of Melbourne above. The "urban heat island" effect is a public health concern as climate change increases the frequency of extreme heat and heat waves. Climate Smart Communities can mitigate heat islands by inventorying green space and including consideration of climate and sustainability in their comprehensive plans. Photo from The Guardian.

States and Regions

On June 12th, DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos announced $4 million in State Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) grants for generators of excess wholesome food and food scraps to expand their capacity to donate wholesome food or divert it to organics recycling facilities. Decomposing organic waste in solid waste landfills accounts for more than 15 percent of U.S. emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that is about 30 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, and a major contributor to global climate change. This program will help reduce these emissions and prevent edible food from being wasted.

Things We Like

Cornell Climate Gardening

The One Seed at a Time Project, through Cornell’s Garden Based Learning Program, is helping youth and communities understand the impacts of climate change right in their own backyards, whether at school, in a community garden, or in a local park. Youth and adults partner on such projects as: monitoring invasive species populations in the garden, learning about drought and extreme-heat tolerant plant varieties, or even expanding a community garden to help sequester more carbon. Through these projects, communities become aware of the local effects of climate change, and become better stewards of their environment.  

 

 

 

 

By the Numbers

Registered Climate Smart Communities...232
Certified Climate Smart Communities...18
Current atmospheric CO2 concentration (in ppm)...411
Antarctic ice lost annually from 2012-2017 (in tons)...209,000,000,000
Antarctic ice lost annually from 1992-1997 (in tons)...49,000,000,000

Get Help

Interested coastal communities can learn more about NOAA’s Digital Coast Tool by participating in a webinar on July 31, 2018 at 1 p.m. Digital Coast is designed to help communities assess their vulnerability and plan for adaptation by providing accessible information on sea level rise, land-cover and use changes, historical hurricane tracks, and more. The webinar will provide an overview of how to use Digital Coast and demonstrate its  Sea Level Rise Viewer and Land Cover Atlas geospatial tools.

Yonkers, NY LED Streetlight Conversion

The benefits of LED street lighting are substantial from a financial, environmental and community perspective, but communities whose lights are owned by the utility often lack sufficient information about how to evaluate and undertake conversion to LEDs. The report "A Common Sense Guide for Local Governments in the Mid-Hudson Region" fills this gap by explaining the options available to local governments to upgrade to LED street lights, and describes and assesses the costs and advantages of different ownership models and financial strategies.

Contact Us

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