Climate Change — Long Island Youth Summit

focus questions

1. What is Climate Change and how does it impact the world?

2. What are the reasons for Climate Change?

3. How do we know that Climate change is happening?

4. Who gets impacted by climate change? What is the impact on humans?

5. What can we do to protect ourselves against Climate Change?

6. How climate change impacts Long Island?

7. Climate Change is expected to bring stronger storms more frequently, such as Super Storm Sandy. What can shoreline communities do to protect against future storms, while keeping intact their communities and the environment?

8. Salt marshes provide a critical line of defense for coastal communities against severe storms and flooding. Unfortunately, Salt Marshes around Long Island are shrinking. For instance, between 1974 and 2001, there was an 18-36% loss in tidal wetlands in the Great South Bay.

What factors are contributing to this loss of marshlands around Long Island?

9. Aside from Carbon, what are other greenhouse gases and the sources of these greenhouse gases?

10. How can Smart Growth and regional planning mitigate climate change’s impact on communities?

11. Where does Long Island get its drinking water?
12. What are some of the pollutants in our water ex.(nitrogen)?
13. What are some of the major climate/environmental issues affecting Long Island’s bodies of water (ex. rising sea levels)?
14. What are some programs and initiatives to protect Long Island’s bodies of water?

LINKS

1. What is Climate Change and how does it impact the world?

NASA:
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/what-is-climate-change-k4.html
http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/
http://climate.nasa.gov/effects/

Take Part:
http://www.takepart.com/flashcards/what-is-climate-change

The New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/11/28/science/what-is-climate-change.html?_r=0

New Zealand Ministry for the Environment:
http://www.mfe.govt.nz/climate-change/overview-climate-change/about-climate-change

Environmental Defense Fund:
https://www.edf.org/climate/climate-change-impacts

2. What are the reasons for Climate Change?

United States Environmental Protection Agency:
https://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/science/causes.html

NASA:
http://climate.nasa.gov/causes/

Climate Change Government of Canada:
http://climatechange.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=65CD73F4-1

EDU Green:
http://edugreen.teri.res.in/explore/climate/change.htm

National Geographic:
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-causes/

3. How do we know that Climate change is happening?

Union of Concerned Scientists:
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science_and_impacts/science/human-contribution-to-gw-faq.html#.V-rfmCgrK00

NASA:
http://www.ces.fau.edu/nasa/module-4/causes-2.php

Skeptical Science:
http://www.skepticalscience.com/empirical-evidence-for-global-warming.htm
http://www.skepticalscience.com/evidence-for-global-warming.htm

Environmental Defense Fund:
https://www.edf.org/climate/human-activity-is-causing-global-warming

4. Who gets impacted by climate change? What is the impact on humans?

The Nature Conservancy:
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/urgentissues/global-warming-climate-change/threats-solutions/index.htm

Environmental Defense Fund:
https://www.edf.org/climate/climate-change-impacts

United States Environmental Protection Agency:
https://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/impacts/effects/
https://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts/health.html

World Wildlife Fund:
http://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/effects-of-climate-change

Global Change.gov:
https://health2016.globalchange.gov/

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences:
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/programs/geh/climatechange/

5. What can we do to protect ourselves against Climate Change?

The New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/11/28/science/what-is-climate-change.html?_r=0

NASA:
http://climate.nasa.gov/effects/
http://climate.nasa.gov/solutions/resources/

Make an Impact:
http://makeanimpact.c2es.org/climate-change

The Nature Conservancy:
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/urgentissues/global-warming-climate-change/how-we-work/

National Resource Defense Council:
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/how-you-can-stop-global-warming

6. How does climate change impact Long Island?

The Weather Channel:
https://weather.com/news/news/long-island-climate-change-20130225

Newsday:
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/graphics-how-climate-change-will-affect-long-island-1.4701348
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/editorial/long-island-is-facing-climate-change-in-montauk-on-shores-1.11330288

New York Environment Report:
http://www.nyenvironmentreport.com/overwhelmed-by-climate-change-long-island-is-taking/

Climate Change in Long Island Sound:
http://lissclimatechange.net/

Buy out options
“Soft solutions”: creating new dunes/wetlands/or other natural buffer areas
“Hard solutions”: building sea walls/tidal gates

Storm Recovery New York:
http://stormrecovery.ny.gov/ny-rising-buyout-and-acquisition-programs

Natural Resources Defense Council:
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/egoldstein/post-sandy_floodplain_buyout_p.html

Department of Environmental Conservation:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/4937.html

World Wide Fund for Nature:
http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/about_freshwater/intro/value/

Newsday:
http://www.newsday.com/news/new-york/58-2m-dune-plan-for-breezy-point-gets-green-light-1.8983516
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/oped/movable-barriers-can-protect-long-island-s-south-shore-john-d-cameron-jr-and-david-berg-1.6069653

U.S. National Park Service:
http://www.nps.gov/fiis/naturescience/upload/LongIslandsDynamicSouthShore_150dpi_11-08-07.pdf

What factors are contributing to this loss of marshlands around Long Island?

How does excessive nitrogen loading impact salt marshes and what is the primary source of this nitrogen?

How can efforts to improve coastal storm resiliency incorporation actions to protect and restore Long Island’s salt marshes?

Citizens Campaign for the Environment:
http://www.citizenscampaign.org/news/story.asp?id=737
http://www.citizenscampaign.org/PDFs/2013%204%205%20WQ%20Case%20Statement%20watermark%20FINAL.pdf

Department of Environmental Conservation:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/water_pdf/impairmarshland.pdf

Nature Conservancy:
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/newyork/howwework/new-york-protecting-wetlands.xml

The Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marshall-brown/can-long-island-be-saved-_1_b_5410126.html

Peconic Bay Keeper:
http://www.peconicbaykeeper.org/siteFiles/News/8C80D9422A9BA2438D3F43F21E147772.pdf

Newsday:
http://www.newsday.com/news/health/nitrogen-growing-threat-to-li-waters-1.6132749
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/excessive-nitrogen-harming-li-storm-buffering-salt-marshes-says-dec-1.7964157

The Suffolk Times:
http://suffolktimes.timesreview.com/2014/06/49374/researchers-farm-fertilizer-top-nitrogen-pollution-cause-on-north-fork/

Long Island Clean Water Partnership:
http://longislandcleanwaterpartnership.org/content.aspx?page=problem

Salt marshes provide a critical line of defense for coastal communities against severe storms and flooding. Unfortunately, Salt Marshes around New York are shrinking. For instance, between 1974 and 2001, there was an 18-36% loss in tidal wetlands in the Great South Bay.

What factors are contributing to this loss of marshlands around New York?

How does excessive nitrogen loading impact salt marshes and what is the primary source of this nitrogen?

How can efforts to improve coastal storm resiliency incorporation actions to protect and restore New York’s salt marshes?

Citizens Campaign for the Environment:
http://www.citizenscampaign.org/news/story.asp?id=737
http://www.citizenscampaign.org/PDFs/2013%204%205%20WQ%20Case%20Statement%20watermark%20FINAL.pdf

Department of Environmental Conservation:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/water_pdf/impairmarshland.pdf

Nature Conservancy:
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/newyork/howwework/new-york-protecting-wetlands.xml

The Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marshall-brown/can-long-island-be-saved-_1_b_5410126.html

Natural Areas Conservancy:
http://naturalareasnyc.org/content/3-in-print/3-partner-publications/nycparks_saltmarshstrategyreport_may_2017.pdf

The Suffolk Times:
http://suffolktimes.timesreview.com/2014/06/49374/researchers-farm-fertilizer-top-nitrogen-pollution-cause-on-north-fork/

Long Island Clean Water Partnership:
http://longislandcleanwaterpartnership.org/content.aspx?page=problem

Salt Marsh Alliance:
http://www.saltmarshalliance.org/

Coastal Resilience:
http://coastalresilience.org/project/new-york/

9. Aside from Carbon, what are other greenhouse gases and the sources of these greenhouse gases?

Greenpeace International:
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/science/other_gases/

U.S. Energy Information Administration:
http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=1390

Snapshot United States Environmental Protection Agency:
https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/ghgemissions_.html
https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases_.html

U.S. Department of Transportation:
https://www.transportation.gov/sustainability/climate/transportation-ghg-emissions-and-trends

A Student’s Guide to Global Warming:
https://www3.epa.gov/climatechange//kids/basics/today/greenhouse-gases.html

National Environmental Education Foundation:
https://www.neefusa.org/weather-and-climate/climate-change/principal-greenhouse-gases-and-their-sources

10. How can Smart Growth and regional planning mitigate climate change’s impact on communities?

United States Environmental Protection Agency:
http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/climatechange.htm
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-01/documents/smart_growth_fixes_climate_adaptation_resilience.pdf

Smart Growth America:
http://old.smartgrowthamerica.org/complete-streets/complete-streets-fundamentals/factsheets/climate-change

American Planning Association:
https://www.planning.org/policy/guides/adopted/climatechange.htm

11. Where does Long Island get its drinking water?

Department of Environmental Conservation:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/36183.html

Brookhaven National Laboratory:
http://www.bnl.gov/water/groundwater.php

Suffolk County Water Authority:
http://www.scwa.com/education/faq/#9

NYC Environmental Protection:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/wastewater/wwsystem-history.shtml

NY State Department of Environmental Conservation:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/58524.html

The New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/03/24/nyregion/how-nyc-gets-its-water-new-york-101.html?_r=0

Am New York:
http://www.amny.com/lifestyle/how-nyc-gets-its-water-1.9205765

12. What are some of the pollutants in our water ex.(nitrogen)?

Long Island Sound Study:
http://longislandsoundstudy.net/issues-actions/water-quality/

Department of Environmental Conservation:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/64824.html

The Nature Conservancy:
http://blog.nature.org/science/2013/04/24/long-islands-elephant-in-the-room-nitrogen-pollution/

Ground Water:
http://www.groundwater.org/get-informed/groundwater/contamination.html

Citizens Campaign for the Environment:
http://www.citizenscampaign.org/PDFs/pesticide%204%20pager%20li.pdf
https://www.citizenscampaign.org/campaigns/dioxane.asp
https://www.citizenscampaign.org/campaigns/nitrogen-pollution.asp

Science Engineering Medicine:
https://www.nap.edu/read/9677/chapter/7

New York State:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/69240.html

New York City:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/wsstate16.pdf

How safe is our water and what programs exist to maintain its quality?

New York State:
https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/water/drinking/
https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-new-actions-protect-water-quality-long-island

Prince William Conservation Alliance:
http://www.pwconserve.org/issues/watersheds/newyorkcity/

New York City:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/wsstate16.pdf

RiverKeeper:
https://www.riverkeeper.org/campaigns/tapwater/is-my-tap-water-safe-to-drink-fact-sheet/
https://www.riverkeeper.org/nyc-watershed/protection/

Citizens Campaign for the Environment:
http://www.citizenscampaign.org/PDFs/2013 4 5 WQ Case Statement watermark FINAL.pdf
https://www.citizenscampaign.org/campaigns/wetlands.asp

Department of Environmental Conservation:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/48375.html

Beyond Pesticides:
http://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2013/04/pesticides-found-in-long-island-drinking-water/

Friends of the Bay:
http://friendsofthebay.org/pesticides/

NYC:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/wsstate16.pdf

University Of Baltimore Journal Of Environmental Law
Hoffer, M. D. (2010). THE NEW YORK CITY WATERSHED MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT: FORGING A PARTNERSHIP TO PROTECT WATER QUALITY. University Of Baltimore Journal Of Environmental Law, 18(1), 17-53.

13. What are some of the major climate/environmental issues affecting Long Island’s bodies of water (ex. rising sea levels)?

Audubon:
http://policy.audubon.org/sites/default/files/documents/Case20Stmnt.206.2.05A.pdf

Long Island Sound Study:
http://longislandsoundstudy.net/about/our-mission/management-plan/hypoxia/
http://longislandsoundstudy.net/about/our-mission/management-plan/toxic-substances/
http://longislandsoundstudy.net/about/our-mission/management-plan/pathogen-contamination/
http://longislandsoundstudy.net/about/our-mission/management-plan/floatable-debris/
http://longislandsoundstudy.net/about/our-mission/management-plan/management-and-conservation/?doing_wp_cron=1371437260.6641900539398193359375
http://longislandsoundstudy.net/about/our-mission/management-plan/land-use-and-development/

New York State;
http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/45202.html

New York Magazine:
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/09/new-york-future-flooding-climate-change.html

City Limits:
http://citylimits.org/2015/06/19/the-cost-of-our-waternew-york-confronts-polluted-past-in-its-waterways/

NY Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/01/nyregion/new-york-chlorine-sewers-environment.html

14. What are some programs and initiatives to protect New York’s bodies of water?

Long Island Pine Barron Society:
http://www.pinebarrens.org/cleanwater.asp

Long Island Sound Study:
http://longislandsoundstudy.net/about/our-mission/management-plan/land-use-and-development/

The Nature Conservancy:
https://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/newyork/places-preserves/long-island-peconic-estuary.xml?redirect=https-301

Citizens Campaign for the Environment:
https://www.citizenscampaign.org/campaigns/long-island-sound-protection.asp
https://www.citizenscampaign.org/campaigns/south-shore-estuary.asp
https://www.citizenscampaign.org/campaigns/oceans.asp