For Release: Wednesday, November 29, 2006
DEC Announces Conference on Climate Change in the Hudson Valley
Speakers to Address Impacts on Water Supplies, Agriculture, Sewage Treatment Facilities, Transportation, and the River Shoreline
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan today announced a one-day conference being held on December 4, 2006, to discuss climate change issues and their potential impacts on the Hudson River and other New York State natural resources.
"Climate change is one of the biggest environmental challenges we face today," said Commissioner Sheehan. "Under Governor George Pataki's leadership, New York State continues to take an aggressive approach in developing programs and initiatives that will help reduce the sources of greenhouse gases. This conference is another step in the ongoing dialogue about potential impacts that global warming could have in our region, State and nation. I encourage the public, local officials and other interested stakeholders to take part in this conference and learn more about this increasingly important topic."
The conference will present the latest scientific findings on existing and potential future impacts of climate change on human and natural communities to leaders of local government, state agencies, and community leaders in the Hudson Valley. It is being sponsored by DEC's Climate Change Policy Office and Hudson River Estuary program and will be hosted by the Hudson River Environmental Society at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel in Poughkeepsie, New York.
Climate change is caused primarily by carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping emissions from the burning of fossil fuels (emitted by cars and electricity use) and the clearing of forests. These emissions remain in our atmosphere for decades or even centuries. Although heat-trapping emissions result from both human and natural causes, there is scientific consensus that global warming is underway and most of the warming in the last 50 years is due to human actions. As a result of this warming, the earth's climate is changing.
A recently released report, the Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment (NECIA), outlined recent climate model projections with substantial consequences for New York. This team of independent scientists from across the nation, coordinated by the Union of Concerned Scientists, anticipate changes that include increases in average annual temperatures, more extreme heat days in major cities, decreased snow cover, changes in drought patterns and an increase in extreme precipitation events. Summers in New York could, by century's end, resemble those in Georgia if emissions continue unabated. Cities and urban areas would be particularly affected by higher temperatures. In New York City, the number of days per year over 90 degrees could increase from today's average of 15 to over 70 days by the end of the century. In Buffalo, the number of days per year over 90 degrees would increase to nearly 50. The two-year study, "Climate Change in the U.S. Northeast," employs state-of-the-art climate science to project the regional consequences of continuing to rely on energy sources such as coal and oil that produce high levels of heat-trapping emissions versus shifting to clean and renewable energy to power the economy.
As a result of this warming and a predicted increase in extreme weather and localized flooding events, many decision makers in the Hudson Valley are looking for information on how to plan for the future. The information shared at the conference will help local decision-makers meet this challenge.
Speakers will raise questions, offer recommendations, and emphasize working together to address the complex issues associated with climate change. Three of the speakers are on the Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment team. The morning speakers for the conference will address existing and potential future effects on water supplies, agriculture, sewage treatment facilities, and transportation infrastructure, as well as the potential for loss of protective wetlands along the river shoreline. Afternoon speakers will highlight new initiatives to address these issues in Hudson Valley communities and identify resources available to local governments to help mitigate their greenhouse gas emissions.
Additional information about conference presentations, costs, directions, registration forms and other topics can be found at on our website or http://www.hres.org or by calling the Hudson River Environmental Society at 518-861-8020. Professional Engineers may be able to receive Continuing Education Credits for attending the conference.
