Grace Devlin
AP Biology – Article Review #2
11/17/11
This week, I read “From Shore to Forest, Projecting Effects of Climate Change” from the New York Times science sections. This article talked about a report that has been recently released about the future of New York State as it undergoes climate change. The report is a three-year project that consists of 600 pages. The article states that this report is an improvement on previous ones because of its wider range that details possible efforts to prepare for climate change in the state. The preparations it outlines considers public health, agriculture, transportation, and economics, which is important because it is more practical to consider these factors altogether instead of separately. The article also expands on the expected climate changes for the future. It states that the temperature across the state is expected to rise by 3oF by the 2020s and 9oF by the 2080s. The writer explains that the effects of these changes would drastically change the agricultural scope of New York, thus impacting the economy and society of the state. Additionally, the rising ocean levels would put beach communities in jeopardy. These changes would have an especially damaging effect on the lives of the poor and disabled in New York State.
This report on climate change in New York is significant because it is something that we must be aware of for the near future. These changes are approaching and it is crucial that vulnerable communities be prepared for the worst. The release of this report will help in the process of preparations because it is detailed and considers anything and anyone who will be affected. Although these changes will not be occurring tomorrow or even in the next five years, it is critical for cities and states to start planning now because of all that is at stake. Hopefully this report will also set a precedent for other cities in similar situations across the country so that global warming does not take a toll on populations or cherished landmarks.
I thought this article was very well organized and well presented to the reader. The author was clear in his explanation of the report and its meaning to the state of New York. I especially liked how Kaufman included the known facts about global warming in the future because it makes the report much more relevant and important to the leader. However, an improvement I would make to the article would be to elaborate further on some of the preparations outlined in the report. Kaufman included one example at the end of the article about rising sea levels, but it would have been better to include one about agriculture, for example, too. Overall, though, I found the article very informative and it was definitely worth the read.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/17/nyregion/climate-change-to-affect-new-york-state-in-many-ways-study-says.html?ref=science
Grace does an excellent job in explaining how this new 600 page report clearly outlined the effects and projections of global warming in the next few decades. She acknowledges the fact that is it an improvement from the previous report due to the inclusion of how public health, agriculture, and the economy as a single entity. These segments should be considered together because they are all interrelated. Grace continues her review by stating why it is important that we care. We will not only be affected immediately by the rising water and other issues, but also in the long run as our environment cannot adjust quickly to the temperature changes, possibly causing a lack of food, or extinction. Lastly, Grace made the point that other cities should use this report as a precedent and to take action since the threat of global warming has proved legitimate.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the review could have used more specific facts from the report. This would have helped us understand some of the issues that are unique to different areas. Grace could have also included who wrote the report and how it came to be. I am not sure if that was included in the article itself, but it would have been helpful.
Perhaps the most interesting thing I learned was the fact that New York had taken the initiative to write up a plan outlining some of the issues. The next step is to act and hopefully lessen our carbon footprint so we can slow down the global warming process or stop it all together.
In every relationship there must be an equal give and take in order for it to work, yet humans and the Earth have recently acted uncaringly. In a New York Times report of this bad relationship, “From Shore to Forest, Projecting Effects of Climate Change”, Leslie Kaufman reports how New York will undergo serious changes in the new future. Grace Devlin did a great job at reporting this article as she mentioned the temperature changes that will occur. This temperature change will be by three degrees in the next nine years. This change could wipe out several tree species, as invasive species will thrive in the altered climate. Another fact that Grace mentioned in her report was that ocean communities in New York would be displaced due to rising sea levels. If ice sheets, like that in Greenland, 55 inches of water could be added to the ocean. A third fact that Grace mentioned relates to the certain people that will be hurt if climate changes, the poor. Poor people and the disabled will feel the effects of climate change in New York, especially since they are the hardest people to protect in an emergency. This upsetting fact was demonstrated in preparation for Hurricane Irene.
ReplyDeleteCertain facts that Grace didn’t mention in her report were the specific effects that New York will feel. For example, as ocean water moves into New York, the water supply will be contaminated. The increase in ocean water would be due to the rising sea levels, and the ocean water would flow into the Hudson River, and therefore up New York. Another effect that was not described in Grace’s report was that the temperature change would cause cows heat stress. When cows go into heat stroke, they are less likely to produce dairy products. New York would be greatly hurt by a decrease in dairy products because dairy is a major part of meals. A particularly interesting part of this article is that 96,000 people could be displaced in the Long Beach area by 2020. This is significant because in only nine years, thousands of people will be relocated; therefore the amount of land space available is quickly decreasing,