Government
How Prepared is New York City to Face the Next Big Storm?
Mariana Simões |
The comptroller’s office says some inroads have been made but “far more is needed to be fully prepared for heavy storms.”
The comptroller’s office says some inroads have been made but “far more is needed to be fully prepared for heavy storms.”
Sewer backups on city infrastructure jumped nearly 32 percent during the most recent fiscal year that ended in June, the result of more wet weather: the five boroughs were doused in some 61.3 inches of rainfall, compared to 39.9 inches the year before.
“Though in New York there’s a requirement for landlords to provide heating from October to May, there’s no parallel provision for cooling in the summer.”
In the face of climate change, the MTA must deal with excessive heat in its subway system and find ways to keep over 3 million daily riders cool.
“While it becomes more dangerous to live outside without reprieve from the heat, the city has doubled down on penalizing the homeless instead of focusing on housing initiatives.”
“It has been 10 years since my release, and the memory of extreme heat without air conditioning haunts me, especially as the planet continues to warm each year. One of my greatest concerns now is for those still imprisoned.”
New Yorkers are taking notice as the city’s aging subway system battles with more downpours and the threat of Sandy-like floods.
“How do we keep people safe from extreme heat in an age of ever-increasing temperatures? One solution may be right in front of us: we need to plant more trees in the most heat-vulnerable areas and take better care of the ones we’ve got.”
“For years, Citi has refused to confront the issue of its fossil fuel business. And so, we are there, outside the bank’s headquarters, blocking the doors, being led away in handcuffs in the desperate hope that our acts may trigger Citi’s leadership to finally start treating global heating like the existential threat it is.”
An audit carried out by the State Comptroller’s Office says the Public Service Commission isn’t taking enough action to help the state reach its clean energy goals, and doesn’t have a backup plan if New York fails to achieve them.