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.”
Government
By Next Century, Hundreds of Critical NYC Buildings Risk Frequent Flooding: Study
Mariana Simões |
A report that projects the impact of sea level rise on the U.S coastline ranked New York as the ninth state with the most critical infrastructure at risk of flooding in 2050, and the sixth in 2100.
Government
Up to 21% of New Yorkers Could Be Drinking Water From Lead Plumbing, Report Estimates
Julia Goldberg |
“We want people to understand that at the end of the day, we’re not talking about an obscure number of properties,” said Joshua Klainberg, the senior vice president for the NYLCVEF. “We’re saying through this analysis, one in five New Yorkers is drinking water from a service line that is lead or possible lead.”
CITY VIEWS: OPINIONS and ANALYSIS
Opinion: How Paris is Out-Swimming New York City
Kara Meyer |
“As yet another hot and humid summer approaches, exacerbated by the prospect of rising temperatures, we have fewer public pools per capita than any other major U.S. city and 520 miles of waterfront. As Paris reclaims its riverbanks for public recreation, here we sit in the Big Apple, surrounded by the Hudson, Harlem, and East Rivers, with zero access for swimming.”
Education
An Overlooked Climate Solution? Greener Playgrounds
Marianne Dhenin |
Across the country, cities are transforming asphalt schoolyards into spongy, shady community centers. The new playground at PS 184M Shuang Wen School in Manhattan’s Chinatown, for example, has a porous turf field that can capture an estimated 1.3 million gallons of stormwater runoff.
Health and Environment
Sewer Backups, Increasing from Climate Change, are Costing City’s Homeowners
Roxanne Scott |
About 20 houses in South Jamaica are prone to sewer backups every few months, say homeowners, some of whom have dealt with the issue for more than a decade. But because the sewer line is on private property, the residents are left to contend with the problem on their own.
City on the Edge: Climate Change and New York
Sewer Backups Nearly Doubled in NYC Last Year Due to Climate Change
Liz Donovan |
The city’s aging infrastructure combined with more intense rainfall is resulting in more backups, which took on average more than 15 hours to resolve during the last fiscal year that ended in June.
City on the Edge: Climate Change and New York
Outsourced NYC Trash is Causing a ‘Never-Ending Odor Event’ Upstate, Lawsuit Alleges
Liz Donovan |
Residents in upstate New York are putting a new statewide constitutional right to its first test in two lawsuits filed this spring, alleging that a landfill receiving garbage from the city is disrupting their right to clean air and a healthful environment.
CITY VIEWS: OPINIONS and ANALYSIS
Opinion: NYC’s Aging Water Infrastructure Needs a Climate-Change Upgrade
Shahana Hanif |
“Water main breaks have caused outages across my community and contamination from old pipes have left homes with rust colored water for days…The people of New York City deserve functioning infrastructure and real investments are the only way to get us there.”
Health and Environment
Here’s How NYC Tenants Can Test Their Drinking Water
Liz Donovan and David Brand |
The discovery of arsenic in the water supply at NYCHA’s Jacob Riis Houses is a scary reminder of how little control most people have over their taps. While most of the water in New York City apartment buildings is perfectly potable, older plumbing can leach toxins, especially lead, during the final stretch from street to sink.
