News
Coming Soon, A Major Expansion of Surging Seas
Published 11/7/12
In March 2012, Climate Central drew widespread national attention and praise for its Surging Seas web tool, which allowed users in the U.S. to calculate their vulnerability to coastal flooding due to the combination of storm surge and sea-level rise — the phenomenon that caused so much devastation from Hurricane Sandy. Thanks to a partnership with the Hazards and Vulnerability Research Institute (HVRI) at The University of South Carolina, and support from organizations such as the Kresge, Rockefeller, Island and Schmidt Family Foundations, we’ve begun working on a major new venture to help visualize and quantify sea level… More »
Rising Seas a Real Threat to New Jersey
Published 7/10/12
By Ben Strauss & Robert Kopp July 10, 2012 Note: First published in The Newark Star-Ledger & NJVoice The sea isn’t flat and, with a warming climate, it’s not expected to rise at the same rate everywhere. Using the science that tells us how much and how quickly it will rise is critical to making policy decisions that protect our coastal communities and our economy. The northeastern United States is particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise caused by the slowing of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation — the “ocean conveyor belt” that carries heat from… More »
Senate Hearing Focuses on Threat of Sea Level Rise
Published 4/19/12
New Report: Sea Level Rise Threatens Hundreds of U.S. Energy Facilities (PDF) Watch: Ben Strauss' Senate Testimony Watch: Archived webcast of Senate hearing Read: Ben Strauss' Senate testimony Read: Senate testimony of five witnesses By Andrew Freedman Sea level rise poses an increasingly grave threat to coastal energy facilities and communities during the course of the next several decades, with some impacts already evident, according to testimony delivered Thursday before a rare Senate hearing on climate science. The hearing, held by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, focused on the challenges posed by sea level rise,… More »
Senate Testimony on Sea Level Rise by Climate Central’s Ben Strauss
Published 4/19/12
Testimony for Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, April 19, 2012 Presented by Benjamin H. Strauss New Report: Sea Level Rise Threatens Hundreds of U.S. Energy Facilities (PDF) News: Senate Hearing Focuses on Threat of Sea Level Rise Watch: Archived webcast of Senate hearing Read: Senate testimony of five witnesses Good morning, Senator Bingaman and colleagues. Thank you for your attention to this important topic. I am Dr. Ben Strauss, coauthor of two recent peer-reviewed papers making an assessment of sea level risk to the lower 48 states, as well as the summary report submitted with my written testimony. I… More »
Sea Level Rise Threatens Hundreds of U.S. Energy Facilities
Published 4/18/12
New Report: Sea Level Rise Threatens Hundreds of U.S. Energy Facilities (PDF) News: Senate Hearing Focuses on Threat of Sea Level Rise Watch: Archived webcast of Senate hearing Read: Ben Strauss' Senate testimony Read: Senate testimony of five witnesses Description: Coastal energy facilities threatened by sea level rise and coastal flooding. Date: April 19, 2012 Full PDF of Report Summary: Sea level rise from global warming is well on the way to doubling the risk of coastal floods 4 feet or more over high tide by 2030 at locations nationwide. In the lower 48 states, nearly 300 energy facilities stand on land… More »