Preparing New Jersey for a Changing Climate

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or review the full workshop proceedings here.

Jim Laine

Over 100 decision makers gathered first thing Tuesday morning to begin our day-long workshop, “Preparing New Jersey for a Changing Climate,” presented, with generous support from PSEG, at Rutgers University in New Brunswick.

One of the early birds was Jim Laine of Laine Farms. “Farmers are where the tire meets the road with climate change." According to Jim, farmers have always adjusted to modest changes in weather patterns - but the sudden, more severe weather events pose a challenge and farmers "have to find ways to be ready."

CA-CP Board member and senior vice president for Public Affairs and Sustainability at PSEG Services Corporation, Anne Hoskins welcomed participants.

Dr. Anthony J. Broccoli

The morning’s first speaker, Dr. Anthony J. Broccoli, Director, Climate & Environmental Change Initiative, Rutgers University, after describing impacts to NJ from a changing climate, listed 5 challenges to adaptation planning moving forward:

1. Actionable science is needed -- info that can be readily used by planners engineers and decision makers.
2. Local information is desired for planning, but most projections are valid on a larger scale.
3. Uncertainty will remain, requiring a risk assessment approach.
4. Known unknowns -- how will severe storms respond and are there "tipping points.”
5. More effective communication between researchers and the potential users of the information.

Climate change threatens health...

“Climate change is one of the most serious public health threats facing our nation. Yet few Americans are aware of the very real consequences of climate change on the health of our communities, our families and our children.”  

– Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association

CA-CP Board member and senior vice president for Public Affairs and Sustainability at PSEG Services Corporation, Anne Hoskins and President Adam Markham

...From pollens and allergy and vector-borne diseases to extreme storm events and heat waves to water-borne diseases and food and water supply insecurity.

George Luber’s presentation explains in detail the three critical roles filled by the  Center for Disease Control’s Climate Change Program: (1) analyze and translate the latest findings in climate science to our public health partners;  (2) apply these findings to decision support tools that will aid state and local public health response and (3) provide leadership inside and outside CDC to ensure that public health concerns are represented in climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies and to create linkages between public health and efforts in other sectors.

Photo USDA NRCS

Risks apply to New Jersey farmers

According to Dr. Robin Leichenko, Director, Rutgers Initiative on Climate and Society, the berry and fruit crops are at risk -- a $471 million value in southern New Jersey.

Cold temperatures required for cranberry production would not be met in most winters by mid-century -- an indicator of substantial risk to sustained crop production in New Jersey.

Disaster resilience

Mark Mauriello’s presentation included a definition of disaster resilience:

The capacity of a community that is exposed to hazards to adapt, by resisting or changing, in order to reach and maintain an acceptable level of functioning and structure. Resilience is determined by the degree to which the community is capable of organizing itself to increase its capacity for learning from past disasters.

Disaster resilience means that communities can withstand the impacts of floods and storms and readily recover, which in turn, contributes to long-term sustainability of communities for the enjoyment of all.

Captain Tony Miller

Open Arctic waters, disaster assistance and ports of call – The U.S. Navy is responding to climate change. In  2007, the arctic summer ice minimum reached a record low and many people took notice.  The Navy’s Cooperative Strategy for the 21st Century (CS21) directed preparation for operating in the changing environment.  In 2009, President Bush signed NSPD66, establishing a national Arctic policy and resulting in the establishment of the Navy’s Task Force Climate Change. The Navy has begun a multi-year installation vulnerability study with its bases all over the world. Miller explained, "It’s all about mission readiness.  We want to invest in the right capabilities at the right time to ensure that we are able to meet future challenges at the lowest cost”

Adam Markham, Anne Hoskins, Dean James W. Hughes of Rutgers and Governor Kean

Governor Thomas H. Kean

“Make the leaders lead.”

We know we have the science and we know the science is accurate. It’s time to get leaders to lead.  He told the audience that political leaders are failing on a number of issues is they cannot govern in the public interest. Kean warned that future generations will suffer if the challenges and policy solutions to climate change are only a side issue in the 2012 presidential campaign.

Governor James J. Florio

Tackling climate change is a “patriotic initiative.”

A public undertaking is essential. We can answer with a simple “yes” 3 questions on climate change: Is the problem real? Is it serious? Did we cause it? The costs of solutions and consequences of not doing anything about it must be in the realm of public debate.  In response to severe weather people do engage, and hard minded people in the Department of Defense understand the need for climate change preparedness. Public awareness of and support for actions are critical.  To tackle the problem is to protect our neighbors and our communities and country.

Governors Kean and Florio with Rutgers President Richard L. McCormick	Anne Hoskins and Adam Markham with Governors Kean and Florio

New York – leading by example.

PlaNYC outlines a five-pronged approach to increase New York City’s climate resilience:

1. Assess vulnerabilities and risks from climate change
2. Increase the resilience of our built and natural environments
3. Protect public health from the effects of climate change
4. Increase the city’s preparedness for extreme climate events
5. Create resilient communities though public information and outreach

More Conference Photos

Dr. Nicky Sheats leads the panel on public health and environmental justice	Adam Markham is interviewed by a reporter from the Star-Ledger
Adam Markham with Dr. Megan Linkin of Allianz Risk Transfer, Inc.	Andrew Milliken of USFWS with Michael Catania of Conservation Resources, Inc.
Adam Markham introduces a panel on anticipating economic risks of climate change