Although there are many who claim climate change isn’t happening (even in the face of science) and that humans aren’t impacting climate change (even in the face of science), this map of what The Bronx will look like in 200 years with a 2°C increase in temperature globally will sober you up.
If the projections and data continue to hold true, Port Morris will be mostly underwater, along with large swaths of Mott Haven, Melrose, Soundview, Castle Hill, Throggs Neck, City Island, Morris Park, Country Club, Riverdale and yes, even Co-op City.
What does this pose to all the developers snatching up waterfront properties in Mott Haven and Port Morris that are already flood hazards? One thing seems for sure is that if this were to happen, many areas desiring waterfront views, will be getting them.
“But it’s not so easy to laugh off when the image comes from climate change scientists. New data published in Science shows that if the planet warms by 2 degrees Celsius, sea levels will rise about 20 feet. It’s pretty much a given that this will happen, it’s just a matter of when—it could be by the end of the century. A 20-foot rise is no where near Linn’s extreme depiction of a 100-foot rise, but it would still radically alter our coastline. The group Climate Central created an interactive map (h/t Gizmodo) that shows what this would mean for major cities in the United States. In New York, it means that entire neighborhoods would be wiped out and 1.8 million people would be displaced.”
Click the map below to zoom in on The Bronx and other areas as well as read the article on Climate Central’s website!
2 °C Warming and Sea Level Rise