For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Anjuli.Ramos@sierraclub.org
NOAA-NASA-EPA-Defense Study Shows Sea Level Rise Will Rise One Foot by 2050
According to a multi-agency report conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA, Department of Defense, EPA, U.S Army Corp, Rutgers University and other agencies and universities, sea level along the U.S coast will rise by about a foot or more by 2050 and at least 2 feet by 2100. Researcher Rich Spinrad stated that sea level will rise despite our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However a lack of emission reductions could add 1.5 feet to 5 feet more by 2100.
The report also showed that the increasing sea level rise will create a profound shift in coastal flooding over the next 30 years by causing tide and storm surge heights to increase and reach further inland. By 2050, we can expect “moderate” flooding (typically damaging) to occur, on average, more than 10 times as often as it does today, and “major” flooding (often destructive) as often as five times as it does today, and this can also be intensified by local factors.
“The new study by NOAA is just one of dozens that show climate impacts are getting worse. According to the report, sea level will rise by about a foot by 2050 and at least 2 feet by the end of the century if we work on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. If emissions continue to increase, we could see sea level rise to almost 7 feet by the end of the century. Sea level rise will not only impact our coastal communities but also the ones further inland. This should be a warning for New Jersey that we need to strengthen our resiliency while weaning ourselves off fossil fuels,” said Anjuli Ramos-Busot, New Jersey Director of the Sierra Club.
The states with the greatest share of homes in risk zones by 2050, if emissions levels grow unabated, are Louisiana, New Jersey and Delaware, at roughly 2.5 percent each, according to a Zillow report. By 2100, the estimated share in New Jersey will have more than tripled, to 9.2 percent of homes – and development in anticipated risk zones continues. Of the homes built in New Jersey from 2010 through 2017, 16.2 percent are in areas expected to be at risk by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions grow unchecked. According to the report, New Jersey would have 282,354 homes at risk of flooding by 2050. Rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy, which struck in 2012, accounts for much of the new building in New Jersey.
“New Jersey is one of the most vulnerable states when it comes to sea level rise and climate change. Unfortunately, instead of improving resiliency after Superstorm Sandy, New Jersey ignored the science and rebuilt in areas at risk of flooding. We cannot be stronger than the next storm. Instead, we need to adapt and adjust. We must work with nature to make sure we are not putting people in harm’s way. Our government leaders, state legislature, NJDEP and the Governor’s office need to work together to update regulations, strengthen buyouts, and prevent development in flood prone areas,” said Ramos-Busot.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection held a hearing on its Control and Prohibition of Carbon Dioxide Emissions Rule, which is part of the NJ Protecting Against Climate Threats (PACT) rulemaking process. This is supposed to be one of the biggest and most important rules for New Jersey to reach its climate change goals, but the Sierra Club, New Jersey Chapter argues that the rule doesn’t go nearly far enough and is a missed opportunity to impactfully reduce greenhouse emissions.
“We cannot forget that our reliance on fossil fuels is literally fueling this climate disaster. In order to avoid a 7 foot increase in sea level rise, we need to transition away from fossil fuels immediately. There are several fossil fuel projects including PVSC, the Keasbey Power Plant, TGP’s Compressor Station, and an LNG facility in Gibbstown that go against Governor Murphy’s goal of a 50 percent emissions reduction by 2030. New Jersey must dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions while strengthening coastal protection regulations,” said Anjuli Ramos-Busot, New Jersey Director for the Sierra Club.“Stronger storms, higher sea level rise, and more flooding is coming whether or not we like it. New Jersey needs to be ready.”
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About the Sierra Club: The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information about our work in New Jersey, visit www.sierraclub.org/new-jersey.