Climate change has far-reaching impact on our environment, our health and our economy, and we are already seeing those effects locally, in Rochester and across our state.
Resources
Looking for good resources on local climate impacts?:
- New York’s Changing Climate, 4-page fact sheet from Cornell University
- Department of Environmental Conservation
- NY Climate Science
- Rochester Environment
- Compendium of Risks & Harms of Fracking
Connecting the dots
Climate change drives up the probability of extreme weather patterns, and in recent years, we have witnessed this increase locally. From back-to-back ‘hundred year’ floods in Avon to a record-crushing December with 70-degree highs, to severe drought in Summer 2016, extreme weather has become the new normal.
The overall trends tell the same story. According to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, average temperatures in NYS have risen 2.4 degrees since 1970, and Spring blooming dates have crept up to 8 days earlier.
Local impact
All this has real impact on our daily life in the Rochester region. To name just a few:
- Algal blooms close our lake fronts and cause health concerns
- Warmer winters are increasing the spread of lyme disease
- Extreme weather damages local crops, such as apples
