Story at a glance
- Climate change is causing sea levels to rise faster than expected, endangering coastal areas.
- New Jersey, which borders the Atlantic Ocean, is taking climate change into consideration when setting future policies, the state announced.
- Some communities are preparing to leave their homes on the coast and move further inland.
Some parts of New Jersey are still recovering from Hurricane Sandy, which destroyed billions of dollars worth of infrastructure and killed more than 200 people in 2012. But sea levels are rising faster than expected, and the state is already bracing for the next disaster: climate change.
“Climate change is the single greatest long-term threat currently facing humanity, and our state and economy are uniquely vulnerable to its devastating effects,” said New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) in a release. “Confronting climate change requires decisive and intentional action across all sectors and levels of government. The Climate Change Resilience Strategy outlines a comprehensive set of actions designed to ensure that New Jersey’s communities and infrastructure are resilient against future storms and the impacts of climate change.”
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On Earth Day, the coastal state released a new plan to consider climate change as a part of every policy decision moving forward.
Sea-level rise
️Chronic flooding
Rising temperaturesThese are the realities of climate change, and what the Draft Climate Change Resilience Strategy is planning for.
To view & comment on the strategy, visit https://t.co/Q92AWtrYTF #StrengthenNJ #EarthDay https://t.co/GPZ1o2iPPu pic.twitter.com/AE7yzAkwR5
— New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (@NewJerseyDEP) April 22, 2021
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Accelerating sea-level rise is already pushing some residents inland, and more Americans moved out of New Jersey than almost any other state in the country last year. The priorities and recommendations outlined in the new plan each include protecting vulnerable communities, infrastructure, businesses and the environment itself in hopes of slowing down climate change.
“Addressing the impacts of climate change requires a coordinated effort across state governments,” said Jane Cohen, Director of the Governor’s Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy, in the release. “New Jersey is already bearing the brunt of climate impacts and they will only intensify without immediate action.”
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