Local Impacts: Liz Durkee's 15-Part Series Originally published in the Vineyard Gazette, these articles by former VCS Board Member and Oak Bluffs Conservation Agent Liz Durkee provide an excellent, accessible introduction to climate change issues as they pertain to life here on our island.
Global Climate Change on Martha's Vineyard: The Scientific Consensus VCS staffer Jeremy Houser has created the following report on the causes, the significance, and the important impacts of global climate change on our Island. Primarily intended as an educational resource, this project strives to present the scientific consensus as clearly as possible, considering the broad range of possible outcomes and uncertainly in predictions. Given the severity of the impacts that become very likely if action is not taken to reduce carbon emissions, when discussing climate change there is no need for alarmism to motivate action. Part 1: Emissions Scenarios and Global Climate Change Part 2: Sea Level Rise Part 3: Human Health Impacts (Update 2019) Please note that in the years since this report was prepared, newer data and analysis do exist. We believe that these documents remain useful, and are largely accurate. However, today's climate projections, while generally very similar to those used in our report, are if anything more
severe in magnitude. Recent years have seen insufficient action on the
part of national governments, the USA included, and even greater warming
is now "baked in" regardless of what happens going forward. *** Note: For printing, make sure to download the .pdfs to your hard drive and then open them with Acrobat Reader (double click the file icon). Print quality from the online viewer is very poor. The files can be downloaded from the online viewer page (under "File" tab) or from the bottom of this page. *** Special thanks to the Edey Foundation for their grant supporting this project. What Does Hurricane Sandy Say About Climate Change? A commentary written for the Vineyard Gazette regarding the "Frankenstorm" of late October, 2012. Phil Henderson's Rising Seas Awareness Presentation VCS Board Member Phil Henderson has built an engaging presentation around a series of maps (called inundation maps) produced by Chris Seidel at the MV Commission depicting what current areas of the Island will be underwater in the future. Thanks to MV Productions, video is available online of the original presentation at the MV Senior Center. Rising Seas: The Maps See the very bottom of this page to download large, printable versions of the inundation maps featured in Phil's Rising Seas presentation (caution, very large files). Special thanks to Chris Seidel for her work in creating these. Locally-produced climate change videos Climate Change: Building an Island Understanding: A two-part presentation (video courtesy of M.V. Productions) by environmental experts Bill and Margot Moomaw, hosted by VCS for a public event in 2012. The Moomaws discussed everything from climate change impacts to energy efficiency improvements for homeowners, all centered around a vision of how to "live deliberately." An Island in Conflict: What to do about Climate Change: A short video by longtime VCS friend Marnie Stanton that looks at some of the most important local climate change issues, featuring an extensive interview with Islanders Chris Murphy and Liz Durkee, along with shorter excerpts from other local opinion leaders. Marnie touches on a variety of issues, but really focuses on the difficult decisions the Island faces as sea level rise and increased erosion complicate the business of coastal planning and managing development. Where should hard armoring of the coast be allowed, and where should we allow beaches to grow and recede naturally? How do we manage the competing interests of private business and property with the public good? As with all our efforts, our climate change education and advocacy work is funded through the support of our members. Please join today! Useful resources from others The Union of Concerned Scientists Climate change information from a scientific perspective, but still accessible to the general public. RealClimate The definitive source for up-to-date climate change info straight from the scientists in the field. Head here for the details if the UCS website left you wanting more. Surging Seas: Sea level rise analysis from Climate Central One of the most ambitious and informative visualizations of sea level rise we've found anywhere. The project is still in development, and the website a little finicky at the moment -- for now, for example, you have to start from Vineyard Haven and move out from there. Use the + and - keys to zoom in and out, and the slider on the left to increase or decrease the sea level the graphic shows. The sea level it shows includes the increase due to sea level rise, high tide, plus storm surge. Climate Lab, from Manomet Resources for improving climate change education |
VCS Climate Change Resources
Subpages (19):
After Sandy, Climate Change Has the Floor
Coastal Erosion Adaptation Strategies: The VCS Take
Ecosystem to Experience Harsh Notes
Facts of Weather Require Precaution
Freshwater Aquifers at Risk as Oceans Rise
Global Warming Spreads Seeds of Change
Holding Human Health Over the Coals
Island Climate Action Network
More Frequent Flooding a Serious Concern
Non-Native Bullies Shake Down Local Flora
Sand Is Gold as Erosion Empties Bank
Sea Level Rise Maps
Surface Beauty Requires Solid Base
The Hard Facts About Sea Level Rise
To Protect and Serve: Wetlands On Point, Time to Reciprocate
Vineyard Economy in Eye of Coming Storm
Warmer Oceans Are No Picnic for Fish
Warmer Waters No Friend to Shellfish
What Climate Change Means to You
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