Climate change attacks infrastructure

The American Meteorological Society (AMS) held a discussion on the effects of climate change on Gulf Coast transportation and the New York City water supply. Michael Savonis, the air quality team leader of the Federal Highway Administration, said that those working in transportation are frequently conservative because of the billions of dollars involved, so considerations of investing in climate change preparation are tentative. But, as transportation infrastructure ages, climate change must be considered in building new roads, bridges, railways, and ports. The effects of climate change in the Gulf Coast area include a rise in average temperature between two and four degrees and a 50 percent increase in days with temperatures over 90 degrees. He said that as a result more than 2400 miles of roadways in the Gulf Coast area are at risk of permanent flooding as well as 75 percent of freight and non-freight port facilities. Because of the increase in heat, asphalt wears faster, train rails buckle more, and aircraft performance decreases.

On the topic of New York City’s water system, Cynthia Rosenzweig, the senior research scientist at the National Air and Space Administration Goddard Institute for Space, said that as temperatures increase, water quality goes down and freshwater becomes less available. As sea water levels increase, there is more stress on water treatment plants and more groundwater pollution. She said that changes made in preparation of climate change will not only be in infrastructure, but also in management, insurance, and policy.