Rooftop greenery is part of the plan (photo: PlaNYC via flickr)

gothamgazette.com - by Sarah Crean - April 16, 2015

. . . Problems like localized flooding will become all the more urgent as climate change progresses. But the threat to each neighborhood is different, depending on where it is located relative to the city's 500-plus miles of coastline, and factors like socio-economic conditions, building stock, and critical infrastructure.

City officials are far from indifferent. Its strategy, in a nutshell, is to gradually strengthen the coastline, upgrade building stock, and protect critical infrastructure. Next week on Earth Day, April 22, the city plans to release a major progress report, the first in four years, on its multi-pronged sustainability framework, known as PlaNYC. As in the past, the report is expected to include discussion of climate resiliency, that is, the city's ongoing and developing preparations to manage for the effects of climate change.

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whitehouse.gov 
washingtonpost.com - by Juliet Eilperin - April 7, 2015

President Obama launched an initiative Tuesday aimed at highlighting the connections between climate change and public health, bringing both medical and data experts to the White House this week.

As part of the effort, the White House will hold a Climate Change and Health Summit later this spring, featuring Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. The administration is expanding its Climate Data Initiative, which it launched a year ago, to include more than 150 health-relevant data sets.

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Image: The country’s tropical climate with high rainfall, mountainous interior and low population gives it a distinct advantage in terms of renewable energy. Photo credit: Shutterstock

ecowatch.com - March 23rd 2015 - Tierney Smith

For the last 82 days, Costa Rica has powered itself using only renewable energy sources

That means the Latin American country hasn’t had to use fossil fuels at all so far in 2015.

Last week, the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) announced that 100 percent of the country’s electricity came from renewables for the first 75 days of the year, as heavy rains boosted the country’s hydroelectric power plants.

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Women working in fields in northeastern Syria in 2010.  A new report suggests extreme drought in Syria was most likely a factor in the violent uprising that began there in 2011. Credit Louai Beshara/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

CLICK HERE - STUDY - Climate change in the Fertile Crescent and implications of the recent Syrian drought

nytimes.com - by Henry Fountain - March 2, 2015

Image: A 1.6 MW wind turbine installed at Mount Wachusett Community College. (Photo credit: Mount Wachusett Community College)

nesea.org - February 17th 2015 - Karl Rabago

For more than 100 years, taxpayers, ratepayers, investors, and policymakers have supported the growth and operations of the electric utility industry. The ratemaking formula, under which capital investment is recovered and healthy profits are guaranteed, has helped make electric service in the United States nearly universal and relatively cheap. For much of the last century, the model leveraged increasing economies of scale to enable the provision of electricity as well as profits and dividends.

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Image: Casey Dellacqua wipes sweat from her forehead during the 2014 Australian Open as temperatures hit 43C. The Climate Institute has warned that the heat policies of many sports need revision. Photograph: Mark Dadswell/AAP

theguardian.com - January 30th 2015 - Oliver Milman

Climate change will threaten the viability of grassroots sport in Australia, and elite tournaments will have to adapt to rising temperatures, extreme rainfall and shrinking snow cover, a report has warned.

The extreme heat policies of sports such as tennis, Aussie rules and cricket will have to “dramatically improve” to protect the health of competitors at all levels, the Climate Institute analysis concluded.

disasterdistress.samhsa.gov

The national Disaster Distress Helpline (a program of the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) remains available with 24/7 crisis counseling and emotional support to anyone who may be experiencing distress or other mental health concerns related to the blizzard that is forecast to affect several states in the Northeast/New England regions:
  · Calls (1-800-985-5990) and texts (text “TalkWithUs” to 66746; Spanish-speakers can text “Hablanos” to 66746) are answered by trained counselors from a network of crisis centers across the country, who also provide information and referrals to local crisis centers and 2-1-1/3-1-1s as needed
  · Interpretation services are available to connect callers with counselors in 150+ languages
  · In addition to the texting service, TTY is available for deaf and hard of hearing individuals at 1-800-846-8517
  · VOADs looking to promote available mental health resources can use the following template for Twitter, Facebook, other social media accounts:
  If you're feeling anxious or overwhelmed re. #BlizzardOf2015, you're not alone! @Distressline 1-800-985-5990 offers 24/7 support.

CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW FOR INFORMATION AND RESOURCES ON WINTER STORM JUNO:

The Weather Channel - Winter Storm Juno

Status of Airports, Trains, Schools and Other Services in the New York Area

NYC Severe Weather

Notify NYC

NYC Office of Emergency Management

Twitter - NYC Emergency Management

Facebook - NYC Emergency Management

New York State Emergency Management Association

New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services

Twitter - NYS DHSES

Forecast snowfall accumulation from the Euro model through Wednesday morning. This is just one model forecast. Final snow accumulation depends heavily on the track the storm takes, and how quickly the storm develops. (weatherbell.com)

abc.com - AP - by Verena Dobnik - January 25, 2015

A "potentially historic" storm could dump 2 to 3 feet of snow from northern New Jersey to Connecticut starting Monday, crippling a region that has largely been spared so far this winter, the National Weather Service said.

A blizzard warning was issued for New York and Boston, and the National Weather Service said the massive storm would bring heavy snow and powerful winds starting Monday and into Tuesday.

"This could be a storm the likes of which we have never seen before," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio at a news conference Sunday.

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Image: Workers install solar paneling.

fortune.com - January 16th, 2015 - Kirsten Korosec

SolarCity, the largest installer of residential solar systems in the U.S., nearly doubled its workforce last year, hiring 4,000 people to do everything from system design and site surveys to installation and engineering.

The hiring spree at SolarCity isn’t slowing; it’s picking up speed as the company attempts to install twice as many rooftop solar systems than last year and readies its 1.2 million-square foot factory in New York, which is scheduled to reach full production in 2017.

SolarCity SCTY plans to eclipse 2014’s hiring numbers, CEO Lyndon Rive tells Fortune.

(VIEW COMPLETE ARTICLE)

Air Pollution Vulnerability

Ozone Smog and Allergenic Ragweed Occurrence

nrdc.org

Climate change will worsen smog and cause plants to produce more pollen pollution, increasing respiratory health threats, particularly for people with allergies and asthma.

CLICK HERE - See how New York is vulnerable to air pollution impacts...

August 29, 2014 by Linda Hardesty

New York is hosting a $40 million NY Prize Competition to inspire a new generation of local power by challenging New York businesses, entrepreneurs, and electric utilities to design and implement community-based microgrids.

The competition aims to inspire new plans for protecting and strengthening the electrical system in the face of major storms.

http://www.energymanagertoday.com/ny-spends-40m-microgrid-contest-0104504/

August 6, 2014 7:31 PM - cbslocal.com - CBS Radio Inc.

ALBANY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to use clean water funds on the new Tappan Zee Bridge was approved Wednesday by a key state board despite objections from environmental groups that said the money should support drinking water and sewer treatment projects. 

The $256 million loan from the clean water fund would help pay for the $3.9 billion span being built north of New York City. Cuomo’s administration argues the novel use of the funds would help minimize the cost of tolls on the new bridge and pay for work associated with the construction that would protect the Hudson River Valley.

 http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/08/06/gov-cuomos-plan-to-use-clean-water-funds-for-tappan-zee-bridge-okd/