On the East Coast, the colder-than-normal winter has left climate change skeptics feeling pretty smug. “No global warming here,” they say.
While those of us in coastal management and science professions have lived and breathed the climate change debate for many years, the average citizen sees the topic as just one of hundreds of perceived threats to their well-being along with traffic jams, national security, healthcare, even the price of pumpkins. In other words, when it comes to getting an issue in front of the public, get in line.
To make matters worse, controversy surrounding the science and causes of climate change, and uncertainty about what constitutes an appropriate response, have left most communities without a commitment to this issue, much less a strategy.
But things seem to be changing with the emergence of the no-regrets approach to climate change. Climate change response usually has two main components: “mitigation,” which focuses on reducing emissions to reduce the amount and speed of climate change, and “adaptation,” which refers to making changes to reduce harm to communities and the planet. Citizens can be on the fence about climate change yet fully support the need to fight pollution and make communities more resilient. These approaches make good sense, regardless of the motivation behind them.
Products and services provided by the NOAA Coastal Services Center focus on the adaptation side of the equation. In business since 1994, the organization has historically helped coastal communities increase their resilience to coastal hazards such as tidal coastal flooding, tsunamis, and hurricanes. However, rising seas are raising the level of services and information required by the coastal resource management community.
“For several years, coastal communities seem to have been somewhat stuck,” says Mary Culver, who leads the coastal hazards working group at the NOAA Coastal Services Center. “People knew something needed to be done, but the political will wasn’t there, nor was there agreement regarding the threat of climate change and what actions should be taken.
“That’s starting to change, as more people are realizing that most of the recommended actions just make good sense in terms of community protection,” she adds. “We are seeing more local and state governments beginning adaptation planning in earnest.”
The NOAA Coastal Services Center has many products and services useful for the adaptation planning process. These include workshops that help community leaders begin adaptation planning and visualization tools that help citizens “see” potential sea level predictions and impacts.
For more information about the Center’s adaptation tools, e-mail Donna.Mccaskill@noaa.gov
