People Of Color In New York More Vulnerable From Climate Change, Study Says

(Photo : Getty Images/Jenny Evans)

A recent study revealed that nearly half of all New Yorkers live in locations with "disproportionate" pollution burdens.

According to a citywide study, communities of color are the most affected and more vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

Effects of Climate Change

The mayor's office of environmental justice released the city's first comprehensive analysis of environmental inequities.

It found that black New Yorkers are twice as likely as white New Yorkers to die from heat stress and that the predominantly black and Hispanic neighborhoods of Harlem and the South Bronx are among the most affected by high-heat days, with the latter registering temperatures 8 degrees Fahrenheit (4.5 degrees Celsius) higher than the wealthier and tree-covered Upper West and Upper East Side.

The predominantly Black and Hispanic populations of south-east and central Queens, as well as the south-east Bronx, are particularly vulnerable to rainwater floods.

Many of the differences, according to the researchers, are due to racially biased real estate practices known as redlining.

Approximately two-thirds of people who live in previously redlined areas, a population that is disproportionately Black, Hispanic, or Latino, live in zones designated by the city as environmental justice (EJ) regions.

These areas were determined using the state's disadvantaged communities (DAC) criteria, which considers race and economic data.

"Understanding what was placed in communities over time, and how do we rectify those injustices, that's what we're trying to identify with this [report]", said Costa Constantinides, a member of the environmental justice advisory board involved in the report and a former city council member from Queens.

The study also discovered that highways, industrial power plants, and waste-processing facilities are disproportionately concentrated near neighborhoods of color.

As of 2021, 13 of the city's 19 gas-powered "peaker" plant facilities were in an EJ area, which included the South Bronx, Astoria in Queens, and Sunset Park in Brooklyn.

Meanwhile, EJ areas have fewer access to parks, and a fifth of low-income New Yorkers struggle to afford public transportation.

Peggy Shepard, executive director of We Act for Environmental Justice, said that the next step is to develop a comprehensive, city-wide plan to address the environmental justice issues identified in the report, as well as to engage those most impacted in developing effective and equitable solutions.

Rainy Days

Due to the increasing rainfall, the National Weather Service issued a flood watch for low-lying and poor drainage areas in New York City, Long Island, and northeast New Jersey, as well as a high wind warning.

A coastal flood advisory also covered waterfronts and shorelines.

The April nor'easter will also bring significant snow to the upper Great Lakes, upstate New York, and northern New England.

According to Jessica Spaccio, a climatologist with the Northeast Regional Climate Center, the storm system is likely to bring 2.5-3 inches of rain to the New York City region, although it is not considered an exceptional event.

"New York, both the city and the state, have seen an increase in the amount of heavy precipitation events. This trend is expected to continue with climate change," Spaccio said.

An intense rainfall event, often known as a cloudburst, is defined as at least 6.68 inches over three days in New York.

During Hurricane Ida in 2021, Central Park received 8.19 inches of rain over three days. The storm's sudden flooding killed at least 13 individuals, many of whom drowned in basement apartments.