Although climate change is a global phenomenon, its impacts are felt locally, and these impacts vary significantly from place to place. For example, some areas anticipate reduced precipitation, while predictions for other areas show increased severity and frequency of winter storms as the climate warms. Changes can include fluctuations in the growing season for farmers; changes in natural populations of plants and wildlife; increasing encroachment of invasive species; changing patterns of disease in human, animals and plant populations; and many other weather- and temperature-related impacts.
Just as New York State faces a unique set of climate-change-related impacts and challenges, the state also possesses a unique set of opportunities to help reduce the degree of climate change, mitigate its negative impacts, and explore possible adaptation strategies. In order to take advantage of these opportunities, the state has adopted a series of policies that aim to reduce emissions from fossil-fuel combustion, increase the use of non-polluting renewable energy resources, and enhance energy efficiency.
EMEP has sponsored numerous studies of these climate-change-related impacts and opportunities. The results of this research help the state craft energy and environmental policies that are informed by and reflect the most current scientific understanding of this most challenging issue.
