Climate change is real, it’s a global issue, and it’s going to effect people in all U.S. cities over the coming years. But some cities will be better positioned than others to escape the brunt of “drought, wildfire, extreme heat, extreme precipitation, extreme weather and hurricanes.
Those were some of the climate change-related threats listed by Benjamin Strauss, who focuses on climate impacts at Climate Central, an independent nonprofit research collaboration of scientists and journalists.
Dr. Strauss, 44, identified cities where people could settle in the next two decades if they are aiming to avoid those threats. The list includes cities like Portland, ME which has a hilly topography and is high enough that it won’t suffer from significant sea-level rise for a much longer time than many cities situated at sea-level.
Interestingly, New York City was also on the list of safer cities, not because of its topography or landscape, but because the city’s past two mayors (Bloomberg & de Blasio) have embraced a comprehensive environmental program and have been investing significant resources towards making the city safer and more prepared for rising sea-levels.
Link to the full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/20/science/9-cities-to-live-in-if-youre-worried-about-climate-change.html