Ocean Impacts on New Haven

 New Haven has a long history with Long Island Sound starting with the indigenous people who went fishing and oystering during the warmer seasons. Since then, Long Island Sound has been the foundation for many businesses and livelyhoods in New Haven. However, the waters that once supported us are not receiving the respect they deserve. Climate change is changing that as sea level rise, ocean warming, and ocean acidification are all threatening New Haven and local ecosystems well-being.

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The burning of massive amounts of fossil fuels for transportation and buildings, and the resulting CO2 emissions will:

- raise sea levels by close to two feet in Connecticut by 2050, causing significant damage and/or expense to protect coastal infrastructure. This will also destroy valuable wetlands and other coastal habitats.

- make the ocean more acidic as absorbed CO2 changes the pH of the ocean, with the ocean already 30% more acidic. This is damaging shell fish reproduction and harming other species. Today's seas absorb as much as a quarter of all man-made carbon emissions.

- significantly heat up the ocean which will mean stronger storm and heavier rainfall.  More than 90 per cent of the energy trapped by greenhouse gases goes into the oceans.

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The urgency to invest in climate solutions is underlined by the fact that the City is being forced to already spend $200,000,000 on trying to protect the Long Wharf shoreline and the Union Station area by building pumps and sea walls. In the future, New Haven will have to invest massive amounts to protect itself from climate impacts if we fail to stop burning massive amounts of fossil fuels.  And of course, coastal ecosytems and species will face huge shocks.