Hundreds Of Scientists Gather In Portland To Address Climate Change In The Gulf Of Maine. According to Portland Press Herald, “Several hundred scientists, conservationists and government leaders from New England and the Canadian Maritimes are gathering in Portland to discuss the rapid ecological changes in the Gulf of Maine and how the region should respond. The Gulf of Maine 2050 International Symposium will focus on the science of sea level rise, ocean acidification and warming ocean waters, as well as how those climate-related changes will affect the regional economy, environment and population over the next three decades. ‘Preparing for 2050 is a major challenge, but it is one that we won’t face alone,’ said Theresa Torrent of the Maine Department of Marine Resources Maine Coastal Program and the state’s coordinator on the international Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment. ‘The purpose of Gulf of Maine 2050 is to activate the talents of people around the Gulf of Maine and build a safe and productive future.’ The conference – hosted by the Gulf of Maine Council, the Portland-based Gulf of Maine Research Institute and the Huntsman Marine Science Centre in St. Andrews, New Brunswick – comes at a time when New England’s waters and forests are already experiencing dramatic changes.” [Portland Press Herald, 11/4/19 (=)]

 

Cities And Bases Start To Feel The Cost Of Climate Change. According to E&E News, “Rising sea levels are forcing communities nationwide to build new defenses against the water, but municipal and military leaders both say they need more money to prepare. That starts with vulnerable cities like Virginia Beach, Va., which is located where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. The city recently spent $3 million on planning alone — and that’s just the start. ‘Our numbers show 1 ½ feet of sea-level rise in the 40-year time frame and 3 feet in like 70 years,’ said Phil Pullen, the Virginia Beach city engineer. The city already has implemented small changes with installations for pump stations and tidal gates. But larger projects like a floodgate at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and the Lynnhaven River would cost over a billion dollars and need federal funding for completion. Without state or federal dollars, the cost of these infrastructure projects will be a hurdle for communities like Virginia Beach. ‘No locality is going to be able to pay or fund that level of infrastructure needed,’ Pullen said.” [E&E News, 11/5/19 (=)]

 

N.J. To Shore Up Threatened Lighthouse On Delaware Bay. According to E&E News, “New Jersey environmental officials are moving to protect a lighthouse on Delaware Bay considered one of the most vulnerable in the nation to rising seas and storm surges. The Department of Environmental Protection said Friday it will begin this week to protect the East Point Lighthouse with giant sand-filled synthetic fabric tubes meant to temporarily keep the waves and tides at bay until a long-term solution can be found. The project will cost more than $460,000 at the lighthouse in Maurice River Township in Cumberland County, using a grant from the National Park Service. ‘This project will provide protection while long-term solutions are evaluated and developed to protect the East Point Lighthouse from storms and sea-level rise,’ said DEP Commissioner Catherine McCabe. ‘We continue to work closely with local officials, the state legislative delegation and the Maurice River Township Historical Society on developing a long-term plan to protect this iconic beacon that stands as a symbol for the Delaware Bay region and its rich maritime heritage.’ The two-story brick lighthouse was built in 1849 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It sits just 90 feet from the mean high-water mark, but during storms the surf pounds against an earthen wall just 10 yards from the lighthouse’s front steps.” [E&E News, 11/5/19 (=)]

 

 

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