Environmental Problems In New York

New York is known to be one of the most popular cities in the world with a population of almost 20 million. It was even ranked at the first position for “America’s Dirtiest City” by Travel+ Leisure, in 2012, for which there are various reasons. Environmental problems are a major cause of this. Some of the most crucial environmental issues that New York faces are discussed below.

• Climate Change

New York has become an example of some of the most extreme climatic changes, with the summer getting hotter, and winter colder each year. Superstorm Sandy that hit New York in 2012 has increased the people’s awareness of how climate change is real. As Al Gore’s predictions come true, along with those of many other environmentalists, in terms of changes in seasons, their severity, temperatures, fluctuations in rainfall, and extreme conditions such as droughts and flooding. Sea levels are rising, and so is the climate of not just New York but the rest of the world.

• Power generation and Energy efficiency

New York is powered with various kinds of power plants providing electricity to the area including thermal power plants, nuclear power plants, and biofuel power plants, with Natural gas being the primary natural resource for power generation. Renewable sources of energy were barely even considered until 2015. Using natural resources for power generation releases high levels of emissions into the air, worsening the air quality, and causing many other problems. It is essential that in a few years, Natural resources such as solar power, wind energy and water energy become the primary sources of energy, in order to be sustainable.

• Garbage Disposal

After Mayor Giuliani closed down the Landfills on Staten Island, back in 2001, there has been a significant garbage disposal problem. The city depends mostly on landfills and dumping to get rid of its garbage, which has resulted in spread of diseases, wastelands, and toxins seeping into water bodies. Garbage disposal needs to be highlighted as a problem and the local government needs to ensure that this problem finds a sustainable solution. Part of the solution is switching to materials that are biodegradable and recyclable so that some of the waste can be reduced. Something along the lines of de Blasio plan needs to be implemented that aims for zero waste.

With global warming making matters worse, these environmental problems are not just a problem for New York but for the entire world and a quick solution is much needed to help save the planet. This includes increased recycling, renewable energy and planting more trees to reverse these effects.