Post Hurricane Sandy: Climate Change and Flooding Forums

WHAT: Sustainable Jersey is hosting two forums on what to expect and how to prepare for climate change and flooding. You will learn how New Jersey municipalities are dealing with the new reality of coastal and inland flooding. The beta versions of the new Sustainable Jersey mapping and planning tools will be unveiled to help communities become more resilient.

WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Cook College, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ: REGISTER HERE (SEATS ARE LIMITED)

Friday, January 18, 2013 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA), Egg Harbor, NJ: REGISTER HERE
PROGRAM: Speakers will include:

• David Robinson, New Jersey’s State Climatologist
• Municipal Reps: Julie Schreck (Bradley Beach), John Miller (Lambertville), Joel Sonkin (Newark), Stephen Marks (Hoboken) and Ben Stowman (Maurice River)
• Agency Reps: Mariana Leckner, NJ Office of Emergency Management, Federal Emergency Management Agency rep, and Gary Finger, NJ Board of Public Utilities
• Veda Truesdale, Sustainable Jersey’s Climate Adaptation Task Force Chair, Lisa Auermuller, Watershed Coordinator-Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve
• Randall Solomon, Co-Director of Sustainable Jersey

WHY: On October 29, Hurricane Sandy dealt New Jersey a severe blow. As we continue to rebuild our lives and communities, it’s a harsh reminder that sustainability is not just an abstraction. New Jersey has already begun to experience the effects of a changing climate, including increasing temperatures, more frequent and intense storms, variations in precipitation and a rising sea. We need to plan for short-term emergency responses, and to begin the long process of making our communities resilient and strong for generations to come. Municipalities are often the first line of defense in dealing with the impacts and we need them to be prepared.