Ancient Salt Marsh in The Bronx Show Dangerous Flooding Likely in NYC

Marshes of Pelham Bay Park / via Abandoned NY

Although there are many folks who deny that climate change is happening, including President Donald Trump and his administration, despite the plethora of scientific evidence, we already are experiencing its deadly impact—and things don’t look like they’ll get any better. 

For four years, scientists have been studying salt marshes in Pelham Bay Park, New York City’s largest park, and have been able to reach back in time to over 1,500 years to see what sea levels were once like in the area. 

The study confirmed that sea levels are indeed rising and faster than they have in the past 1,500 years but also showed that disastrous flooding in the near future for our region is likelier than previously anticipated. 

Villa Maria Academy Open House! Click for more details!

Embedded in the dirt that was dug up was dug up is the story of humanity and its impact on the environment from the industrial revolution to nuclear testing was found in the samples. 

According to the original article in The New York Times

“But in revealing the threat to New York City specifically, the study, which was published online in the scientific journal The Holocene this month, also confirms fears that the region is on a course to realize dire projections set for the next few decades. More than $25 billion worth of infrastructure will be under direct threat from flooding through the coming decades, scientists believe, including seven hospitals, 183 hazardous waste sites and the homes of nearly 100,000 people.”

Time is running out and now with a Washington DC being run by climate change skeptics and deniers, our future is even murkier than these marshes themselves. 

Ed García Conde

Ed García Conde is a life-long Bronxite who spends his time documenting the people, places, and things that make the borough a special place in the hopes of dispelling the negative stereotypes associated with The Bronx. His writings are often cited by mainstream media and is often consulted for his expertise on the borough's rich history.