Have you ever wondered what New Yorkers think of global warming? A new survey conducted by researchers at Columbia and Yale Universities and led by the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions (CRED) at Columbia has found that a majority (78 percent) of New Yorkers believe global warming and climate change is a serious issue caused both by human and natural forces.
An interesting result of the survey is that 69 percent of those polled say that over the next 50 years, it is likely that parts of New York City will need to be abandoned because of rising sea levels.
So what are New Yorkers doing about this? Interestingly enough, dwellers in the Big Apple are in favor of aggressive policy adjustments in order to combat climate change. Quoting from the study, here are some ideas they liked that might help turn the tide in the other direction: "Support a $2.50 surcharge on the average household’s monthly electric bill for a special fund to help make buildings more energy efficient and to support public education on energy use. About 76 percent support a city subsidy to encourage building owners to replace old furnaces, water heaters, air conditioners, light bulbs and insulation, even if the subsidy costs the average household $5 a month more in higher taxes."
Additionally, "New Yorkers are also willing to shoulder some of the responsibility for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The majority of respondents said they are willing to buy compact fluorescent light bulbs (71 percent), spend $5 more a month for electricity produced from renewable energy sources (68 percent), make their views on global warming clear to politicians (67 percent), use less air conditioning (66 percent), and turn down their thermostat in the winter (60 percent)."
Assuming that climate change does result in a changing waterfront, New Yorkers, as a whole, are at least leaning in the right direction. This is certainly a better approach than buying an apartment on a higher floor.
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