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Thursday, January 24, 2013

No hurry

By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI.org News staff

What’s going on with the Rhode Island Climate Change Commission? By most accounts, it has moved slowly because of a lack of funding and overall leadership. Meetings and reports have been delayed, perhaps exacerbated by the fact that Rhode Island is one of two states without an official climatologist.

Here is a brief timeline of the commission:

• The Rhode Island Climate Change Commission was formed in 2010 by the General Assembly. The commission had no budget, however, which prevented any significant action from the 28-member board. Funding from The Rhode Island Foundation eventually allowed the commission to meet publicly in December 2011.

• Various meetings were held by subgroups, but little has been done in a public way until pressure from environmental groups prompted the release of an assessment (pdf) last November. An update from the entire commission is due to the General Assembly by March 1.

The report is an aggregate of existing research that shows that Rhode Island is getting hotter, Narragansett Bay is warming and the sea level here is rising faster than much of the region and the rest of the planet. More drought, extreme weather, flooding and seasonal changes are expected. Flooding, storm surges and sea-level rise risk damage to natural habitats, homes and businesses, agriculture, transportation, drinking water and stormwater infrastructure, and utilities.

Since November, two workshops have been held by the commission's Health and Welfare Working Group. Robert Vanderslice, of the state Department of Health and co-chair the subcommittee, secured a $1 million federal grant to organize public seminars and begin compiling relevant research. 

So far, his committee has brought forth data showing that climate change in Rhode Island may increase the risk of diseases and illnesses. Delayed frost and weaker winter freezing may increase the spread of vector-borne diseases such as the West Nile virus from mosquitoes and Lyme disease from ticks.

Lesser known is the likelihood that warmer weather may also increase occurrence of hay fever, asthma and other allergies. More air pollution and state emergency alert days are expected, according to the commission. Hot weather may promote waterborne diseases, pollute groundwater and increase beach closures. Drinking water systems are prone to shortages and contamination because of rapid fluctuations in water levels.

The economic impacts from heat and drought includes a need for air conditioning in public shelters. Outdoor activities would likely be curtailed due to heat and insect exposure. Damage from extreme weather and flooding may lead to moisture damage and mold in buildings, according to the commission. 

Flooding and drought harm crops and power outages destroy perishable food. Increased coastal flooding and runoff risk damage to buildings, and freshwater and saltwater systems. Shellfish and coastal habitats are also threatened, as well as health risks for pets and livestock.

So far, health reports suggests outreach to vulnerable populations, such as the sick and elderly. States and municipalities are urged to set policies for adaptation so that churches, emergency management agencies, schools and utilities coordinate emergency relief programs. Adaptation strategies also include setting policy to manage stormwater runoff through a reduction in impervious surfaces.

But Vanderslice noted that initial policy efforts, such as addressing high erosion areas such as Matunuck Beach Road in South Kingstown, can become a “political nightmare.”

“How do we solve it? I don’t know,” he said, noting that it will take more than a single politician, committee or agency to make progress. The Climate Commission can build momentum to encourage neighboring states to act with Rhode Island. “As a region, we might be able to do something,” Vanderslice said.

Rep. Arthur Handy, D-Cranston, a Climate Change Commission member, expects to see progress with the commission, including new legislation this year to address climate adaptation. But overall, he said, in Rhode Island and across the country, “I feel like climate change continues to get short-shrift.”