Long Island winters become less fierce amid rising temperatures – Newsday

Report on Accelerated Winter Warming and Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

An analysis of meteorological data reveals an accelerated warming trend during the winter season in the United States, with regions like Long Island experiencing temperature increases faster than the national average. This phenomenon, driven by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, poses significant challenges to the achievement of several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The warming trend disrupts ecosystems, threatens human health, and undermines global climate action efforts. This report outlines the key findings and their direct correlation with SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 15 (Life on Land), and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being).

SDG 13: Climate Action – A Critical Challenge

The observed warming is a direct consequence of activities counter to the aims of SDG 13. The primary driver is the accumulation of heat-trapping gases from the burning of fossil fuels since the industrial era.

• Accelerated Warming: Meteorological winter (December-February) is warming faster than summer in most of the United States. Since 1970, the coldest day of the year has warmed by an average of 7 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Global Context: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has unequivocally attributed global warming to human activities. Global temperatures have increased by 1.46°C (2.63°F) above pre-industrial levels, nearing the 1.5°C limit set by the Paris Agreement.
• Policy Shortfalls: Current policies are insufficient to meet climate targets. The lack of commitment to phase out fossil fuels at international summits and reversals of environmental regulations at national and state levels represent significant setbacks for SDG 13.

SDG 15: Life on Land – Ecosystems Under Threat

Warmer winters are causing cascading ecological effects that directly threaten biodiversity and the stability of terrestrial ecosystems, undermining the core principles of SDG 15.

Key Ecological Impacts:

1. Loss of Snow and Ice Cover: Reduced snow and ice cover diminishes the Earth’s albedo effect, leading to increased absorption of solar radiation and a feedback loop of further warming.
2. Wildlife Vulnerability: Species dependent on snow cover for insulation and camouflage, such as voles and shrews, become more vulnerable to predators and environmental stress.
3. Water Resource Depletion: Reduced spring snowmelt impacts the replenishment of aquifers and the health of streams and ponds that support diverse wildlife.
4. Proliferation of Invasive Species: Milder winters create hospitable conditions for invasive insects. The southern pine beetle, for example, has devastated large areas of Long Island’s pine barrens.
5. Ecosystem Desynchronization: The seasonal shift disrupts the synchronized timing of plant leaf-out, insect emergence, and animal migration, threatening food chain stability.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – Emerging Health Risks

The trend of warming winters has direct consequences for human health, creating conditions that challenge the objectives of SDG 3.

• Vector-Borne Diseases: Warmer conditions extend the active seasons and geographic range of insects such as ticks and mosquitoes, which are vectors for infectious diseases.
• Increased Wildfire Risk: Warmer, drier conditions desiccate the landscape, increasing the frequency and intensity of wildfires, which pose direct health risks from smoke inhalation and property destruction.

Regional Case Study: Long Island, New York

Data specific to Long Island underscores the localized severity of this global trend and its impact on communities, relevant to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

• Above-Average Warming: Between 1970 and 2025, average winter temperatures have increased more than the national average.
  • Nassau County: 5.1°F increase
  • Suffolk County: 4.9°F increase
• Local Impact: This localized warming exacerbates the ecological and health-related threats outlined in this report, requiring urgent community-level adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Conclusion: An Urgent Call for Action

The rapid warming of winter seasons is a clear indicator of accelerating climate change. The profound consequences for ecosystems, human health, and community stability directly impede progress on SDGs 13, 15, and 3. Scientific consensus indicates that without a rapid and dramatic reduction in fossil fuel emissions, global temperatures will surpass critical tipping points. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals requires immediate, decisive, and sustained action to curb heat-trapping emissions and mitigate the catastrophic consequences of a warming planet.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. SDGs Addressed or Connected

   The article highlights issues that are directly and indirectly connected to several Sustainable Development Goals. The primary focus is on climate change and its environmental and social consequences.

   • SDG 13: Climate Action

     This is the most central SDG in the article. The entire text discusses the causes and effects of global warming, such as rising temperatures due to “heat-trapping gases,” the burning of fossil fuels, and the failure of policies to curb emissions. It explicitly mentions the Paris Agreement and the need to “dramatically curb and ultimately quit the use of fossil fuels.”

   • SDG 15: Life on Land

     The article details the profound consequences of warming winters on terrestrial ecosystems. It describes “cascading ecological effects,” including threats to species that depend on snow cover, the devastation of forests (“thousands of acres in Long Island’s pine barrens”) by invasive insects like the southern pine beetle, and the disruption of migration and food source timing for wildlife.

   • SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

     The warming trend is linked to direct human health risks. The article warns that “warm winters provide hospitable conditions for insects such as ticks and mosquitoes that can carry infectious disease,” which poses a threat to human well-being.

2. Specific SDG Targets Identified

   Based on the article’s content, several specific targets under the identified SDGs can be pinpointed.

   • Targets under SDG 13 (Climate Action)

     • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards. The article implies the need for this by discussing increased risks like wildfire due to warmer, drier land surfaces.
     • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. This target is directly addressed when the article critiques U.S. policies as “critically insufficient,” mentions the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, and notes New York’s policy decisions that “undermine the state’s landmark climate goals.”

   • Targets under SDG 15 (Life on Land)

     • Target 15.1: Ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests. The mention of the southern pine beetle devastating “thousands of acres in Long Island’s pine barrens” directly relates to the failure to protect forest ecosystems.
     • Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats and halt the loss of biodiversity. The article highlights this by explaining how species dependent on snow cover “become more vulnerable” and how the seasonal shift “disrupts the timing of plant leaf-out, insect emergence and bird and mammal migration.”

   • Targets under SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)

     • Target 3.3: By 2030, end the epidemics of… communicable diseases. The article connects warming winters to the proliferation of “insects such as ticks and mosquitoes that can carry infectious disease,” which is directly relevant to this target.
     • Target 3.d: Strengthen the capacity of all countries… for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks. The article serves as a warning about the increased risk of vector-borne diseases due to climate change, highlighting the need for better management of this health risk.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied

   The article provides specific data and descriptions that can serve as indicators to measure progress towards the identified targets.

   • Indicators for SDG 13

     • Average temperature increase: The article provides concrete data points, stating, “Global temperatures have increased 1.46 degrees Celsius (2.63 Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial levels.” It also gives local data: “In Suffolk County, winter temperatures are 4.9 degrees warmer now than in 1970. For Nassau, it’s 5.1 degrees.” These metrics directly measure the extent of global warming.
     • Greenhouse gas concentrations: The text notes that “Levels of carbon and methane in the atmosphere also reached record levels last year,” which is a key indicator of the drivers of climate change.
     • National and sub-national climate policies: The article’s discussion of U.S. policies being “critically insufficient” and specific New York State decisions (e.g., permit for cryptominer, suspension of electric buildings law) serve as qualitative indicators of policy implementation (or lack thereof).

   • Indicators for SDG 15

     • Area of forest degradation due to invasive species: A direct indicator is mentioned when the article refers to the southern pine beetle, which has “devastated thousands of acres in Long Island’s pine barrens.”
     • Biodiversity health: While not providing a number, the article implies indicators such as changes in the population of vulnerable species (e.g., “small rodents like voles and shrews to larger predators like wolves and arctic foxes”) and disruptions in migration patterns.

   • Indicators for SDG 3

     • Prevalence of disease vectors: The article implies an increase in the population and geographic range of “ticks and mosquitoes that can carry infectious disease” as an indicator of growing health risks. This could be measured by tracking vector populations and the incidence of the diseases they carry.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators Identified in the Article
   SDG 13: Climate Action	13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards. 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.	– Average temperature increase (Global: 1.46°C; Long Island: 4.9-5.1°F since 1970). – Record levels of atmospheric carbon and methane. – Status of national policies (e.g., “critically insufficient”). – Increased risk of wildfires.
   SDG 15: Life on Land	15.1: Ensure the conservation and restoration of terrestrial ecosystems, in particular forests. 15.5: Halt the loss of biodiversity.	– Area of forest devastated by invasive species (“thousands of acres in Long Island’s pine barrens”). – Vulnerability of species dependent on snow cover. – Disruption of migration and food source timing for wildlife.
   SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being	3.3: End epidemics of communicable diseases. 3.d: Strengthen capacity for early warning and management of health risks.	– Implied increase in hospitable conditions for disease-carrying insects (ticks and mosquitoes). – Increased risk of infectious diseases.

Source: newsday.com