Infographic Illustrates Americans’ Opinions on Climate

August 30th, 2016
How do Americans feel about climate change?

A new infographic created by New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium and Monmouth University’s Urban Coast Institute visualizes the beliefs of Americans on this key topic.

Using data collected in a December 2015 Monmouth University poll, Dr. Michael Schwebel, community resilience and climate adaptation specialist for New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium and Urban Coast Institute, developed this infographic to bring the data to life.

According to the poll, 7 in 10 Americans believe that the world’s climate is undergoing a change leading to more extreme weather patterns and sea level rise. A majority of participants were convinced that climate change would impact both coastal and inland communities but had differing opinions on the extent of the human impact of climate change.

The infographic also provides information on how New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium is working to better understand and communicate the impacts of climate change in coastal and inland communities. The infographic, which was adapted from a template provided by Delaware Sea Grant, can be viewed and downloaded at njseagrant.org/climateinfograph.

To view the complete poll, visit www.monmouth.edu/2015climatepoll.

If you are interested in a receiving hard copies of the poster, please contact Dr. Michael Schwebel at mschwebe@monmouth.edu. Click here to download the PDF or the high resolution version here.

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The Jersey Shoreline: Aug. 17 & 24

August 28th, 2015
Boats head out of Manasquan Inlet last year for a day of fishing. Photo: John Oswald/For the Asbury Park Press

Boats head out of Manasquan Inlet last year for a day of fishing. Photo: John Oswald/For the Asbury Park Press

Right now, meteorologists are tracking Hurricane Erika. One model out of Canada does show that the storm could hit New Jersey, according to an NJ.com report. But, what’s more likely is the strom will make landfall somewhere between Florida and South Carolina. The storm will probably careen into the East Coast sometime late into the Labor Day weekend. Beyond that, the forecasts are just too unreliable because landfall in the United States is too far out in time.

“Is the Canadian model’s solution impossible,” NJ.com asked. “No. But should New Jersey panic? Hardly.”

“It’s not like you’re going to wake up tomorrow and realize you have 48 hours to react to something,” Gary Szatkowski, meteorologist-in-charge at the National Weather Service’s Mount Holly office, told NJ.com. “We’re in the heart of hurricane season — there’s nothing abnormal about this.”

NJSGC in the News

Dr. Jon Miller, the NJSGC coastal process specialist based at Stevens Institute of Technology, Dr. Amy Williams, a post-doctoral researcher working with Miller, and Dr. Peter Rowe, the consortium’s director of research and extension, spoke about storm surge and the Coastal Storm Awarness Program in Long Branch.  The outreach program designed to help people living on the Jersey Shore understand the intricacies of storm surges was covered by the Asbury Park Press and the Atlanticville.

The three marine scientists, and others, made a second presentation in Cape May last weekend about surge and Dune It Right, the consortium’s manual for dune restoration projects. A final presentation about surge and dunes will be held Sept. 23 at the Ocean County Library on Long Beach Island.

The Marine Trades Association is sponsoring the annual Jersey Shore Boat Sale & Expo at First Energy Park in Lakewood. NJSGC is sponsoring the Kids Zone on Saturday and Sunday. Read a preview of the event scheduled for September 18-20 at BoatingIndustry.com, or at Trade Only Today. More information about the boat show can be found at www.jerseyboatexpo.com. Read More …