My Experience as a Fellow of the New York City Panel on Climate Change
Most people in climate, governance and policy are familiar with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), but not everyone New York City Panel on Climate Change (NPCC)After completing their fellowship with their health working group, I want everyone to know about the NPCC, the incredibly tenacious and talented group members who serve it, and the impactful work they are doing to build climate resilience in New York City.
Emily Torem graduated from MSc Climate and Society Project for Columbia Climate Schools, currently working with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to develop content for their environmental and health data portal.
Similar to IPCC, Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress– convened by then-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2008 – is an interdisciplinary panel of experts that draws on their expertise to prepare a comprehensive climate impact assessment report every 4 to 5 years. These evidence-based assessments allow New York City policymakers to better understand the scope of, and respond to, the myriad risks the city faces from the climate crisis.
The NPCC as a whole is made up of working groups that address climate risk from different disciplinary and expert perspectives. These include the Climate Science Working Group, which develops predictions and predictions on how the physical aspects of climate change will affect New York City; and working groups on Flooding, Equity, Future and Transition, and Health. Climate change touches almost every aspect of life and governance in some way: whether it is the housing we live in, the way we interact with the natural environment, the health threats we face, and the way all these impacts filter through the mechanisms of inequality that shape our resources from discriminatory practices and policies in the world around us.
as a funded researcher Environmental Justice and Climate Justice Cities Network exist Columbia Climate SchoolI am part of the NPCC Health Working Group, co-led by Janice Barnes, founder of Climate Adaptation Partners, and Thomas Matt, senior lecturer at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. In this role, I have the opportunity to learn from and work with experts at the intersection of climate science and public health, epidemiology, planning, adaptation, spatial demography, water resources, mapping, thermal and energy justice. This series of specializations in the group that meets every two weeks has resulted in some of the most critical and informative discussions on climate risk and solutions that I have had the opportunity to participate in. One of the most prominent messages from these conversations is that, in 2023 and beyond, access to energy—whether it’s cooling dangerously hot apartments during a heat wave, powering medical equipment during a blackout, or keeping critical emergency updates on during a disaster Access to health and communication – a key element in building equitable health resilience in York City.
As the Health Working Group prepares a draft document for the upcoming NPCC4 (the fourth review since NPCC convened), researchers have the opportunity to participate in writing, research and citation organization, as well as sorting and processing peer review comments in all three areas Key briefing on health impacts of flooding, power outages and heat waves. There is also a set of annexes and short profiles covering a variety of topics including health interactions, climate change, allergens, vector- and water-borne diseases, climate risk communication, and ageing. I provided research support for our flood briefing on how different building types, layouts and material structures affect people’s health outcomes depending on the type of dwelling they have.For example, people who live in basement apartments are vulnerable to the Hurricane Ida. I drafted a mini-brief on the health impacts of vector-borne diseases and climate change in New York City, including Lyme disease and West Nile virus.
One of my major contributions during the fellowship was a risk and communication brief that looked at the options available to people during major weather hazards, the effectiveness of how those options were communicated to them, and their actual behavior – e.g. , if there is an evacuation alert for a storm, have people been alerted, and if so, do they have a place to evacuate? Along with my co-author Jenna Tipaldo, another Health Working Group researcher and a Ph.D. student in environmental and planetary health sciences at the CUNY School of Public Health, I worked on synthesizing research and Evacuation practices, especially involving public housing residents, seniors, and other vulnerable groups. I learned how the seemingly simple evacuation orders in an emergency actually warrant a more layered approach, considering how to address resource access, the physical environment, family responsibilities, and more to prevent the worst health effects from befalling during the weather Emergencies for Vulnerable People.
I have always been interested in writing about and researching the interdisciplinary aspects of climate change impacts. The opportunity to participate in this fellowship has helped me gain a deeper understanding of some of these—particularly public health. The guidance and advice of NPCC contributors and chairs has been invaluable to me as I apply for jobs and research how best to translate the skills and concepts I have learned in my degree into writing, policy and government competencies. Everyone in the group took the time to meet with me to discuss career opportunities and options.
My experience at NPCC ultimately led me to continue working in the field after I received a fellowship, which is why I decided to pursue a position with the New York City Department of Health, examining and writing data on the environmental and climate health impacts of many of the city’s districts. . As a health content manager, I will oversee the development of data-driven stories about these health impacts and work directly with environmental justice and community organizations to draw attention to the ways in which unequal access to resources determines the resilience of different people . Communities are responding to climate change, environmental health concerns and other threats to public health.
The academic rigor and interdisciplinary framework of the NPCC fellowship certainly allowed me to not only take on this new role, but to bring strategic thinking and a holistic understanding of public health and climate issues to my new team.
The NPCC Fellowship is a unique opportunity to add dimension and depth to each individual’s career in the climate field; to network with knowledgeable, generous, and dedicated experts across disciplines; and to contribute to helping New York City adapt to the climate crisis in practical ways contribute to the process.
