specialized agricultural techniques may not be enough to keep the food coming, according to william nordhaus’s climate casino.

it’s not just my sunday trips that will change, though – based on the national climate assessment, everyone in the northeast region of the country should be wary of increasing temperatures, precipitation and sea level rise. the evidence is growing larger as our time to act is shrinking. we’re on the path to finding out what climate change means for us the hard way.

this is one risk we should not be willing to take. even if there was a way to maintain my favorite broccoli and cauliflower supply at the market, getting the food to town poses another significant problem.

the predicted 71% increase in heavy precipitation will permanently flood the bronx river parkway. major traffic on other routes will become the norm as families struggle to clock in on time for work and have a tedious experience even grabbing a good burger in the next town over.  

the bronx river parkway has its name for a reason. water originally filled the route before we came along with cement and a tractor, and all signs are pointing toward water filling it again. all solutions are costly, but with no place for another parkway, elevating the roads might be the only viable option unless people want to start kayaking around the county.

frequently traveling by water is one thing – drinking it is another. the quality of water is also greatly at risk.

sea level rise will increase salt-water intrusion into the hudson river. the hudson river runs into the state’s water supply, meaning drinking water quality is guaranteed to diminish. costco will prosper due to the increase in water bottle sales. everyone else will pay the price.

eastchester is in the same position as the rest of the globe. the best solution is prevention. we cannot save our crops once we go beyond the point of no return and there is no conceivable way to drain inches of water from the ocean.  between increasing temperatures, precipitation and sea levels, the earth is slowly consuming our habitat. nature is supposed to be an ally of mankind, but we are slowly turning the environment into an undefeatable adversary.

new yorkers need to adopt favorable climate practices before they are forced to adapt to an unfavorable climate.  

this summer alone i must have been bitten nearly 30 times by a mosquito; each time, though annoyed, i wasn’t afraid for my life—but there are millions of people who fear that every day and their vulnerability is growing because of climate change.

i’m from connecticut; my house sits 100 yards from the mianus river park—an incredibly serene place to walk dogs, take hikes, and go fishing on the weekends. on any given hot summer day, this tranquil park transforms into a doggy playground, buzzing with the sounds of panting, overly excited neighborhood dogs and mosquitos breeding at the edge of the river. lurking in the dense forest are the ticks that silently attack, spreading lyme disease, another vector borne disease making its way across the northeast region of the united states.

eleven years ago, my mom was bitten by a tick infected with lyme disease, and that’s when her battle began. she suffered with an array of disparate symptoms for 8 years until her doctors diagnosed her 3 years ago, when she was finally able to begin immediate and aggressive treatment. luckily my mom has not been burdened with some of the worst symptoms, which can include nerve damage and heart problems, but she is not symptom free by any means; many people do experience these unimaginable symptoms.

richelle jones of old greenwich walks her dog “oliver” at mianus river park in stamford, conn. on monday august 27, 2012. photo: dru nadler via stamford advocate

it’s in our backyards, and it’s spreading…

according to the 2014 national climate assessment, several studies in the northeast have linked tick activity and lyme disease incidence to climate, specifically abundant late spring and early summer moisture. lyme disease will be more prevalent in the mianus river park in years to come, leaving many more people, like my mom, vulnerable to ticks bites that could transmit the disease.

lyme disease is a costly illness that takes its toll on the mind and body, and requires extensive treatment, especially when it goes undetected. my mom went eight years untreated – eight years. late diagnoses happen way too often, and many symptoms are simply not visible or consistent across patients.

according to the lyme disease association, in 1996 a “disseminated lyme case could cost over $61,000 to treat”, which today would be around $92,000. that’s 55% more than an american’s median yearly income of $51,000. we can’t afford to waste another penny fighting lyme disease, be we continue to do so because it’s our parents’ health and our neighbors dog, these are their battles that they can’t do it alone.

the costs are clearly high, but the stakes are even higher. this threat is imminent and global; it’s not just malaria in africa, or lyme disease in connecticut. more people are susceptible; these vectors are growing; by 2080, the projected expansion of tick habitat, according to the nca, includes much of the eastern half of the country. for a deeper understanding, interact with the map found in the 2014 nca and see how changes to our climate will affect the transmission cycle of lyme disease in the northeast region of the united states.

the maps show the current and projected probability of establishment of tick populations (ixodes scapularis) that transmit lyme disease. projections are shown for 2020, 2050, and 2080. source: brownstein et al. 2005 via the 2014 national climate assessment

lyme disease is spreading; everyone should be prepared and protected outdoors. right now, we can take preventative measures to reduce many of the future costs associated with climate change. while climate change will not reverse itself overnight, if we act soon and responsibly we may be able to reduce the likelihood that any more people will suffer from this exhausting, costly, and preventable disease.

if we don’t act now even our best adaptive efforts later may fall short. many more people like my mom could become vulnerable to the bites of infected ticks and mosquitoes. the ball is in our court; let’s make sure we make the right play—our futures and health are at stake.

lauren pollack is a junior at the george washington university majoring in political communication.