A current student-faculty undergraduate research pair is focusing on the preventive measures being taken to protect coastal municipalities in Westchester County and New York City from rising sea levels.

Laura Sorrentino, a senior environmental studies major and Angelo Spillo, Director of Pace’s Environmental Center, hope their research project will raise awareness and educate the Pace community about the implications and actions being taken towards a serious climate change issue not too far from campus.

The research pair started contacting city and county officials last summer, inquiring about preparation plans for, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, sea levels rising more than three feet by 2100.

“Initially we started research in Westchester municipalities” said Sorrentino, “asking what their plans were, if they had any plans at all, and how they projected these plans would work in the future.”

Earlier this year the team shifted its focus to New York City and the $20 billion dollar proposal Mayor Bloomberg introduced during his last year in office. The proposal included ideas about building elevated cities, improving electrical systems and protecting food supply and distribution.

“One thing that stuck out to me was the amount of money being spent,” Spillo said. “It showed on Bloomberg’s part he was definitely dedicated to doing something. It’s not a popular thing to do; when you tell your constituents we’re going to spend twenty billion dollars on rising waters, they’ll be like what?”

Sorrentino and Spillo plan on sending Mayor Bill de Blasio a letter, asking whether or not he will continue with Bloomberg’s proposal, and how high of a priority rising sea levels are on his list.

“Mayors are concerned with what can I get done in a short period of time and how can they keep their constituents happy.” Spillo said. “If I have a short span left in office, I don’t know if I’m going to the local municipalities, especially with the economy the way it is now, and say hey people we need to spend 10 million dollars on rising waters that are coming ten, thirty years from now, not a popular political stance. But, if they don’t make that stance, what happens forty years down the line?”

The two discussed the scenario that coastal Westchester municipalities and New York City, especially Manhattan, are seriously impacted by rising water, and inquire to where the metropolitan’s twelve million residents will go. They continue by highlighting how much New York City relies heavily on underground infrastructure and what that could mean if precautions are not taken.

“We really care about, not just the environment, but the well-being of where we live. I mean, this is our backyard.” Sorrentino said. “It’s kind of upsetting to know there’s such severe issues going on and most likely there’s not going to be anything done about it. You know, you wait until it directly affects you and then at that point, you’re kind of screwed.”

“Research is beneficial to a student’s undergraduate education mainly due to the exposure they get working on a topic related to their field of study” said Program Coordinator for Division for Student Success, Jonathan Hooker.

“These students have gone on to publish research in scientific journals as well as attend national and international conferences sharing their discoveries.  This will greatly help them in any post-graduate work either academic or professional”.

Those interested in attending the undergraduate research program showcase should contact Jonathan Hooker by Monday, April 21 at (212) 346-1962 or [email protected].