Climate change threatens the Jersey Shore | Morning Newsletter

The sun will be out to give us a break from the gray skies. Expect a high of only 39, so bundle up.

When talking about the Jersey Shore, I immediately focus on the boardwalk — Atlantic City in particular — and childhood memories of my first time trying funnel cake.

But now, as an adult, there’s a constant undercurrent of fear about what it’ll be in a few years. It has only accelerated since Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Dealing with rising seas has already cost New Jersey hundreds of millions to install infrastructure to combat increasing amounts of high-tide flooding and storm surges.

Our lead story centers on a retiring coastal expert’s warning about the future of the New Jersey coast.

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— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

Few people are as knowledgable of the shifting sands along the New Jersey coast as Stewart Farrell, the director of Stockton University’s Coastal Research Center.

He has witnessed the impact of sea level rise from the bottom of the ocean up.

Some background: The first real warnings that the climate was changing more rapidly than normal came in the 1950s. Scientists cautioned about potential changes in the atmosphere and an expanding ocean.

Notable quote: “No one was listening or no one cared — or at least no one important enough to change things cared,” Farrell said.

How climate change is affecting the shore:

Keep reading for more real-world impacts of climate change on the shore.

Help for people in addiction in North Philly is scarce.

The education and knowledge is so limited that many drug users don’t know the extent of the tainted drug supply.

The scope: In the 19140 zip code, which encompasses Hunting Park, Nicetown-Tioga, and Franklinville neighborhoods, fatal overdoses rose by 66% in three years. Last year, 84 people died of an overdose in the area which is only second to the 19134 zip code that includes the Kensington community.

Important note: In this area, 51% of residents are Black, 42% are Latino, and 40% live under the poverty line. Overdoses are increasing dramatically in Philadelphia’s Black and Latino communities — a national trend that defies the long-standing stereotype of the opioid crisis as affecting mostly white Americans.

A team of health department outreach workers — all of whom live in the neighborhood — walk street by street at least once a week dispelling misinformation about drug use in the area. They also distribute testing strips and naloxone to passersby and shop owners.

Continue reading to learn more about the fight to spread awareness.

What is the most mispronounced word of 2022?

A) gyro

B) lagniappe

C) hegemony

D) niche

Find out if you know the answer.

🏥 Watching: Patina Health is providing a new approach to primary care for seniors in Philadelphia.

📚 Perusing: Book recommendations from Philly writers, especially 2 A.M. in Little America by Ken Kalfus. 🔑

⚽ Recognizing: Lionel Messi’s once-in-a-generation career as Argentina clinched its third World Cup title.

Hint: The Beard

DEJA SHERMAN

We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Send us your own original anagram to unscramble if you’d like. Email us if you know the answer.

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