Publication Abstracts
Jacob et al. 2011
Jacob, K., N. Maxemchuk, G. Deodatis, A. Morla, E. Schlossberg, I. Paung, M. Lopeman, , , R. Leichenko, P. Vancura, and Y. Klein, 2011: Telecommunications. In Responding to Climate Change in New York State: The ClimAID Integrated Assessment for Effective Climate Change Adaptation: Technical Report. , W. Solecki, A. DeGaetano, M. O'Grady, S. Hassol, and P. Grabhorn, Eds., New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, pp. 363-396.
The telecommunications and broadcasting industries are vital elements of New York State's economy. Their combined direct economic contributions to the state's gross domestic product are on the order of $44 billion.1 Telecommunications capacity and reliability are essential to the effective functioning of global commerce and of the state's main economic drivers, including the finance, insurance, information, entertainment, health, education, transportation, tourism, and service-based industries. It is essential to the daily life of every business, farmer, and citizen across the state, from rural to urban regions, and is especially vital during emergencies. Reduction in communication capacity for an extended period results in commercial and economic losses. This is a critical concern especially in the financial-service markets concentrated in and around the New York City area.
In the context of the industry's vulnerability to weather and climate, it is essential to focus on its present vulnerability and to ensure its resilience vis-à-vis extreme weather events (and power failures) to provide the highest possible standard for continuity and
uninterrupted service under extreme conditions. This, however, depends on the extent to which the market is willing to pay for such reliability and/or the extent to which the State and society at large demand and support higher reliability, including resilience to extreme events. The key questions are: What is the tolerable balance between reliability and cost? And who will bear the costs?
If service reliability and continuity are achievable at an acceptable cost for current weather extremes and if service disruptions can be better decoupled from electric grid power failures, there is good reason to expect that the industry could maintain high reliability vis-à-vis the additional hazards caused by climate change and be able to adapt to such changes with the help of new technologies.
Therefore, unlike many of the other sectors in the ClimAID report, addressing future climate change is arguably less important than addressing the communication industry's vulnerability to the current climate extremes. Additional hazards are expected from climate change in the sense that the frequency and severity of some extreme events are more likely to increase than not.
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BibTeX Citation
@inbook{ja00200p,
author={Jacob, K. and Maxemchuk, N. and Deodatis, G. and Morla, A. and Schlossberg, E. and Paung, I. and Lopeman, M. and Horton, R. and Bader, D. A. and Leichenko, R. and Vancura, P. and Klein, Y.},
editor={Rosenzweig, C. and Solecki, W. and DeGaetano, A. and O'Grady, M. and Hassol, S. and Grabhorn, P.},
title={Telecommunications},
booktitle={Responding to Climate Change in New York State: The ClimAID Integrated Assessment for Effective Climate Change Adaptation: Technical Report},
year={2011},
pages={363--396},
publisher={New York State Energy Research and Development Authority},
address={Albany, N.Y.},
}
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RIS Citation
TY - CHAP ID - ja00200p AU - Jacob, K. AU - Maxemchuk, N. AU - Deodatis, G. AU - Morla, A. AU - Schlossberg, E. AU - Paung, I. AU - Lopeman, M. AU - Horton, R. AU - Bader, D. A. AU - Leichenko, R. AU - Vancura, P. AU - Klein, Y. ED - Rosenzweig, C. ED - Solecki, W. ED - DeGaetano, A. ED - O'Grady, M. ED - Hassol, S. ED - Grabhorn, P. PY - 2011 TI - Telecommunications BT - Responding to Climate Change in New York State: The ClimAID Integrated Assessment for Effective Climate Change Adaptation: Technical Report SP - 363 EP - 396 PB - New York State Energy Research and Development Authority CY - Albany, N.Y. ER -
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