Threat of climate change too often lost in the fog

Federal shutdowns, immigration debates, tariff disputes and now a war with Iran crowd the headlines. For a time, climate change slipped from public view. But it returned sharply as President Donald Trump and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin revoked the foundational policy for regulating greenhouse gases. Dismantling the EPA's "endangerment finding" will leave Long Island more vulnerable — and accelerate the danger our region faces.

While other crises deserve urgent attention, most political disputes can find a short-term resolution. Climate change operates on a different timeline. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases accumulate. Oceans warm and expand. Ice melts. Sea levels rise. Once certain thresholds are crossed, there is no legislative remedy.

The science is clear and overwhelming. The planet has recorded its hottest years in modern history. Polar ice sheets are shrinking. Sea levels are rising at an increasing rate. Hurricanes are intensifying, pushed by warmer oceans. Atmospheric carbon dioxide reached peak concentrations not seen in 3 million years.

For Long Island this is not an abstract matter, but a direct and escalating threat. Ours is a narrow, densely populated island with hundreds of miles of coastline and low elevation above sea level. Rising seas mean higher base water levels even before a storm arrives. That translates into more frequent flooding — homes across the South Shore face mounting risks — as well as saltwater intrusion into groundwater, and erosion of already fragile shorelines. When major storms such as Superstorm Sandy strike, the higher sea levels amplify destruction, as surges move farther inland.

Negating federal authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks (with a broader repeal on more sources possibly on deck), in one of the world's largest emitting nations, sends precisely the wrong message. Long Island residents already contend with erosion, marsh loss and stressed fisheries. Warmer waters in the Atlantic alter fish migration patterns, disrupt shellfish populations and threaten the marine ecosystems that support livelihoods and recreation. It's not hard to see that opening the gates to more carbon pollution will in time leave coastal wetlands, our natural defenses, more prone to erosive flooding.

Rolling back climate policy also undermines investments in renewable energy and resilience planning, areas the rest of the developed world is focused on, just as Long Island begins to build offshore wind capacity and modernize energy systems. At the same time, expanding fossil fuel extraction elsewhere compounds the very emissions driving impacts here at home.

We have learned through decades of environmental damage that there is sometimes a hidden but always a very human toll to polluted air, land and water. Carbon emissions persist for generations. It took over a century and a half to bring us to this tipping point. Reversing course will require sustained commitment over decades. Technology can help, but it cannot instantly counteract accumulated emissions. Delaying action by dismantling regulatory frameworks makes eventual correction more difficult, expensive and painful.

For Long Island, the stakes are high. Rising seas threaten homes and communities. Stronger storms jeopardize safety and infrastructure. Warmer waters disrupt ecosystems and economies.

In a world crowded with the urgency of now, climate policy can fade into the background. Weakening our commitment to limit greenhouse gases invites a more dangerous course — one that Long Island, and countless coastal communities like it, will be forced to navigate for generations to come.

This guest essay reflects the views of Robert S. Prezant, president of Farmingdale State College and a professor of biology.