THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST 'CLIMATE COUNTDOWN' MAP
"Hey, look at this, Lou!! I was browsing the web and I found a map like NYPIRG's map! Examine the picture shown on the right. It's an enhanced picture of a map posted on the web by the National Environmental Trust (NET) as part of a project they called 'Climate Countdown.' Doesn't it look familiar?

The text on the webpage that provided the link to this image said: 'Still image maps of coastal regions following a 1 meter rise in sea level and following a storm surge.' (These web pages are no longer posted.)"

"Maybe NYPIRG got their information from the NET 'Climate Countdown'?!"
"Could be, Lou! Or maybe the other way 'round! Or maybe they both got it from somewhere else!! I emailed NET to find out what it was all about!"
An inquiry was sent to the National Environmental Trust. It asked:

"I am writing to ask for information about an item on the web page you maintain (Climate Countdown). You note that the maps showing "the effects of a storm surge on New York, N.Y" are based on U.S.G.S. [United States Geological Survey] data. May
I have a reference for those data? Thanks."

A 'Campaign Associate' of the National Environmental Trust answered:

"The digital map and topographic data for the New York sea level rise projection can be obtained from the USGS at [an incorrect web address was then provided]. The storm surge data used was based on surge related to a category five hurricane as estimated by the National Hurricane Center of the National Ocean and Atmosphere Administration http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/"

"I searched the sources cited by the 'Campaign Associate' but they provided no insight into the source of the data, nor into how the data were used to construct the maps. Further email and telephone inquiries to the National Environmental Trust received no replies!"

©2002
David J. Leveson & Wayne G. Powell