National Issues Interconnecting Locally

All countries change, including the United States. Changes and problems are going on nationally that also are going on locally. Here are three of them: diversifying suburbs, overcrowded hospitals due to the pandemic, and sea level rise. All of these can be seen locally as well as in places across the country.

Let’s first start off with something in the present: overcrowded hospitals due to the coronavirus pandemic. This has been a problem affecting the entire country, as hard-hit areas are overfilled, causing a shortage of medical resources and more deaths resulting from it. As I’m writing this, in East Meadow, in this very county, there is a 96% ICU occupancy, similar to some of the rates we saw last year in hard-hit areas in the nation. In fact, in Brooklyn, a hospital has its ICU full. Suburbs with and without hospitals across the nation are getting more diverse while this is going on.

In a generation, suburbs are more diverse than ever. My colleagues’ parents lived in an Italian community suburb of NYC. Now, that community/suburb has more diversity than before. More minorities now live in suburbs than in urban centers, not only locally, but nationally. This is changing politics there, as seen in the 2018 midterms and 2020 elections with many more Democratic votes cast. But those suburbs might be underwater soon.

Sea level rise: the biggest challenge to coastal areas in the near future. Water levels worldwide may rise by up to 8 feet by 2100. This means that Long Beach would be wiped off the map, along with places such as JFK International Airport. This will affect places from Miami to the Bay Area, as it is a national and worldwide problem. Worse, flooding will be more severe and humans would have to live deeper inland due to this.

These are things that we not only can see nationally, but locally too. This is the reason why national politics can affect us locally, as problems nationally will affect Long Island. So next time a national election comes, go vote, as it can truly affect your community, as there is a connection between the local stage and the national stage.

Sources:

The New York Times How Full Are Hospital I.C.U.s Near You? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Bloomberg The Changing Demographics of America's Suburbs - Bloomberg

www.climate.govClimate Change: Global Sea Level | NOAA Climate.gov

Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts (noaa.gov)

How Full Are Hospital I.C.U.s Near You?

See how many Covid-19 patients are being treated, and how many I.C.U. beds remain available, at individual U.S. hospitals.

www.nytimes.com