Climate

Carbon Commitment

In 2007 MUSC was one of the charter signatories of Second Nature's Carbon Commitment (formerly known as the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment or “ACUPCC”).

Follow along with MUSC's progress through the second nature reporting platform: Medical University of South Carolina Emissions.

Resilience

To protect against the damaging effects of climate change MUSC strives to create a more resilient built-environment: see MUSC recognized for mitigation best practice on FEMA's web page.

For Charleston, sea level rise and coastal flooding present a major challenge. City officials have presented a plan for sea level rise and other adaptation, which can be found on the City Sea Level Rise site.

Turn around, don't drown! Six inches of moving water can make you fall. If you must walk in water, walk where the water is not moving. Use a stick to check the firmness of the ground in front of you. Do not drive into flooded areas. If floodwaters rise around your car, abandon the car and move to higher ground if you can do so safely. Six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars causing loss of control and possible stalling. A foot of water will float many vehicles. Two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles, including sport utility vehicles and pick-ups. Click here to get tips for navigating flooding around Charleston and to see a map of flood depth markers around the MUSC campus.

Resilience Resources

• For live road closures, visit the City of Charleston Road Closure Map

• To find local tide forecasts, utilize the City of Charleston's TideEye Tool

What is Climate Change?

Climate change is caused by excess carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels. This excess CO2 acts like a "heat trapping blanket," trapping in the sun's energy and heating our planet's land and water.