It's Worse Than We Feared
A new study reveals that our planet is on course for the worst case scenario for the sea level. As described here,
Researchers found that sea levels increased some 20 feet during three warming periods of 1.8 to 3.6°F (1 to 2°C) that took place at different interglacial periods over the past three million years. The study’s findings mean that the planet could be in for major sea level rise even if warming is kept to 2°C — a limit that the world is set to exceed without major action on climate change.
Global temperatures are certain to exceed 2 degrees centigrade even if we were to immediately stop pouring CO2 into the atmosphere. This means an inevitable 10 to 20 feet rise in sea level.
Sea level rise of 10 or 20 feet could impact hundreds of millions of people living in coastal areas around the world. Many major urban centers — New York City, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangkok — would be overcome by the elevated seas. The authors of the study point out that most of Florida has an elevation of 50 feet or less, and Miami averages just six feet about sea level. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, has some 15 million residents all inhabiting the low-lying coastal delta.
Any bank would be crazy to agree to a 30 year loan on property in Miami.
The impact in the Pacific Northwest will be disastrous. Even now the trains moving along the coast from Tacoma to Seattle and northward shut down every few weeks during rainy months from bluff collapses. Those tracks will be under water.
And even now a house on the tops of a bluff with a great view of Puget Sound falls into the Sound every couple of months. Even a small rise in the sea level will mean many more lost houses, possibly one every day until they're all fallen into the Sound.
And what does 10 to 20 feet mean for Seattle? First Ave becomes the new waterfront.
Should I mention this is all certain to happen because we are already at the increase in global temperature which historically has meant 10 to 20 feet increase in sea level. It's going to happen.
Researchers found that sea levels increased some 20 feet during three warming periods of 1.8 to 3.6°F (1 to 2°C) that took place at different interglacial periods over the past three million years. The study’s findings mean that the planet could be in for major sea level rise even if warming is kept to 2°C — a limit that the world is set to exceed without major action on climate change.
Global temperatures are certain to exceed 2 degrees centigrade even if we were to immediately stop pouring CO2 into the atmosphere. This means an inevitable 10 to 20 feet rise in sea level.
Sea level rise of 10 or 20 feet could impact hundreds of millions of people living in coastal areas around the world. Many major urban centers — New York City, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangkok — would be overcome by the elevated seas. The authors of the study point out that most of Florida has an elevation of 50 feet or less, and Miami averages just six feet about sea level. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, has some 15 million residents all inhabiting the low-lying coastal delta.
Any bank would be crazy to agree to a 30 year loan on property in Miami.
The impact in the Pacific Northwest will be disastrous. Even now the trains moving along the coast from Tacoma to Seattle and northward shut down every few weeks during rainy months from bluff collapses. Those tracks will be under water.
And even now a house on the tops of a bluff with a great view of Puget Sound falls into the Sound every couple of months. Even a small rise in the sea level will mean many more lost houses, possibly one every day until they're all fallen into the Sound.
And what does 10 to 20 feet mean for Seattle? First Ave becomes the new waterfront.
Should I mention this is all certain to happen because we are already at the increase in global temperature which historically has meant 10 to 20 feet increase in sea level. It's going to happen.
Comments
Post a Comment