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Scientists Warn we Must Act to Diminish Rising Sea Levels

December 03, 2012 Add Comment Edit

Scientists warn that rising sea levels will be disastrous, however they also state that it is within our power to not only defend against rising tides, but also to reduce the rate at which they rise.

As reviewed in an Inhabitat article, Benjamin Strauss is a scientist who has published reports on rising sea level. As Strauss has said, “Sea level rise is like an invisible tsunami, building force while we do almost nothing… We have a closing window of time to prevent the worst by preparing for higher seas.”

As described by Climate Central: “Warming has acted in two main ways: by heating up and thus expanding the global ocean; and by attacking glaciers and polar ice sheets, pouring meltwater and icebergs into the sea. The planet has heated by more than one degree Fahrenheit over the last century, rising faster as we have burned coal, oil and gas faster, and so sent ever more heat-trapping gases into the air. Scientists overwhelmingly agree that these building gases are responsible for most of the warming observed thus far.”

Despite our perilous trajectory it is not too late if we act now. If we significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions then we may be able to avoid a sea level rise that would cause worldwide destruction and ultimately interrupt our food chains.

To see the flood levels in your area click here.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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The Cost of Sea Level Rises: Two Trillion Per Year

December 03, 2012 Add Comment Edit

Rising sea levels are not only imperiling people, the cost to property and infrastructure amounts to trillions of dollars a year. However, if governments act now they can significantly reduce the costs associated with sea level rises. Failure to act soon will cause the costs to increase exponentially.

According to a study from the Stockholm Environment Institute called “Valuing the Oceans”, if the rise of greenhouse gases continues to go unchecked, it will result in lasting damage that will cost $2 trillion each year.

A warmer planet will also continue to cause ocean acidification and diminished levels of oxygen in the seas. These events will destroy coral reefs and decimate fish stocks which will impact people and economies around the world.

As reviewed in a PhysOrg article, in addition to material costs there is also a dramatic human cost, as low-lying areas particularly those around the the coastlines of Africa and Asia are at risk of inundation. The report states that if temperatures continue to rise with a projected increase of four degrees Celsius (7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century, the cost in 2050 will be $428 billion annually, or 0.25 percent of global domestic product (GDP). By 2100, the cost would rise to $1,979 billion, or 0.37 percent of output.

If global governments choose to act now and warming is limited to 2.2 C (4 F), the cost in 2050 would be $105 billion, or 0.06 percent of worldwide GDP, rising to $612 billion, or 0.11 percent, by 2100.

“This is not a scaremongering forecast,” says the report. ”The ocean has always been thought of as the epitome of unconquerable, inexhaustible vastness and variety, but this ‘plenty more fish in the sea’ image may be its worst enemy.”

The actual impact of rising sea levels may prove to be even worse than suggested in this study. The report did not consider the costs to small island states which are subject to the most acute risks, nor did it factor the extraordinary disruption of the world's food chain.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Scientists Warn we Must Act to Diminish Rising Sea Levels
America at Risk from Rising Sea Levels
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America at Risk from Rising Sea Levels

December 03, 2012 Add Comment Edit

Millions of Americans including people in Florida, Louisiana, California, New York and New Jersey are at risk from flooding. In total more than half of the US population in more than 285 cities may be at risk including NYC. Million of people and trillions of dollars in property and infrastructure assets are located in areas that are less that 1 meter above the high tide mark.

Flooding of up to four feet could cover 3 million acres including military bases, agricultural lands and toxic waste dumps. Almost 5 million Americans live in homes at less than four feet above high tide, and 3.7 reside at less than one meter (3.3 feet) above high tide.

The Environmental Research Letters Report on sea level rises was co-author Grant Foster, he told reporters that previous estimates actually understate the gravity of the problem.

“The study indicates that this is going to be as bad or worse than the worst case scenarios of the IPCC so whatever you were planning from Cape Hatteras to Cape Cod in terms of how you were preparing for sea-level rise – if you thought you had enough defenses in place, you probably need more,” Foster said.

Hurricane Sandy made the point very convincingly and this type of storm is expected to be more common in a warmer world. Flooding poses a major risk to Americans and it is worse than initially thought. In addition to people's homes rising sea levels also jeopardize US infrastructure and industry.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Sea Levels are Rising 60 Percent Faster than Anticipated

December 03, 2012 Add Comment Edit

Sea levels are rising much faster than previously anticipated. Just how much sea levels will rise depends on what we do to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

The rate of sea level rise appears to be much faster than anticipated by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

According to a November 27th study, published in published in Environmental Research Letters, the ocean is rising much faster than predicted by the IPCC.

Based on satellite data, the 2012 study indicates that, "The rate of sea level rise of the past decades...is greater than projected by the IPCC models. This suggests that IPCC sea level projections for the future may also be biased low.”

As reviewed in Climate Central, the IPCC’s projections were significantly less than observed values due in large part to the fact that they did not adequately factor accelerated ice flows into the sea from Greenland and Antarctica.

The newly published figures still anticipate a 3-foot sea level increase by 2100. What is most shocking about the new study is the speed at which sea levels are rising. Between 1993 and 2011 the sea level has risen by about 3.2 millimeters per year. That’s 60 percent faster than the 2 millimeters per year the IPCC’s computer models suggested.

The report indicated that “Global warming has raised sea level about 8 inches since 1880.” The authors of the report expect the seas to rise another 20-80 inches by 2100.

Even at 3.2 millimeters per year, sea level would only go up by a foot by 2100; the extra 2 feet almost everyone expects will come from an accelerating sea level rise caused by ever increasing temperatures.

But 3 feet of sea level rise can be reversed if we act to reduce greenhouse gases. “A lot depends on what emissions path we follow,” Report co-author Grant Foster said. “If we get our acts together, it doesn’t have to go that high.”

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Related Articles
America at Risk from Rising Sea Levels
Urgent Appeal to Save our Oceans
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