7/27/2015

Rising Sea Levels


Interesting program that lets you look at the impacts of your community if sea levels rise.  The map above shows the impact from a 10 feet rise of sea level at Sarasota, Florida. The islands and near in shore line shown in bue become inundated. Most of the community (including my neighborhood) stays high and dry.

You can check out your own  community by clicking the link below and adding your city.


http://ss2.climatecentral.org/#12/27.3231/-82.5956?show=satellite&level=10&pois=show



Most research projects a sea level rise of 3 to 6 feet by the year 2100 so we have 85 years to mitigate and prepare. But a recent study projects a 10 feet rise in 50 years.


There are of course many things we can and should do.  We should continue and increase efforts use less carbon based fuels, with increased reliance on wind, solar, tide, and nuclear power. We should reduce the amount of power we use by becoming more efficient. And we should begin to lower our population. If we can successfully get every couple to limit themselves to no more than 2 children each we begin a long and slow drop in total population, eventually reaching a more planet friendly and sustainable human population. We are already doing this in economically well off nations - we need to extend this effort to poor parts of the world where most of the population increase is taking place.


The problems for coastal communities are not insurmountable.  We have already required that all new construction or reconstruction lift the first living grade above the flood surge level.  New buildings are therefor now a full story above street level. If we believe that sea levels are sure to rise then we can lift that first living level another ten feet.


https://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/unfccc/cop19/3_gregory13sbsta.pdf


http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2015/02/climate-change-economics/parker-text


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