You may not live to see it

Submitted by James on

But your grand children will. Yes indeed, they will live to see the utter collapse of North Carolina's current coastline and barrier islands. Sooner than you think.

Despite the happy talk of anti-science deniers, it's clear that today's rising sea levels are real, no matter what the cause. It's only a matter of decades before millions of water front structures all around the world lose their footings and yield to the awesome power of the oceans. The resulting environmental disaster will be horrific. Imagine condos, mobile homes, gas stations, shanty towns, oil refineries, port facilities, chemical plants, sewage systems, military bases, and worse, all standing in three feet of toxic water, crumbling into chaos with every rising wave. Flooded streets? We've only just begun.

  • A blue ribbon panel of scientists from Miami, the U.S. city considered most vulnerable to sea level rise (in terms of property damage), predict that the sea will rise a minimum of 3 to 5 feet by 2100.
  • A similar panel of scientists in Rhode Island predicts a minimal 3 to 5 foot rise for that state.
  • A Washington State report assumes a sea level rise along the shores of Puget Sound of a bit more than 4 feet.
  • A recent report to the state of California assumes a 4 foot rise along the California coast.
  • The Dutch, who take sea level rise more seriously than anyone, assume for the purposes of design of dikes and storm gates that sea level will rise 2.5 feet by 2050.
  • On a global scale, we know that sea level rise is causing natural barrier islands not artificially stabilized by coastal engineering to narrow. The Frisian Islands of Germany, for example, are currently experiencing erosion on both sides of the island (as are our Outer Banks).
  • So what does sea level rise mean for North Carolina? A 3-foot sea level rise means the end of development as we know it on the 20 or so barrier islands that make up the 350 mile-long North Carolina coast.

If you already own beachfront property, enjoy it while it lasts. If you are thinking of buying, don't. And if you are one of the dying breed of Realtors on the coast, get an honest job. Especially if you live in Wilmington.

The Rising Sea, by Orin Pilkey, appears to be the definitive work on this unfolding disaster.

The image above is from after a hurricane. If you want to explore other images, try the Google machine.

Comments

nice picture.

Submitted by LiberalNC on

That's probably the closest he's been to a woman in quite a while. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

You can already see the destruction of climate change.

Submitted by LiberalNC on

There are already thousands of climate refugees in countries like New Zealand and Australia. They used to live on islands in the pacific that are rapidly disappearing into the ocean.

After further review

Submitted by Foxtrot on

This subject of climate change and global warming is no less volatile than the choice issue. Seems most people fervently believe either there is a problem or there is not. Some are "in between" so to speak, but most have taken sides here. Most of the regulars here know that I have posted against global warming presentations here on BlueNC...and most of you know I've taken some pretty big hits because of it here. Much of it was justified.

I have reviewed this in the past days because of that incident probably more than anyone here save James and possibly sharrison. I ran across a statement on one of the blogs I happened to go to in search of which science that is presented on this subject is correct (which is tough to determine, let me tell you). I would like to put that quote here and to me, despite all I've been through on this, speaks to this issue more than anything I've seen in all of my efforts to get to a point where I would feel comfortable with either side of this issue:

- "What can possibly be wrong in pursuing an energy-efficient, sustainable, low-pollution economy? This should be the aim, regardless of climate change."

I don't care what science is cited. I am now absolutely and totally convinced that there IS an impending problem in our world with regard to climate. I am also convinced that we, as humans, must do whatever is necessary to resolve it lest we soon become doomed.

I still am unsure how to go forward and am equally unsure that anyone else has the true formula to resolve this impending disaster.

Glad you're glad

Submitted by Foxtrot on

As I sat in my bedroom taking a nebulizer treatment, I realized that even though I am one of only a very few people that have to undergo that routine, this could change in the years ahead of us. Asthma and other respiratory disorders in our world have increased exponentially over the past few decades. This has happened for a reason and the only change on mother earth that could have been the cause of this just has had to have been from mankind. It isn't because of less sun activity. It isn't because of fewer bees. It isn't because of some kind of "cyclical cycle" that Earth is going through that I've been reading about on some scientific venues. It isn't because of the reduction in the rainforest in Africa (although there appears to be convincing evidence that this has reduced the production of O2 across our planet).

I am happy you are glad about my post but you know me pretty well by now, it wasn't put here so as to present some "acceptable view". It came from a lot of effort, but then I do have the time to do it and to be honest, it was rather fun and a great learning experience. I'm not "more intelligent" than I let on here as you have suggested, trust me. Hey, I can't even show a quote in blue like some people do here. But, I am sure I will learn.

This issue is being used as a pawn politically. This one needs to be looked at by level heads that decide on its merits by using common sense.

Quote in blue

Submitted by James on

1. Find something you want to link to. Copy the URL.

2. Write something you want to be in blue in the "comment" box.

3. Highlight the words you want to be in blue with your cursor.

4. Click on the little purple globe on the left side of the toolbar above your comment box.

5. Paste your copied link into the top box of the pop-up menu.

6. Click OK.

__________________________________

Or you could do it the hard way.

:)

Okay...I told you

Submitted by Foxtrot on

Where's the "comment box"? Can you go to my email working with me on this so I do not look too stupid here? Just kidding.

:)

Scroll down

Submitted by James on

Hit "reply" to this comment and then scroll down. You'll see it.

Heh.

Photobucket

Trying this out

Submitted by Foxtrot on

Let me try this out

You did it!

Submitted by James on

Now you just have to link to something more interesting than the your own comment.

:)

Just kidding. You've just taken a big step.

Almost

Submitted by James on

My pleasure

Submitted by James on

It'll be fun seeing you go wild with links!