Slow Cooker Earth Part II: The Threat Posed By Rising Sea Levels

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This is the second in a series where I examine the effects of global warming on our world—effects which are already visible, and threats that loom on the horizon unless we change the way we live our lives. To read Part I, click here: Slow Cooker Earth Part I: How Weather Patterns Are Changing Worldwide.

Today I examine rising sea levels—caused by melting ice caps and water that expands as the atmosphere warms. The oceans are estimated to rise by a foot or more by 2050, and by three feet by 2100—which doesn’t sound like a lot, but which could have catastrophic outcome for flat, low shorelines, seaside resorts, and low-lying islands. Here are some examples of regions that are already threatened—or wiped off the earth:

Maldive Islands - This favorite European destination in the Indian Ocean has already installed a seawall around its perimeter—a barrier to hold back the invading tides. Many buildings sit on pilings in the shallow (but rising!) water.
Paradise (Soon To Be) Lost [Spiegel Online]

North Carolina - The Outer Banks are the most susceptible of the U.S.’s string of Atlantic barrier islands to tidal invasion. As National Geographic Traveler notes, “…each decade’s two-inch rise in sea level can reach 25 feet farther inland,” threatening local homes. But what will happen when there are another 3 feet of water?
N.C. Lawmakers Address Rising Worry Over Global Warming’s Impact [AP via East Carolina University]

Takuu Islands - These native people in Papua New Guinea are being evacuated from their native atoll islands. After living for 3,000 years on these islands, the water is too high for them to remain.
Locals Face Starvation As Their Island Home Sinks [CNN World News]

Venice - Water levels are rising as the foundations are sinking, causing regular floods in St. Mark’s Square, one out of every six days of the year. Although a system of sea gates is set to be installed, the city has been less and less inhabitable–the population has dropped by well over half in the last 50 years.
Sinking City of Venice: Weighing the Solutions [PBS]

Check back next week for Part III! Thanks for reading.

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