Rising Sea Levels Seen as Threat to Coastal U.S.

[swag]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/14/science/earth/study-rising-sea-levels-a-risk-to-coastal-states.html

By JUSTIN GILLIS
Published: March 13, 2012

About 3.7 million Americans live within a few feet of high tide and risk being hit by more frequent coastal flooding in coming decades because of the sea level rise caused by global warming, according to new research.

If the pace of the rise accelerates as much as expected, researchers found, coastal flooding at levels that were once exceedingly rare could become an every-few-years occurrence by the middle of this century.

By far the most vulnerable state is Florida, the new analysis found, with roughly half of the nation’s at-risk population living near the coast on the porous, low-lying limestone shelf that constitutes much of that state. But Louisiana, California, New York and New Jersey are also particularly vulnerable, researchers found, and virtually the entire American coastline is at some degree of risk.

“Sea level rise is like an invisible tsunami, building force while we do almost nothing,” said Benjamin H. Strauss, an author, with other scientists, of two new papers outlining the research. “We have a closing window of time to prevent the worst by preparing for higher seas.”

[MountainLaurel]

4. You laugh, but I was told exactly that

That God promised that he would never flood the world again, so we didn't need to worry about climate change.

This was said, in all seriousness, by a teacher.

[LuvNewcastle]

2. I don't think the Mississippi coast could economically survive

another Katrina-like event anytime soon. Insurance rates have already prevented a lot of people from re-building. If we have another monster storm in the next 10 years, this region might not recover.

[lacrew]

3. Florida has a bigger problem

Its somewhat related.

As they pump fresh water out of the ground for drinking and irrigating...salt water takes its place.

[dipsydoodle]

5. Part of the solution

is to go back to the fifties and don't drive petrol guzzlers as you move forward.