Scientists warn sea levels could rise higher than expected by 2100

The BBC says a team of researchers is reporting that sea levels may rise far higher than forecast because of changes in the polar ice-sheets.

The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted sea levels would rise 7 to 23 inches by the end of the century, notes the AP. But scientists at a climate change summit in Copenhagen said sea levels could rise by a meter or more (i.e. more than 3 feet) by 2100.

"It is a major change, and it actually calls for action," said professor Konrad Steffan of the University of Colorado.

"This means that if the emissions of greenhouse gases are not reduced quickly and substantially, even the best-case scenario will hit low-lying coastal areas housing one-10th of humans on the planet hard," organizers said in a statement at the three-day congress hosted by the University of Copenhagen.

The rising sea level -- already being seen along Florida's Gulf coast -- is the main reason cited by Gov. Charlie Crist for pushing Florida to tackle climate change.

"It's hard to be a Floridian and not be sensitive to it," Crist said in 2007, noting that the state's 1,350 miles of coastline could be inundated by depending on how high sea levels rise.

Craig Pittman, Times Staff Writer

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Comments

[Ronnie]

I remember being at the state capital in the mid 80's and going through the museum on Florida history they have there. There was a display box with Florida laid out horizontally and a lever that you could pull. The displayed showed the topography of Florida from several thousand years ago and has you pulled the lever from the past to the present, more of Florida went under water. I can’t remember the specific number of years this map went back, but I remember it was a long time. Long before Man could have been the cause of the rising sea levels. So, if it has been happening for so many years, why are we the blame now? Just a thought.

[paminator]

Too bad the data doesn't support the calamitous climate claims in Copenhagen.

Nils Axel Morner, a world-renowned scientist on sea level, had this to say about recent trends in sea levels. A more complete discussion by Melanie Phillips is here-

http://www.spectator.co.uk/melaniephillips/3436241/the-inescapable-apocalypse-has-been-seriously-underestimated.thtml

"Then, in 2003, the same data set, which in their [IPCC’s] publications, in their website, was a straight line—suddenly it changed, and showed a very strong line of uplift, 2.3 mm per year, the same as from the tide gauge. And that didn’t look so nice. It looked as though they had recorded something; but they hadn’t recorded anything. It was the original one which they had suddenly twisted up, because they entered a ‘correction factor,’ which they took from the tide gauge. So it was not a measured thing, but a figure introduced from outside. I accused them of this at the Academy of Sciences in Moscow— I said you have introduced factors from outside; it’s not a measurement. It looks like it is measured from the satellite, but you don’t say what really happened. And they answered, that we had to do it, because otherwise we would not have gotten any trend!"

If you don't believe this scientist, maybe you should follow the example set by the Goracle himself, who recently purchased an ocean-side condo in San Francisco...

[Tino]

Yeah, I get to fantasize about it every morning when I drink my coffee:

http://www.wackyplanet.com/glwadimug.html

[James Pastirko]

It is scary to believe if the world doesn’t act soon to lower the emissions of greenhouse gasses, sea levels could rise by a meter or more by 2100. Even though I won’t be around in 2100, it still bothers me to know we are causing such catastrophic changes in the polar ice-sheets. In another article writer be Thai Press Reports (Thailand) Konrad Steffen discusses the same topic and he states, “the water rise will affect up to 600 million people that are living close to the coastline and it will include major cities like New York”. Steffen also said "We already know that New Orleans will be affected, but also areas like Bangladesh or smaller areas of islands will be flooded within that one-meter sea level rise." I would hate to see Florida loose such a large amount of coastline. Florida shouldn’t appear to be half its size.

Some cities need to greatly reduce their pollution if we are ever going to stop this climate change and prevent sea levels from rising. According to Jane S. Brautigam (Boulder City Manager), nearly 75 percent of Boulders local greenhouse gas emissions come from energy use--and loss--in their commercial, industrial and residential buildings, and another 20 percent from driving. This is terrible and this is only one city, more than likely there are many more cities similar to this if not worse around the world. These cities need to act fast to prevent even more serious problems.

Although some cities aren’t doing so well in reducing greenhouse gases, some cities are making their attempts to be green. According to the article, “Earth Talk: Green Cities” written by E/The Environmental Magazine editors, In Reykjavik, Iceland, hydrogen-powered buses ply the streets and renewable energy sources — geothermal and hydropower — provide the city's heat and electricity. Also, in Vancouver, British Columbia, 90 percent of its power comes from renewable sources while its metro area has about 200 parks and more than 18 miles of accessible waterfront. As long as everyone begins making affective attempts to reduce greenhouse gases we can expect a brighter future.