More Danger from Oceans and Climate Change

In my last post, I talked about negative effects that climate change has on the oceans. What is perhaps even more frightening is the danger the oceans are posing to the land and its inhabitants because of rising sea levels and global warming.

As the planet warms, polar ice caps are melting and glaciers are breaking apart, which is causing sea levels all over the world to rise. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated last year that sea levels would rise by two feet in the next century, compared to one foot in the last century. Two feet over one hundred years may not sound like much, but that increase means a threat of total disaster for at least one country.

The Republic of Maldives, a collection of tiny islands in the Indian Ocean, looks like paradise. However, its 400,000 residents will likely become the world's first population to lose their country to global warming. Maldives' highest point is less than eight feet above sea level, so a sea level increase of two feet would certainly be devastating.  Maldivians got a stark view of what was to come when a tsunami almost completely submerged the entire nation for several minutes in 2004.

This terrifying vision of the consequences of climate change may seem far away to us Bay Staters, but our state is definitely not immune to rising sea levels. The New England Aquarium has a great (but scary!) video showing a simulation of rising sea levels around the aquarium in decades to come. Just click on "Higher Harbor Waters" to see how similar Boston's fate will be to Maldives'.

If we don't want Massachusetts residents to be forced out of their homes by global warming in the future, we need to act now. Sign Environment Massachusetts' petition to ask our senators to support legislation that would help cap global warming pollution!

Are you already experiencing problems with coastal flooding? Let us know by commenting!