Monday, August 9, 2010

Climate Change Concerns: Do you live near a coastline?

If you do (even if you don’t), read the full article at The ChronicleHerald.ca out of Halifax that contains a global warming warning.

E.g., “The planet is getting hotter. Sea levels are getting higher. Sadly, what isn’t rising in tandem with the temperature and the waves is a sense of urgency to radically reform coastal policy in this province.”

If Nova Scotia sits unprepared on dry land (for now), perhaps your province, state, county, country, etc., does as well.


["What is the value of Halifax Harbour?": photo GH]

I read, “But coastal policy has never been taken with the same level of seriousness (as the suitability of biomass for power generation and the overhaul of our forestry-management plans). It should be. Climate change is coming to a beach near you.”

Why should coastline dwellers be concerned?

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently released a report compiled by more than 300 scientists in 48 countries.

It proclaimed global warming to be "undeniable" and intensifying with each passing decade.

I read, "There is now evidence that over 90 per cent of warming over the past 50 years has gone into our oceans. Phytoplankton — microscopic algae that form the base of the marine food chain — have declined 40 per cent since 1950."

Melting ice caps and warming oceans also spell higher seas, eroding shorelines, more violent storms and more forceful storm surges.

In other words, batten down the hatches.

Are governments prepared to spend much of their time and money dealing with a trail of property destruction and wiped-out infrastructure?

Are you?

***

Please click here for more climate change concerns.

.

No comments: