EDITORIAL: Sea-level rise too risky for us to ignore
But now is not the time to talk about rising sea levels or climate change. That's what
"To have any kind of focus on the cause and effect of the storm, versus helping people or actually facing the effect of the storm, is misplaced," he said.
He feels so strongly about that stance that he put
Here in
That drew sarcastic praise from comedian
With the new law in place, a 2014 report to the
If you're building a new bridge at Oregon Inlet on the
The
But as the
Predictions aren't exact, but the overwhelming consensus among scientists is that our activities are warming seas and melting ice caps. That produces fiercer and wetter storms (think Irma, Harvey, Matthew, Sandy, Floyd) and gradually encroaching seawater. Check out the dead trees along
And it's about much more than flooded streets -- underground infrastructure such as water and sewer pipes will be compromised. It's already happening in
So do we update flood maps and discourage building in areas that the best science tells us will experience increased flooding? Change building codes?
Or do we continue to make scientific results we don't like illegal, and purge grant applications of unpleasant words like climate change?
We don't have to be alarmist about sea-level rise, but we should take it seriously. And that means listening more to the scientists who have studied our coast for years, and less to the development interests that have a huge financial stake in pretending the problem doesn't exist.
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