Rising Sea Levels

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By Dan G Carter

There are many different articles and documents pertaining to the rise of sea levels, not just for the United States but around the world. There are many different effects on the coastlines of every country and the effects are irreversible. One of the major impacts is that the shore line is receding dramatically, with the rise of the sea level 5"- 6," more in low lying areas. What does this mean for people around the world?

For one, those now living along the coast are finding it harder to keep their homes and businesses. People who live in hurricane prone areas are especially prone to this. As the shoreline corrodes more and more, sea water is allowed to move further inland, flooding more areas that where dry for decades before. Ocean surges are higher with each storm, and more people are affected, injured, or even killed, as a result. As the coastlines are being depleted, there are less opportunities for enjoying beaches, and those who still have beaches to come to have more of a risk of under toes, as well as rip tides.

Because of the rising sea levels, more and more fresh water systems are becoming contaminated with salt water, having a great impact on the people who rely on these ecosystems for their food and livelihood. This means that they are going to have to move inland, and try to change their habits. Higher sea levels also mean that during high tide, in low lying areas, more and more land is becoming covered by oceans. More marshlands are being overrun, and the wildlife that lives here are suffering, with more and more species disappearing every year.

There are many economical impacts from rising sea levels. There are many recreational resorts that are already being impacted, with more and more of these places are regularly flooding, with the worst of it being during the storm season. This means less tourism, and a poorer economy for those island or coastal residents, some that rely on tourist dollars to make a living.

Rising sea levels cost people millions of dollars, whether it is due to property damage, or having to build up higher dykes and levies to counter act these rising levels. Even so, building this could have no benefit at all, because with the rate that the seas are warming, the ice caps melting, it may be all for naught. The seas will continue to rise, storm surges will continue to get higher and higher, and more people, and well as wildlife with be effected.

All of this is of coursed caused by global warming and climate change. Those that continue to buy their heads in the sand may just find there is no more sand to buy their heads in. Is there anything we can do to change this? Are we beyond the point of no return? In many cases, the answer is that we are beyond this point, but that doesn't means we should just give up. We still need to do our part to stop this from progressing faster or further. We as people of the world need to find more and better alternatives, and existing alternative energy sources need to be utilized in greater numbers.

Dan Carter writes for Solar Power House, specializing in solar power kits.

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