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Map Shows Where Sea Level Rise Will Drown American Cities

4 points by cryptoz 11y ago

hugh4 11y ago
How hard would it be to stick a sufficient amount of dust in the atmosphere to give us a better handle on controlling the climate?
- dalke 11y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_engineering#Solar_radiation_management https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_engineering#Solar_radi... A full nuclear exchange is predicted to lower the temperature by about 20 °C. That depends on 7 billion tons of dust.
  - hugh4 11y ago
    Interesting. So although that particular mechanism is undesirable it seems like cancelling out a couple of degrees of warming is well within our capabilities.
    - dalke 11y ago
      Even if you are comfortable experimenting with the entire Earth's biosphere, global warming is only one aspect of increased carbon emissions. As that climate engineering page points out: > These methods would not reduce greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, and thus would not seek to address problems such as the ocean acidification caused by CO2.
Mz 11y ago
For example, when the global atmospheric CO2 level reaches 930 gigatons, Boston will be due for about 9 feet of sea level rise. That’s enough water to cover 25 percent of the city during high tide. I know that is not insignificant, but these fears of sea level rise always sound to me like people expect entire states to go under water or something. This map actually suggests to me that a lot of this can be coped with. But I mostly walk everywhere, so I don't have a guilty conscience. I gave up my car years ago.
- dalke 11y ago
  Florida has the lowest highest point, at 345 feet. If all of the ice in Antarctica melts, the sea level will rise "only" 200 feet. So even in the most dire situation, entire US states will not go completely under water. That said, almost the entire rest of the state would be underwater should that happen. However, ~1/5 of FL will be underwater, according to the 'unchecked pollution' map, which is nothing to sneeze at. > a lot of this can be coped with Well, yes. Humans will likely survive as a species. As the article says: > Existential nihilists however, can relax: Nobody’s doomed yet. Future Americans are going to deal with the flooded basements and foregone civilization.

4 points by cryptoz 11y ago

hugh4 11y ago

How hard would it be to stick a sufficient amount of dust in the atmosphere to give us a better handle on controlling the climate?

dalke 11y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_engineering#Solar_radiation_management https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_engineering#Solar_radi... A full nuclear exchange is predicted to lower the temperature by about 20 °C. That depends on 7 billion tons of dust.
- hugh4 11y ago
  Interesting. So although that particular mechanism is undesirable it seems like cancelling out a couple of degrees of warming is well within our capabilities.
  - dalke 11y ago
    Even if you are comfortable experimenting with the entire Earth's biosphere, global warming is only one aspect of increased carbon emissions. As that climate engineering page points out: > These methods would not reduce greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, and thus would not seek to address problems such as the ocean acidification caused by CO2.

Mz 11y ago

For example, when the global atmospheric CO2 level reaches 930 gigatons, Boston will be due for about 9 feet of sea level rise. That’s enough water to cover 25 percent of the city during high tide. I know that is not insignificant, but these fears of sea level rise always sound to me like people expect entire states to go under water or something. This map actually suggests to me that a lot of this can be coped with. But I mostly walk everywhere, so I don't have a guilty conscience. I gave up my car years ago.

dalke 11y ago
Florida has the lowest highest point, at 345 feet. If all of the ice in Antarctica melts, the sea level will rise "only" 200 feet. So even in the most dire situation, entire US states will not go completely under water. That said, almost the entire rest of the state would be underwater should that happen. However, ~1/5 of FL will be underwater, according to the 'unchecked pollution' map, which is nothing to sneeze at. > a lot of this can be coped with Well, yes. Humans will likely survive as a species. As the article says: > Existential nihilists however, can relax: Nobody’s doomed yet. Future Americans are going to deal with the flooded basements and foregone civilization.