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"...we are on track for catastrophic levels of warming that will profoundly alter all life on Earth."
"...we are on track for catastrophic levels of warming that will profoundly alter all life on Earth."
"Currently, around a quarter of a billion people live on land less than two meters above sea level. The latest IPCC assessment estimates that approximately one billion people living in low-lying areas are projected to be at risk from sea level rise and storm surges as early as 2050. This is still something we can avoid if we relentlessly pressure our leaders to do better."
-Joelle Gergis
The world's oceans have absorbed more than 90 percent of the heat from greenhouse gasses as a result of human-caused global warming, causing sea levels to rise at an unprecedented rate. “Average sea levels have swelled over 8 inches since 1880, with about three of those inches gained in the last 25 years. Every year, the sea rises another .13 inches. Research published in February 2022 shows that sea level rise is accelerating and projected to rise by a foot by 2050. That translates into as much sea level rise in the next 30 years as occurred over the last century, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.”
The most vulnerable areas in the United States are the East and Gulf Coast. In these regions, damaging flooding is predicted to occur 10 times more often in 2050 than it does today. Even inland, coastal habitats can suffer from destructive erosion, wetland flooding, aquifer and agricultural soil contamination with salt, and lost habitat for fish, birds, and plants. Around the world, millions of people are at risk of being displaced because of rising sea levels.
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