Scientists will warn this week that the projected sea level rise from IPCC’s most updated report in 2007 was underestimated. Scientists now feel that low lying areas including the Netherlands, Florida, Bangladesh, and the Maldives, are extremely threatened by rising ocean levels.
Scientists say that satellite imagery from Greenland to Antarctica have given them a better understanding of how rapid ice melting will occur. The images show an increase of sea ice melting, which is okay, but sea ice supports land ice. When land ice sheets aren’t supported, they melt much faster. Since these findings were not included in the last IPCC report, predictions of sea level increases will reflect a much more dire situation for populated low lying coastal regions.
The subject will most likely dominate the international conference on climate change in Copenhagen this week. Scientists will discuss their latest findings and concerns with regard to global warming. More and more people are moving to major coastal cities, making a difficult situation in the face of rising sea levels. Major construction projects will have to be undergone in order to protect millions of people from disaster.
There is still time to engineer our way out of this mess. The dutch will likely lead the way since they have long battled the ocean and have claimed back land that once was owned by water.
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