Sea Level Rising Issues - Report Example

Sea Level Rising

According to the U.S National Oceanic Service, the sea level globally rose alarmingly throughout the 20th century and has risen even more in the 21st century. Data from the institution reveals that the global sea level has risen by 2.6 inches as at 2014 in contrast to the sea level of 1993. Scientific data portrays an average rise of 0.8 inches during each year (Sweet, Horton, Kopp, & Romanou, 2017). The sea is a haven of sea wave movements capable of causing terrible storms on shore, consequently leading to mass destruction. A rise in level translates to these storms surging further inland than previously. It therefore consequentially results in increased floods due to higher tides. The disruption of human activities at the shore and coast have been a leading consequence of such flooding. The increase in sea level translates to increased area of land likely to be affected by nuisance flooding, and thus increased inconveniencies unto the people operating at the coast.

The global rise in sea level is a direct result of global warming. Global warming heats the waters, resulting in the thermal expansion of the seawaterexpand. Besides, the increased temperatures of the Earth have caused the ice cover in parts of the globe to melt. The water stored in frozen state in the polar regions is thus added up to the sea. Water is naturally stored in a frozen state in the pole regions. The low temperatures there have always caused large amounts of water to be frozen in ice sheets that extend over large stretches. The thermal increase across the Earth has in effect melted the glaciers and ice sheets. The ice cover decrease has translated to an increase in seas and oceanic water.

Sea level rise has to be addressed with great zeal and effort because of impending damage to the coastal areas if the rates are allowed to continue to rise and devastate the coast. The problem of the sea level has to be dealt with directly by tackling the main causative agent, which is global warming. It is essential to effectively understand the adverse effects of the rising sea level, and the predicted outcomes of the coming years calculated based on current trends. The current population has embraced a carefree lifestyle including the burning of fossil fuels that have led to the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere which puncture the ozone layer, as well as forming a layer that keeps the terrestrial radiation from escaping the atmosphere (Byravan & Rajan, 2015). There are sparse efforts to halt air pollution, thus a projected increase in emissions due to unchecked production of fossil fuel driven automobiles. Increased emissions increase the greenhouse effect, which pushes global temperature higher than previously. The risen temperatures directly lead to a rise in sea level. Many major cities of the world are located in coastal areas hence and host huge populations. According to the US National Oceanic Service, the population in coastal areas is close to or slightly more than 40% of the overall US population. The densely populated areas of the coast would thus be a dangerous place for the coastal residents, who are likely to face more hazards and high-tide-related effects.

(Sea Level Data Courtesy of NASA)

Efforts to curb climate change have always been affected by obstacles and barriers. A lack of cooperation and coordinating of activities between the governmental departments and city, regional and the central government has been a subsisting issue of concern. It is necessary for the governments to work together on policy and set common objectives to limit global warming. Communication by environmental stakeholders to the people about climate change and its causes as has been under par, and the people have not been made to understand the benefits of the undertaking efforts to curb air pollution. The lack of funds to sponsor the green revolution campaign that curbs global warming has derailed any positive achievement. The lack of donation and insufficiency of funds has been a major barrier to progress and change.

Sea level rise at specific areas may vary from the global average due to pertinent local geographic factors, for instance, the subsidence of land. In urban settings, rising seas undermine essential establishments. Roads, metros, water pipelines, oil and gas wells, sewer treatment, and every infrastructure which matters to all human establishment is threatened by the rising sea level.

History

The ocean has never been a stable mass; instead, it has kept its motion as is characterized by the constant sea wave motions The Sea is also characterized by tidal movements caused by the moons gravitational pull on the earth. Over the 20th century, there has been consistent rise in the ocean level. It is estimated that the sea level rose by about 12-20 centimeters over the 20th century (DeConto & Pollard, 2016). Before the 20th century, across a period of about 2000 years, there had only been slight changes.

Historical rise and fall of the sea level has always been associated with the modalities of water storage on the Earth, by the glaciers in the poles which store a sizeable percentage. The increase and decrease in sea level have always been a result of the change in the amount of water trapped in the ice sheets in contrast to the water in the oceans and seas. The Earth has always been affected by natural glacial cycle processes. Scientists argue historical glacial periods caused the sea level to rise exponentially to very high levels and also times caused extensive ice cover across the earth.

(Sea Rise Data: NASA)

The last glacial period occurred on the Earth about 26,000 years ago. The Earth then was covered by ice sheets spreading across 26 million km2. There is evidence suggesting that the Americas, Canada, the Atlantic, Iceland, the British Isles, northern Europe, Germany, Poland, and parts of southern South America were all covered in ice. The sea level then was several feet below the current sea level. Scientific research suggests the sea level was at more than 600 feet below. Some currently submerged lands were accessible to people and animals during migration (Dutton, Carlson, Long, Milne, Clark, DeConto & Raymo, 2015). Alaska and Siberia were connected by the historical Bering Bridge, which many pioneering American settlers used. One of the effects of the melting of the ice during subsequent millennia is the flooding and disappearance of the bridge under the sea.

In the course of the past twenty millennia, the ocean level has risen more than 100 meters. As the atmosphere warmed as a component of a natural cycle, ice liquefied, and icy masses withdrew until the point when ice sheets stayed just at the polar regions and at the pinnacles of mountains. At an early stage, the ocean climbed quickly, at rates more prominent than 10 feet every century, and afterward kept on rising in spurts of fast ocean level ascent until around 7,000 years ago. At that point, the atmosphere balanced out and the ocean level moderated, holding to a great extent unfaltering for the more significant part of the most recent 2,000 years, in light of records from corals and residue centers. Presently, ocean level is on the ascent once more, rising more speedily now than it has in the previous 6,000 years. The most seasoned tide gages and beachfront silt protected underneath bogs and swamps demonstrate that the ocean level started to ascend around 1850, which is around the period mass usage of coal to push steam motor trains began, and it hasn't ceased since. The atmosphere likely started warming as an aspect of a natural cycle, yet the quickened warming in the last two hundred years because of a rise in climatic carbon dioxide. The subsequent rise in ocean level is likely twice what we would have seen without the expansion in greenhouse gases because of human actions.

Today, the worldwide ocean level is 5-8 inches (13-20 cm) higher, all things considered, than it was in 1900. From 1900 to 2000, the global ocean level rose between 0.05 inches and 0.07 inches every year. In the 1990s, that rate inextricably rose to around 3.2 millimeters for every year. In 2016 the rate was assessed to be 3.4 millimeters for each year, and it may bounce higher before the century is over. Researchers anticipate that the global ocean level will ascend from about 0.3 to 1 meter by 2100. In the end, the ocean level would to rise to approximately 200 centimeters for each degree that environmental change causes thermal increase, having presently warmed by 1°C as of now. Regardless of whether a worldwide temperature alteration was to stop today, the ocean level would keep on rising.

Social & Political Implications

The sea level rise has become one of the issues that have threatened the foundations of society and the social order. The political class has been affected as nations have demonstrated differed approach to the common goal. Countries have embraced different stands as to the environmental approaches and remedies. Nonetheless, one cannot understate the broad and far effects of the rise in sea level, which have disrupted both social and political order.

The rising waters of the sea have rocked the coastal lands, and the implications have been adverse. Communities living at the coast have displayed disappointment and disregard of the government's approach to deal with the problem. The truth is the that there is little that government can do to prevent nuisance flooding at the coasts because the beach is so wide that the government cannot build a huge barrier wide enough to resist the upsurge of the tumultuous waters (Jacobs & Hogan, 2017). Nuisance flooding has displaced many people from their homes. A huge number of the people who dwell at the coast have no information of the current trend and constant rise in the sea level with the years. If the problem of global warming is not defeated, then every year, more people are likely to get affected by the sea-related wave and tidal activity.

The factor of floods rocking the coastal areas and the state of people losing homes as a consequence interrupts their social life. The presence of sewage treatment plants and waste disposal structure in the coastal areas becomes a threat to health when the floods and waves rock (Roe, 2011). The waste infiltrated and spread by the floods waste is responsible for spread of diseases during the flood periods. A carefree generation at the present blindly propagate actions that lead to global warming. The failure of the community to embrace positive environmental habits, thus presents the challenge of precipitation of more global warming. In this regard, the health of the people is at stake, and during floods, people are likely to succumb to health problems and diseases.

The coastal communities have always relied on the clean water from aquifers. Aquifers have been contaminated by the upsurge of flood water inland. The lack of clean drinking water by the coastal communities thus precipitates another social crisis. Clean water is important for every community for various purposes ranging from consumption to secondary use.

The continued rise in sea level has drawn in the government and created some implications. The devastations of floods and wave activity at the coastal areas demands of the government to dedicate more funds to the communities and also to create policy that would control how such situations would be dealt with. The United Nations have also been pushed to act vehemently, having to ensure the safety and social well-being of displaced persons. It is foreseeable that the global body would be more involved in collaborating with governments to deal with the related calamities and seek collaborative financial assistance to the affected. The conventional nature of the problem would demand a unilateral global unified approach to factors such as global warming. The Paris Agreement is an aggressive international convention that would come into force in the future, and thus the countries that are parties to it would have to show political commitment through concerted efforts to reduce global warming by reducing carbon emissions.

Solution

There are many proposed solutions to sea level rising that have been put forward by scholars and stakeholders differing in approach and technique. These include the construction of floating houses on the coast as a secondary alternative means of living. Development of highways, roads, and parking areas using porous components, is an ideal solution. However, the best way to tackle the rise in sea levels would be to curb the main factor of the rise in sea level, which is global warming.

Sharp diminishments in air pollution have the fundamental ability to moderate the rise in sea level before the year 2100. Carbon gases, methane, and hydrofluorocarbons rise into the atmosphere and are responsible for global warming (Gardner, Moholdt, Cogley, Wouters, Arendt, Wahr, & Ligtenberg, 2013). Carbon dioxide is the primary offender in the Earth’s global warming trend that has impacted the ocean level rise, due to seawaterexpansion and addition of volume of seawateras a result of melting of polar ice causing the ice to melt.

It is essential to cut air pollution and carbon emissions that trap terrestrial radiation in the atmosphere. Carbon emissions may last in the atmosphere for periods as from seven days to decades. The reduction of emissions worldwide, by 20 to 50 percent can bring down anticipated ocean level rise by 22 to 42 percent by 2100, as per the scientific study (Arkema, Guannel, Verutes, Wood, Guerry, Ruckelshaus, & Silver, 2013). Ocean levels are expected to rise to 6.6 feet this century, as indicated by scientific study.

Taming global warming is an effective solution and a feasible objective that can be achieved through progressive action. The first approach would be to cut use of fossil fuels whose consequential carbon emissions have decimated the ozone layer, and caused the greenhouse effect on the earth. The main form of transport in the world, automobiles, use fossil fuel products, majorly diesel and petrol. The increase in production of electric automobiles is good news to the proponents of change. Electric cars are effective alternative to fuel powered vehicles.

Society ought to embrace change because the effects of global warming are felt by the society itself. The people have never been resistant to the theme of green life. Environmental organizations haven’t exploited the space and the good will of the people, to impart their thoughts with ideas of how to overcome the challenge looming ahead that threatens the human race.

A future of little or no carbon emissions would guarantee maintenance of global temperatures or even a decrease in the temperature. This is possible if only the challenges and the obstacles are managed and dealt with effectively (Ablain, Cazenave, Larnicol, Balmaseda, Cipollini, Faugère, & Andersen, 2015). Governments have shown the will and the desire to be involved, but the pace is yet to gain a momentum. The solution would be that the activists for environmental change and preservation should approach governments and all stakeholders in the process of achieving the desired goal.

Conclusion

The rise of sea level can be fully solved if there is success in taming global warming not just for the benefit of the present generation but future generations. A measure such as infrastructural development and change would result in temporary solutions. What is vital is a continuous problem management which would tackle the gargantuan challenge and eventually have the matter under control (Bamber & Aspinall, 2013). The best way to cure the rise in sea level is to fight the main causative agent which is global warming.

The research and scholarly work reveal evidence of the sea level rise has aggravated in the 20th century compared to previous times. Scientists have interpreted this sudden rise to be related to aggravated pollution in the same period. The industrial revolution prevailed as one of the periods which industrialists aggressively set up industries that were propelled by coal (Courchamp, Hoffmann, Russell, Leclerc & Bellard, 2014). The basis of the rising in sea level remains to be carbon emissions that result in global warming. The industrial revolution resulted in massive carbon emissions into the atmosphere which triggered a global problem. Apparently, no one has learned from the past mistakes, and the few that have may not have the ability to impart tangible change and positive transformation. It may not be possible to return the atmosphere to its previous state, but mitigation measures can help deal with the current effects of the damage.

The effective solutions to the global warming are green approaches to industrial activity and reduction of emissions of carbon into the atmosphere. The green revolution is not expensive, and neither does it consume time. The reduction of carbon emissions may take a long period because it has to be achieved progressively. There are steps that have to be taken to achieve a uniform objective among all persons if not a majority of the population. It is impossible to despise the importance of social and mass media to highlight the concerns of the environment. Environmental change is a matter that ought to be partaken by every living person. If the people can be enlightened as to the challenges facing the globe due to the global warming caused by carbon emission, then a significant number of them would adopt the way of change and active engagement to curb harmful activities (Urry, 2015). The trend of blatant deforestation in parts of the world has to be addressed by drumming for reforestation and afforestation. Forests play a huge role in absorbing the atmospheric carbon dioxide hence purifying the atmosphere.

In conclusion, the campaign to stop global warming can be a possible success. Environmental organizations and individuals have the burden of action they owe to future generations who will inhabit the Earth. A progressive action plan can effectively transform the Earth from being in a threatened position to a stable globe. The mission to ensure minimized carbon emissions might not sound good for some business moguls and investors in industries responsible for massive carbon emissions. However, regulations that stipulate the right environmental practices can keep every person in check while punishing offenders to the environmental order.