The study is in contrast to more conservative projections of the past. Is it right? Who knows! What we do know is the ice is melting and sea rise is inevitable. The rate of the rise and the extent of the rise is all that is in question.
Given we know there will be sea rise, it behooves us all — meaning everybody — to pay attention to what is going on and stop digging ourselves into a deeper hole by where we continue to develop man-made infrastructure at the sea's edge.
Everyone involved is making money in the short term and I guess that is all they are interested in doing. To heck with the future of the community where they are making the investments. Future disaster damages won't occur on their watch and now is all that matters. I guess you might call that short-term thinking!
As emergency managers we need to remain focused on climate adaptation and what we can do today to lessen the impacts of climate change where we are located. Progress may feel minuscule, but it is the role we have. Eventually the worm will turn and communities around the world will say something like, "What have we done?"
For those people entering the profession now, you could well be alive to see how the projections of today play out 78 years from now. Send me a postcard care of Mount Tahoma Cemetery.
