http://capenews.net/blogs/under_the_lens/2010/03/04/rising-tides-rising-costs/ Blog focusing on science and environmental issues affecting the Upper Cape Wed, 01 Jun 2011 21:06:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 http://capenews.net/blogs/under_the_lens/2010/03/04/rising-tides-rising-costs/comment-page-1/#comment-41 Ric Gerace Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:43:11 +0000 http://capenews.net/blogs/under_the_lens/?p=82#comment-41 And good piece, Elise. Nicely done. And good piece, Elise. Nicely done.

]]> http://capenews.net/blogs/under_the_lens/2010/03/04/rising-tides-rising-costs/comment-page-1/#comment-40 Ric Gerace Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:42:20 +0000 http://capenews.net/blogs/under_the_lens/?p=82#comment-40 I doubt that it will take centuries for the plains of Maravista to go under. They're pretty close to sea level now. And the IPCC measure of a three foot rise has gone by the boards as new research has come in. The melt is accelerating and the feedback loop is intensifying. Everything I've seen so far in the legitimate science indicates serious trouble is coming and coming faster than anyone thought. The idea that wider dunes and beaches will be protective is laughable at worst and naive at best. We're not going to be dealing with erosion, we're going to be dealing with submersion. Florida is losing land now due to salt water incursion, and in serious amounts. Granted the geologic structure there is different, but in time that won't matter. We need to be planning for this future, not some vastly expensive sewer system that stands to make a lot of money for a few people, impoverish a bunch of others, and in the end accomplish nothing. And to think that this town can handle such a project, given the problems they had with the limited sewer system in place now, and given the devastating incompetence the town demonstrated in the relatively simple matter of the high school, well, maybe we need to think again. I doubt that it will take centuries for the plains of Maravista to go under. They’re pretty close to sea level now. And the IPCC measure of a three foot rise has gone by the boards as new research has come in. The melt is accelerating and the feedback loop is intensifying. Everything I’ve seen so far in the legitimate science indicates serious trouble is coming and coming faster than anyone thought. The idea that wider dunes and beaches will be protective is laughable at worst and naive at best. We’re not going to be dealing with erosion, we’re going to be dealing with submersion. Florida is losing land now due to salt water incursion, and in serious amounts. Granted the geologic structure there is different, but in time that won’t matter. We need to be planning for this future, not some vastly expensive sewer system that stands to make a lot of money for a few people, impoverish a bunch of others, and in the end accomplish nothing. And to think that this town can handle such a project, given the problems they had with the limited sewer system in place now, and given the devastating incompetence the town demonstrated in the relatively simple matter of the high school, well, maybe we need to think again.

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