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Do Paris Agreement Temperature Goals Address Sea Level Rise and Climate Justice?

Union of Concerned Scientists

Sea level rise presents numerous climate justice issues. New research that I led as part of my PhD dissertation, which was just published in Earth’s Future , digs deep into the topic of sea level rise and climate justice. Climate justice research can help inform these conversations.

Sea Level 230
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Sea level in the IPCC 6th assessment report (AR6)

Real Climate

My top 3 impressions up-front: The sea level projections for the year 2100 have been adjusted upwards again. The IPCC gives more consideration to the large long-term sea-level rise beyond the year 2100. And here is the key sea-level graphic from the Summary for Policy Makers: Source: IPCC AR6, Figure SPM.8.

Sea Level 353
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Sea Level Rise Legislation Gets Second Chance

Legal Planet

Imperial Beach is one of many California communities vulnerable to sea level rise. This week, Senator Ben Allen introduced SB 1078 , a bill that would create a Sea Level Rise Revolving Loan Pilot Program to help coastal cities plan proactively for the effects of climate change. Photo credit: sk8mama, Flickr.

Sea Level 235
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Why is future sea level rise still so uncertain?

Real Climate

Three new papers in the last couple of weeks have each made separate claims about whether sea level rise from the loss of ice in West Antarctica is more or less than you might have thought last month and with more or less certainty. Meanwhile Bedmap3 is underway.

Sea Level 250
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Dr. Shaina Sadai Talks About COP27, Climate Justice, Sea Level Rise, and Corporate Accountability

Union of Concerned Scientists

An expert on sea level dynamics and climate justice within the UN negotiations, Dr. Sadai is working to ensure that her scientific studies get in the hands of decisionmakers who are shaping our world today. UCS’s new Hitz Family Climate fellow, Dr. Shaina Sadai , is stepping into this emerging area of work.

Sea Level 187
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Earth911 Podcast: Oceanographer John Englander Shares a 2023 Sea Level Rise Update

Earth 911

Sea level rise due to melting glaciers on Greenland and in the Arctic and Antarctic. The post Earth911 Podcast: Oceanographer John Englander Shares a 2023 Sea Level Rise Update appeared first on Earth911.

Sea Level 112
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How Sea-level Rise Impacts Marsh Sparrows

Cool Green Science

Scientists are studying the effects of sea-level rise on salt marshes, and two imperiled sparrow species. The post How Sea-level Rise Impacts Marsh Sparrows appeared first on Cool Green Science.

Sea Level 133
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Sea Level Rise Caused an Extra $8 Billion in Losses During Hurricane Sandy

Yale E360

A new study estimates that roughly $8 billion of the $63 billion in damages caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 can be attributed to sea level rise of just four inches caused by global warming. Read more on E360 ?.

Sea Level 152
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The Stream, November 16, 2021: Residents in Banjul Slums Face Flooding As Sea Levels Rise

Circle of Blue

Low-income residents in the slums of Gambia’s capital city face severe flooding as sea levels rise and infrastructure deteriorates. The Guardian reports that low-income residents in the slums of Gambia’s capital city, Banjul, disproportionately suffer from flooding as sea levels continue to rise and overflow a local canal.

Sea Level 130
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New Federal Report Warns of Accelerating Impacts From Sea Level Rise

Inside Climate News

The global average sea level is rising 2 inches per decade and speeding up, but in some regions, the rate is more than twice that fast.

Sea Level 100
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The Stream, August 4, 2021: Experts Say Rising Sea Levels and Flooding Could Make Lagos Uninhabitable

Circle of Blue

Lagos, Nigeria , could be uninhabitable by the end of the century as flooding events worsen and sea levels continue to rise. Rising Sea Levels and Erosion Threaten To Drown Lagos. Lagos, Nigeria, may become uninhabitable by the end of the century as sea levels rise due to climate change, CNN reports.

Sea Level 130
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Climate Change: Rise in Global Sea Levels

Environmental Law Reporter

Climate Change: Rise in Global Sea Levels Rachel Jean-Baptiste Wed, 03/01/2023 - 06:30 Volume 53 Issue 3

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As sea levels rise, coastal megacities will need more than flood barriers

Environmental News Bits

In Africa, the continent’s largest city, Lagos in Nigeria, … Continue reading As sea levels rise, coastal megacities will need more than flood barriers. In northeast India, some residents have been forced to rebuild their homes at least eight times in the past decade.

Sea Level 105
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Resilience of U.S. coastal wetlands to accelerating sea level rise

Environmental News Bits

Although accelerating sea level rise (SLR) poses the long-term threat of inundation to coastal areas, wetlands may be sustained in two ways: by positive net surface-elevation change … Continue reading Resilience of U.S. coastal wetlands to accelerating sea level rise. .; Kulp, Scott; Strauss, Benjamin.

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As sea levels rise, septic waste may leak into coastal homes

Inhabitant

The global consequences of sea level rise — flooding, destruction of wetlands habitat, increased storm surges — are devastating. But the personal consequences are both terrifying and disgusting. Millions of people in coastal communities could find raw sewage oozing into their homes.

Sea Level 100
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What’s really driving ‘climate gentrification’ in Miami? It isn’t fear of sea-level rise

Environmental News Bits

It isn’t fear of sea-level rise. Its streets are lined with small homes and colorful shops that cater to the neighborhood, a predominantly Afro-Caribbean population with a median household income well below Miami’s. But Little Haiti’s character may be … Continue reading What’s really driving ‘climate gentrification’ in Miami?

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Rising Seas, Rising Stakes: The Case for an International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion 

Union of Concerned Scientists

My research looks at issues of climate justice internationally, particularly as they relate to sea level rise and the Paris Agreement. Sea levels will continue to rise for hundreds of years from just the heat-trapping emissions that are happening today, and once they rise the levels will remain that way for thousands of years.

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5 ways climate change increases the threat of tsunamis, from collapsing ice shelves to sea level rise

Environmental News Bits

In Tonga, waves about 2 metres high were recorded before the sea level gauge failed, and… Read more →

Sea Level 105
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Greenland ice sheet set to raise sea levels by nearly a foot, study finds

Environmental News Bits

percent … Continue reading Greenland ice sheet set to raise sea levels by nearly a foot, study finds. Human-driven climate change has set in motion massive ice losses in Greenland that couldn’t be halted even if the world stopped emitting greenhouse gases today, according to a new study published Monday.

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New knowledge about ice sheet movement can shed light on when sea levels will rise

Environmental News Bits

This can increase melting, especially in a warming climate, which is … Continue reading New knowledge about ice sheet movement can shed light on when sea levels will rise

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Track sea-level changes anywhere with NASA’s new SEA tool

Environmental News Bits

NASA’s newly updated online tool, SEA (Sea-level Evaluation and Assessment), provides a snapshot of the ocean’s rise or fall for locations across the planet. Read the full story from NASA. It covers the period between 1993 and 2019. Read more →

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What drives sea level rise? US report warns of 1-foot rise within three decades and more frequent flooding

Environmental News Bits

by Jianjun Yin, University of Arizona Sea levels are rising, and that will bring profound flood risks to large parts of the Gulf and Atlantic coasts over the next three decades. A new report led by scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warns that the U.S.

Sea Level 105
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Extreme sea levels to become much more common worldwide as Earth warms

Environmental News Bits

A new study predicts that extreme sea levels — exceptionally high seas due to the combination of tide, waves and storm surge — along coastlines the world over will become 100 times more frequent by the end of the century in about half of the… Read more →

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East Coast flooding is a reminder that sea level is rising as the climate warms – here’s why the ocean is pouring in more often

Environmental News Bits

High tides are part of the problem, but there’s another risk that has been slowly creeping up: sea level rise. Since 1880, average global sea levels have risen… Read more → East Coast has been experiencing hurricane-like flooding in recent days, with Georgia and the Carolinas getting the latest round.

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Melting zombie ice is worsening sea level rise in Greenland

Inhabitant

A new study published in the Journal Nature Climate Change shows that "zombie ice" could increase the previously predicted sea level rise by up to 10 inches or more. Zombie ice," which refers to dead ice melting, is going to make sea level rise worse in the coming years.

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Art installation raises concerns on the rising sea level

Inhabitant

Petersburg, Florida is already struggling with the effects of significant rising sea level. TIDAL, created by The Urban Conga, is an art installation that uses play to spark conversations about this important topic related to climate change.

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Lake formation and expansion due to sea-level rise causes freshwater resource depletion on small islands

Environmental News Bits

Coastal regions and small ocean islands face significant risks from rising sea levels due to climate change, because waters can flood and inundate low-lying land surfaces. Read the full story from the Geological Society of America. Read more →

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Saltwater Intrusion, a “Slow Poison” to East Coast Drinking Water

Circle of Blue

Summer tourism, sea level rise, and storm surges threaten East Coast wells. Hilton Head is fast becoming a prominent test case of rising sea levels and intense coastal storms heralded by climate change. So if you have enough freshwater on land, then it balances out sea level. Picture credit: Jeeban Panthi.

Sea Level 340
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Shifting Sands: Carolina's Outer Banks Face a Precarious Future

Yale E360

Now, as sea level rises and storms become more frequent and powerful, the famed vacation spot is fighting an increasingly difficult battle to keep from washing away. Despite the risks of building on barrier islands, developers kept constructing homes on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Read more on E360 ?.

Sea Level 315
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U.S. Sea-Level Rise and High Tide Flooding, 1920-2020

Environmental Law Reporter

Sea-Level Rise and High Tide Flooding, 1920-2020. Rachel Jean-Baptiste. Tue, 03/01/2022 - 05:30.

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As Climate Fears Mount, Some in U.S. Are Deciding to Relocate

Yale E360

As wildfires worsen and sea levels rise, a small but growing number of Americans are choosing to move to places such as New England or the Appalachian Mountains that are seen as safe havens from climate change. Researchers say this phenomenon will intensify in the coming decades. Read more on E360 ?.

Sea Level 344
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The IPCC Sixth Assessment Report

Real Climate

Half a dozen takeaways from the report from Gavin Sea Level Rise in AR6 from Stefan (coming soon) A Tale of Two Hockey Sticks by Mike #NotAllModels discusses the use (and mis-use) of the CMIP6 ensemble by Gavin We are not reaching 1.5ºC earlier than previously thought from guest authors Malte Meinshausen, Zebedee Nicholls and Piers Forster.

Sea Level 361
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From Research to Action: The Growing Impact of Attribution Science

Union of Concerned Scientists

By comparing these two data sets, scientists can determine the probability that human activities are responsible for observed changes in temperature, precipitation patterns, sea level rise, and other climate change indicators.

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One of the World’s Coldest Places Is Now the Warmest it’s Been in 1,000 Years, Scientists Say

Inside Climate News

Ice in Greenland, one of the planet's refrigerators, is defrosting, leading to melting events that could raise sea levels 20 inches by the end of the century.

Sea Level 142
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Dead Tree Standing: Saltwater Threatens Coastal Forests and Ecosystem Services

Circle of Blue

As sea levels rise, ghost forests expand. Sea level rise is causing ghost forests to expand along the east coast, with hotspots in New Jersey, Maryland, and North Carolina. The second is biology: trees grow far slower than marsh plants, and far slower than the pace of sea level rise.

Sea Level 340
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“Fighting for Inches” in the Southeast’s Struggle With Salt

Circle of Blue

Despite promising adaptation strategies, sea level rise is projected to drown tens of thousands of acres of farmland within the century. Atlantic sea levels are rising three to four times faster than the global ocean average. Saltwater intrusion on Chalmers’ rice paddies is forcing him to look for land elsewhere.

Sea Level 321
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Climate Adaptation Moves Toward Center Stage

Legal Planet

billion to help communities deal with risks from heat waves, sea-level rise, and flooding. The bill includes $1.5 billion for forest and wildfire resilience; $5.2 billion for drought response and water resilience; and $3.7

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U.S. Commits $75 Million to Relocate Three Tribes Threatened by Climate Change

Yale E360

Bureau of Indian Affairs will grant three tribes $25 million each to relocate homes, schools, and critical infrastructure threatened by sea-level rise, flooding, and erosion. These are the first grants distributed under a program aimed at helping tribes cope with climate change. Read more on E360 →.

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AR6 of the best

Real Climate

Sea level rise is a big deal Use, abuse and misuse of the CMIP6 ensemble The radiative forcing bar chart has gone full circle Droughts and floods are complicated Don’t mention the hiatus. Sea Level Rise: The previous IPCC reports, notably AR4 and AR5 (to a lesser extent) , have had a hard time dealing with SLR.

Sea Level 354
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Most big coastal cities have areas sinking faster than sea level rise

New Scientist

44 of the 48 most populous coastal cities have areas sinking faster than the sea is rising, driven by groundwater pumping and compacted soil from heavy buildings

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Louisiana Policymakers: To Solve the Dead Zone, Climate Change, and COVID-19, Embrace Equitable, Science-Based Policies Now

Union of Concerned Scientists

People in Louisiana face a series of interconnected challenges: climate change causing sea level rise and extreme weather; the Gulf Coast dead zone affecting the fishing industry; and high rates of COVID-19 transmission.

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The Acceleration of an Antarctic Glacier Shows How Global Warming Can Rapidly Break Up Polar Ice and Raise Sea Level

Inside Climate News

New research on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet tracked the disintegration of a floating ice shelf and how that accelerated the flow of the Pine Island Glacier to the sea.

Sea Level 138
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Komodo dragon in danger of extinction as sea levels rise

Environmental News Bits

The komodo dragon, the world’s largest lizard, is threatened with extinction as rising water levels driven by the climate crisis shrink its habitat, according to the latest “red list” update. Read the full story in The Guardian. Read more →