National Geographic states: Scientific research indicates sea levels worldwide have been rising at a rate of 0.14 inches (3.5 millimeters) per year since the early 1990s. The trend, linked to global warming, puts thousands of coastal cities, like Venice, Italy, (seen here during a historic flood in 2008), and even whole islands at risk of being claimed by the ocean.
And, from WIKIPEDIA: Sea levels around the world are rising. Current sea-level rise potentially affects human populations (e.g., those living in coastal regions and on islands)[2] and the natural environment (e.g., marine ecosystems).[3] Between 1870 and 2004, global average sea levels rose 195 mm (7.7 in).[4] From 1950 to 2009, measurements show an average annual rise in sea level of 1.7 ± 0.3 mm per year, with satellite data showing a rise of 3.3 ± 0.4 mm per year from 1993 to 2009,[5] a faster rate of increase than previously estimated.[6] It is unclear whether the increased rate reflects an increase in the underlying long-term trend.[7]
Two main factors contributed to observed sea level rise.[8] The first is thermal expansion: as ocean water warms, it expands.[9] The second is from the contribution of land-based ice due to increased melting. The major store of water on land is found in glaciers and ice sheets.
Vinny
yeah, like the waters have risen about the thickness of a guitar pick in the last 1000 years. Everyone now worrying about drowning. New york spending millions on seawalls to protect the people. Global Warming is a farce, a cash cow for liberal greed mongers that exploit the people and put fear into them. read 'AlGore" .. You are finding now that the global warming farce has come to a head since the incident where several global warming scientists were caught on tape laughing about the farce, but the knew they were getting g'ment backing so they lied. (They changed the name to climate change) Now Obama is trying to 'kick start' it again. I think its rather arrogant the we in this century think we are much smarter than future generations being able to work out their own problems as we do ours today.
Bob/PKB
I'm not a big news fan and I prefer fiction when I read. Anything that comes out of a liberal's mouth is suspect, in my opinion (most conservatives, too, but not quite as much).
I think the point is, when we look at the messes OUR ancestors left for US to clean up, we try to avoid leaving bigger messes for OUR descendants. It makes sense to me, the concept more than the methods.
Vinny
Not sure i know what mess our ancestors left us? According to the Global people we humans don't deserve earth. I think our ancestors left us a lot--true! The pyramids, Stonehenge, Easter Island, Moai statues, terracotta Soldiers in China, etc.. I don't want to clean that up. We will leave our artifacts too. I-phones, nose rings, Burger King wrappers, and a few rusted cars. :)
Bob/PKB
Radford University has an environmental timeline from 1940-1960 that is informative and interesting. The following regards "Global Warming" and came out in 1953. Thought of you.
1953 -- May 4 -- Gilbert N. Plass presents paper on global warming at American Geophysical Union. The Washington Post story (May 5) says:
World Industry, pouring its exhausts into the air, may be making the earth's climate warmer, a Johns Hopkins physicist, reported here yesterday. Releases of carbon dioxide from burning coals and oils, said Dr. Gilbert N. Plass, blanket the earth's surface 'like glass in a greenhouse.' So much carbon dioxide has been released in this industrial century that the earth's average temperature is rising 1 1/2 degrees (F) a century, he said. Similar but more naturally caused changes in the air's carbon dioxide content may account for the ice ages and warm intervals in geologic time, he added... Latest experimental and theoretical calculations, he reported, show that doubling the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere causes surface temperatures to rise four degrees (F) if no other changes occur. But, he added, still other earth warming factors mahy also be triggered by increased carbon dioxide in the air. It could cause less rainfall by its effect on the clouds and less cloud cover for the earth,' both tending to make the climate warmer and drier,' he said. Dr Plass said the newer calculations bolster the theory first proposed in 1861 that decreases in the carbon dioxide content of the earth's atmosphere caused the ice ages in geologic history. The theory, he said, has not generally been accepted because the effects 'appeared to be too small.' It appears now, he said, that even the physicists supporting the theory underestimated the climate-changing effects of the carbon dioxide content in the earth's atmosphere. ("Industrial Gasses Warming Up Earth, Physicist Notes Here," Washington Post, May 5, p. 5, probably by Nate Haseltine).
Vinny
I see words like 'may be' "The theory" and other unstable disclaimers in this report. Not unusual. We breath out carbon dioxide, carbon is the make up of our planet, its the cycling process. heat is a result of the sun. 'Greenhouse effect'?? Just jump on a jet and get up to about 35,000 feet, take a look out the window, the earth is the most beautiful blue, white beautiful clouds encompassing the most gorgeous planet in our solar system. The sun a giant fireball keeps us alive, we are a pinhead in volume to the size of the sun. The plants, trees, all vegetation thrives on carbon dioxide! at one time, it was called 'fertilizer', plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. This once again is life's cycle. Do I believe there is a warming?? Of course i do, our beautiful earth is also caught up in this life cycle, we already know by studying other solar systems that one day as a lightbuld, the sun will surge as it burns out finally and at this time, the earth will be a cinder in the vast of space, then the sun will finally burn out and become a chunk of carbon itself - a dwarf. This natural phenomena is not caused by humans, its caused by nature itself.. The cycle of life. Unless of course, for trillions of years all supernovas are caused by humans. The inevitable end of earth/our solar system and all life as we know it is coming, not in our lifetime abd probably not for billions of years into the future, even trillions. We can not stop or alter nature. I am looking out the window here in CA right now, its a gorgeous day, bright blue skies and it must be cold at about 25,000 feet because the cirrus clouds are stretched from horizon to horizon. Lets enjoy life, earth and live our own life cycle as nature intended it. nature will take care of herself, if 'she' didn't want us here, she would have made it difficult for us to multiply as she had done with so many other species of lifeforms in the past. Who knows, one day she may get pissed off at us too and make us extinct. :)
Bob/PKB
It's a little different in the San Joaquin Valley, as a lot of bad stuff gets in our air. People developing asthma over time, but MY whole song and dance is to tread lightly on the earth, not littering, recycling, composting if you can, growing organic., etc. Take care of the earth, not abuse it. Many people do, so on the small scale, not bad. Industries who dump poisons and sewage, frigate oil spills, arson....those are beyond yout personal control. But I understand what you're saying and have no argument with it.
Vinny
Of course I have argument with it! You are talking about slobs that don't care! I care, I'm not a slob. i can't stand to see people trashing the land i walk on. I have nothing against recycling, although i also know that its a B I G money making partial scheme. The industry and theier contribution to pollution and filth is pretty much under control, problem is that many industries due to environmental concerns have now closed shop and moved to China, Indonesia, etc and we have lost many jobs, now obama is attacking the coal industry, this too will put thousands out of work. I do care for the environment anmd I want change and this change is already going on but another problem is-- You can't cut off your nose in spite of your face.. This is what these enviro-nuts are doing to us, they are chopping away at american industry, they are costing us jobs and they are ruining our economy. I would be as upset about it if we had something to take its place and new jobs to offer in its place but we dont! The drive for clean energy is going to be just that, a drive sanctioned and supported by our g'ment (solyndra) and we will never get there as long as the free money flows to these companies. We need to pull ourselves away from oil dependance of course and we need to pull ourselves away from foreign oil; and we can do that if we were allowed to drill our own! Hopefully in 50+ years we won't need it but we must survive these next 50+ years! Obama's plan is going to cause energy prices to soar! as if it isn't already too high for the average American, no jobs, low wages, high cost of the basic necessities. How can we 'average' Americans survive?? The rich have their loopholes, the poor has thei handouts, what about the middle class?? We are pulling the wagon. EPA needs to back off and let us go back to work and become the super nation we once was. We don't need to get there by being dirty and polluting- We have the technology to build and do it cleanly, let the g'ment put our tax dollars in America's 'working' people, not just the chosen few.