Last weekend, we visited the Florida “mountains.” Though the high elevations in Florida seem like mere hills compared to real mountains, it’s worth learning about an often-overlooked part of the famous Sunshine State, the high plateau. We stayed in quaint Mount Dora, 184 feet above ...
August 31st, 2020 Category: Sea Level Rise
Often, when the topic of rising sea level comes up, people see it as an ocean-issue. That puts it in the broad category of issues like plastics in the ocean, the decline of coral reefs, or overfishing. It’s understandable of course, but opens up the ...
August 24th, 2020 Category: Sea Level Rise
Some of you likely heard about Konrad “Koni” Steffen’s tragic death at his research station on the Greenland Ice Sheet last week. It received global recognition with full feature obituaries including the New York Times and the Washington Post. They described the tragic circumstance and ...
August 17th, 2020 Category: Sea Level Rise
Often the question is asked: which island or nation will disappear first as sea level rises in the coming decades and centuries. This question, though obviously poignant, even sad, turns out to be naïve. How do you define when an island has gone underwater – ...
August 10th, 2020 Category: Sea Level Rise
It may seem subtle, but the trending rate of sea-level rise (SLR) is powerful. Looking back over the last century and a half, the rate of sea-level rise has averaged 1.7 mm per year (seven hundredths of an inch) as shown on the green trend ...
August 3rd, 2020 Category: Sea Level Rise
Water is the defining feature of this planet and fundamental to life as we know it. Most everyone knows that. Of course my special focus is the rise of sea level, primarily as a result of the ice on land melting. Though familiar with many facts ...
July 27th, 2020 Category: Sea Level Rise
The U.S. Government is largely silent about “retreat” from the coastline – or at least does not use that word. Retreat has powerful connotations, particularly for property owners. It implies surrender. It carries great economic and political sensitivity. For many coastal communities it poses ...
July 20th, 2020 Category: Sea Level Rise
Natural gas is a popular form of energy and even a topic of conversation related to energy policy and climate change. Methane is the more scientific term, but essentially the same thing as natural gas. Methane in its raw form, before combustion, can have over ...
July 13th, 2020 Category: Sea Level Rise
“The R word” – is so sensitive that in some circles it is not even discussed. Retreat inland from the coasts due to rising seas and short-term flood-events is an extremely contentious and emotional issue. A visit to the Florida Keys last week was a ...
July 6th, 2020 Category: Sea Level Rise