The Gulf Coast is still reeling after last year’s Hurricane Katrina. This leads us to wonder why America’s coastlines are receding and ultimately disappearing. Some experts attribute this phenomenon to global warming.
According to a report from ABC News, the glaciers of Antarctica and Greenland are melting at double the speed of recent years. This increase in water volume could lead to a steady rise in the oceans, ultimately somewhere from 13 to 20 feet. Harvey Ruvin, an expert and leader of a team tackling the problem, has several ideas for a solution.
Ideas that were suggested for a fix to the problem were things such as
desalinization plants or moving oil plants. One thing is certain, any solution will be costly. Despite the millions or even billions that will be needed to fix the issue, scientists say doing nothing will cause an even greater price to be paid. Tim Flannery, author of “The
Weather Makers,” stated, “There is no point in waiting until we’ve reached that tipping point. It’s too late then, it really is.”
Freshman business administration major, Erin Rafferty, said, “If this keeps happening the result could be tragic. So many areas of the world’s economy could ultimately be affected. The livelihood of so many people will be destroyed.”
The Dutch are no strangers to this problem. Holland is 50 percent below sea level and the government has already invested 8 billion in protecting their coastline. The system employed by the Dutch creates a structure 50 times more sturdy then what was in use in the
city of New Orleans. With the impending threat of another Hurricane Katrina-like event we
wonder how important global warming is to American citizens. Megan Smith, a sophomore elementary education major, said, “I just don’t understand why the government can’t do more. Other countries realized the impending threats. Why did the government just ignore the problem?”
Alicia Purrier, a junior social work major, said, “This matter deserves immediate attention. The public is acting on environmental issues, but we must do more. People need to be aware of their contribution to the depreciation of the environment.”
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