Crumbling Coastlines in Crisis

Dr. Peter Carter, Paul Beckwith and Regina Valdez discuss the challenges we face as a result of crumbling coastlines caused by Sea Level Rise (SLR), thawing permafrost, and the loss of Arctic sea ice.

This video was recorded on July 9th, 2021, and published on July 28th, 2021.

Topics discussed include the following:

• The amount of SLR seen since 1950 in various cities and regions of the United States. Estimates of the cost adapting to these rising levels are also included.
• The fact that despite being an inland city, even Chicago is vulnerable to the effects of Climate Change due to the resulting erratic water levels that surround it.
• The recent leak of the IPCC Sixth Assessment saying how climate change will fundamentally reshape life on Earth in the coming decades even if humans can tame their climate warming GHG emissions.
• There is mention of Katey Walter Anthony’s studies of the thawing permafrost and her finding of methane releases being 12 time more than estimates.
• How much of the 6th mass extinction is taking place largely on our coastlines, estuaries, and wetlands near the coast.
• The numerous, sometimes obscure, factors that cause SLR.
• How ocean waves are getting bigger and contributing to our crumbling coastlines.
• The recent Condo collapse in Surfside Florida is discussed along with some of the underlying causes of this tragic event.
• The effect of SLR on small island nation’s fresh water supply.
• How SLR and associated erosion of the our coastlines is presenting risks to coastal Nuclear Waste storage sites.
• The recent subway flooding in NYC caused by tropical storm Elsa is discussed.

Links:

• Climate Change vs. Chicago: NYT Article Shows City’s Vulnerabilities
• IPCC 6th Assessment report
• Katey Walter Anthony - Arctic Climate Threat–Methane from Thawing Permafrost – Scientific American
• Tsar Bomba
• Hail, tornadoes and flooded New York subways as stormy weather hits east coast

Panelists:

• Dr. Peter Carter - MD, Expert IPCC Reviewer and the director of the Climate Emergency Institute

• Paul Beckwith - Climate Systems Scientist. Professor at the University of Ottawa’s Paleoclimatology Laboratory as well as at Carleton University

• Regina Valdez - Program Director, Climate Reality Project, NYC. GreenFaith Fellow and LEED Green Associate

Video Production:

• Charles Gregoire – Climate Reality Leader, Electrical Engineer, Webmaster and IT prime for FacingFuture.Earth and the Climate Emergency Forum

• Heidi Brault - Climate Reality Leader, BA(Psychology), Library & Information Technician Diploma - Video production and website assistant - Organizer and convener, Metadata technician, COP26 Team Lead for FacingFuture.Earth and the Climate Emergency Forum.

Attributions:

Background Music:

• Title: Through the City II
• Author: Crowander
• Source: Free Music Archive
• License: BY-NC 4.0

Image and Video:

• Image and Video Attributions