Sydney could be flooded by sea water annually as climate changes
11 March 2011 (AAP) — Sydney could be swamped by sea waters once a year, instead of once every one hundred years, if nothing is done to address climate change.
The claim is part of the findings of a new report from the Australian Government’s climate change advisor, Professor Ross Garnaut. He says Australia may need to take stronger and more urgent action to tackle global warming as climate science develops and also touches on divisions of public opinion on carbon pricing. Since his last review, some scientists have questioned whether moves to limit temperature increases to two degrees Celsius by 2050 will be enough to avert a serious environmental catastrophe, arguing such a rise will cross into the “extremely dangerous” zone. Professor Garnaut has defended existing United Nations targets but hinted that Australian government policies on pricing carbon may have to be bolstered as climate science advances. “We should be alert to the possibility that the reputable science in future will suggest that it is in Australians’ and humanity’s interests to take much stronger and much more urgent action on climate change than might seem warranted from today’s peer-reviewed published literature,” he said in his paper. “We have to be ready to adjust expectations and policy in response to changes in the wisdom from the mainstream science.”
As the Gillard government struggles to win support for its carbon tax, Professor Garnaut has acknowledged how climate change is polarising political debate. “This turns climate change from a problem based purely in the science to one that is deeply influenced by our society’s culture and values,” he said. The Climate Institute, a member of the non-government roundtable on climate change, said Prof Garnaut’s suggestion on stronger action showed the government needed a carbon price regime with more ambitious targets. … The government’s newly established Climate Commission has welcomed Prof Garnaut’s review, which linked extreme weather with global warming. “Weather conditions that were present during the extreme events of Victoria’s Black Saturday are consistent with conditions that are more likely under global warming,” researcher Professor Will Steffen said. The Climate Commission said there was a 90% probability linking human-induced greenhouse gas emissions with global warming.
I always note these ridiculous disclaimers "if nothing is done to address climate change."
Let's say "something is done". It will NOT stop rising sea levels (for several hundred years), because what is now in motion will take a VERY long time to stop.
All these cities and municipalities and governments and politicians and talking heads seem to forget this very simple fact.
You don't just "remove" all this water (melt) overnight and turn it back into ice. Or suddenly stop catastrophic climate changes (storm surge, flooding, droughts, deluges, hurricanes, typhoons, tornadoes, jet stream, ocean warming, glacial melt, polar melt, etc.)
What is now well in motion will last hundreds of years (at least) — even IF we stopped ALL industrial civilization today.
What these governments and municipalities need to do is instantly recognize that these coastal areas, or drought plagued areas, or flooded areas are already DOOMED as far as humankind is concerned. It's TOO LATE now to "plan" to "save them" in reality.
Seawalls, flood barriers and such like may help some — until they are overwhelmed.
"Stopping" catastrophic climate is already far, far too late. Mitigation is now the only clear path for action. ~Survival Acres~