Policies That Try To Stop ‘Global’ Sea-Level Rise Are Costly & Ineffective
A new report published today by the Global Warming Policy Foundation stresses the importance of revising the current expensive policies that seek to mitigate an assumed global sea-level rise by cutting human carbon dioxide emissions.
The report, co-authored by Dr Willem de Lange (Waikato University) and Dr Bob Carter (formerly Otago and James Cook Universities), provides a succinct summary of the primary scientific issues relevant to devising cost-effective policies regarding sea-level change, and identifies that adaptation is more cost-effective than mitigation, a similar conclusion to that reached by the IPCC in their recent 5th Assessment Report.
“Though sea-level change is presented to the public as a singular issue of damaging global rise, such simplicity only exists in the virtual reality imagined by computer models,” said Dr Carter, continuing that “the reality is that at different locations around the world sea-level is either rising or falling at individual rates of up to several mm/year, depending upon the local circumstances.”
The report argues that such local and regional variability must be recognized in any sensible national sea-level policy plan, which must deal with the reality of measured sea-level change on nearby coasts rather than with a notional and speculative global average sea-level.
Dr de Lange stresses that some excellent coastal management plans of this type already exist, for example the UK¹s Thames Estuary 2100 project. “This plan assesses the vulnerability of the City of London to storm surge and flood impacts associated with relative sea-level rise, and it is one of first major flood risk assessments in the world that places adaptation to climate change at its core,” said Dr de Lange.
The new report presents three major sea-level policy conclusions, which are:
- Abandonment of costly and ineffectual policies aimed at stopping ‘global’ sea-level rise.
- Recognition of the local or regional nature of sea-level hazard and the requirement for location specific policy that needs to cover particular cases of both rising and falling sea-level.
- Use of planning controls that are flexible and adaptive in nature, including the deployment of environmentally suitable engineering solutions to particular coastal problems.
I liked a mitigation suggested in a comment section credited to an Australian coastal official “Every 15 years or so, take one step back away from sea.”
I looked at what Australian Climate change expert Tim Flannery, Al Gore and many other leading experts did with the money earned from there advocatory roles. They bought water front houses. So did I. If they don’t think the sea level is going to rise as indicated by there actions, ignoring there words, why should I take them seriously. It’s just a money making business.
Michael Gordon:
My survey of NOAA mean SL charts shows that all gauges in Wash. & Or. show a flat trend beginning before 2000, excepting the Neah Bay. It seems that you have not studied these, or you have some other uncited source. I sugest that you study the data source That I cited so that you can better judge for yourself.
In fact you err if you attribute anything but a flat trend to any west coast NOAA SL gauge. Again, urge that you study the NOAA data.
Richard Weatherly:
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I did. The NOAA mean SL data shows for this century a flat trend for Gulf Coast gauges. Go see for yourself. Beware of other sources that cite NOAA, such as PSMSL or the U of Colorado. These fabricate rising sea levels.
The SL business is just more of the global warming propaganda machine. Do not believe satelite altimetry- it is rigged. Use data fgron NOAA or some such reliable source.
Well when Bermuda starts to suffer drastic sea rises, then there will be something to worry about.
It’s highest point is only 150 ft absl.
Don’t spend anything, just make sure you move to higher ground before your beachfront property becomes worthless. Also, don’t tell anyone. If too many people know, your property may lose it’s value before you manage to sell it!