Solutions for the Sea on the Rise

Elias Almarez-Herrera
Staff Writer

Over the past century, we have seen a large rise in sea levels. According to National Geographic, “[the sea level] has risen by 4 to 8 inches [and] the annual rate of rise over the past 20 years has been 0.13 inches a year, roughly twice the average speed of the preceding 80 years.”

Scientists report that the primary cause of the rising sea level is global warming, the increase of the Earth’s temperature due to greenhouse gasses, carbon dioxide, and other pollutants. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists in the United States of America (UCSUSA), global warming has caused the average temperature of the Earth to increase by 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature increase on Earth has caused the heating of ocean water, ice caps and glaciers in West Antarctica and Greenland to melt.

These strains on the ocean have caused the water levels to expand and rise. Immediate problems on Earth like destructive erosion, flooding of wetlands, contamination of aquifers and agricultural soils, and lost habitats for fish, birds, and plants can all be attributed to rising sea levels. At this rate, the sea level will rise up to 6.5 feet by the year 2100, which is enough to completely submerge entire cities around the world.

Since the problem can be distinguished as global warming, the solution can be found in reversing the effects of global warming. Lowering our energy consumption levels and using smarter energy efficient products. These small changes in our lifestyles can greatly affect the lives we, and future generations, lead.