The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea - A Climate Change Dilemma

Yesterday via a scientific conference in Copenhagen, The World Congress on Climate Change, was the report that previous estimates of sea level rise were wrong and we should expect an increase of at least one metre. This is something I have been reporting here until even my eyes glaze over at the mention of Climate Change. But as Climate Change is the greatest threat that humanity has ever faced, it can not be ignored. Especially as while the evidence is crystal clear that Climate Change is real and that it is Human activity that the cause, there are still people trying to nay say this. What I can not understand is why the media give these people airtime, it only helps slow or prevent action being taken to deal with the problem.

The expected rise in sea levels will happen even if we stop the CO2 today. That means there will be communities in lowland and coastal areas that will suffer as a result of this. The new estimate is in the range of 0.9 to 1.3 metres that’s three feet to four and half feet. However the most alarming aspect of this is that a marine geologist once told me, that for each inch of sea level rise, we loose one hundred yards of foreshore. Therefore it will be impossible to engineer defences to prevent this.

Another detail that has come out of the conference in Copenhagen is the risk of species loss from acidification of the seas from carbon dioxide dissolving in the water, creating carbonic acid changing the Ph of the oceans. As these impact creatures like shellfish that are an important part of the food matrix the ecology of the seas will change. This will impact birds and land mammals too.

There is however an important question mark as to what the actual impact of this acidification will be as the fresh water that will cause the rise in sea levels will slow this. Then we are, metaphorically, caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Either we hope that the sea levels rise and lessen the acidification and prevent the extinction of many species. Or we hope that sea levels do not rise as much and condemn the seas to a loss of forty percent of species.

I am not a pessimist and I do believe that humanity can rise to meet this challenge. But it is worth noting that while other creatures do shape the environment to fit their needs, the human species is the only one that destroys the environment it needs to help it survive. So why can’t we change it for the good of our species?