Global warming is arguably the largest threat facing humanity today, since 1880 the world 's average temperature has gone up by 0.8 degrees Celsius, and already the effects can be seen with an increase global of cyclones, forest fires, drought and floods. Within the United Kingdom, an increase of 1 degree has occurred since the 1970’s, (Naomi Hicks et al 2013). with this increase in average temperature, the main impact predicted to affect the UK is an increase in the amount of rain in the winter and heat in the summer, (2005 friends of the earth report). The UK Climate Change Risk Assessment for 2017, by the united kingdom’s Committee on Climate Change, summarised that the UK is facing 6 main threats from climate change that need addressing
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Currently, it is estimated that the seas are rising by 3 mm each year, (Jenkins, G J et al, 2008), and due to global warming, there is also an increased magnitude and frequency of storms worldwide. Due to these factors, coastal erosion is becoming a major problem around the globe and within the UK, this can particularly be seen at Aldbrough, on the Holderness coast. The cliffs on this coastline are particularly soft and are made of a mixture of clay, silt, sand, and gravel. This makes the Holderness coastline extremely susceptible to coastal erosion, and presently erosion rates in this area are estimated to be around 1.5 metres per year, and since the roman time, 30 villages have been lost. This coastal erosion is having extreme social, economic and environmental impacts within the area. Farms along the coast are is losing land and profits each year as the land is eroded away, the Industry at Easington in danger as the land has fallen away and the gas terminal is now too close to the sea. This could affect the whole of the UK as a large amount of the North Sea oil is supplied here. This high rate of erosion is also causing the local towns and villages to having to spend millions on sea defences, the sea wall in Easington cost £4.5 million and the rock groynes in Mappleton built in 1991 cost £2 million. This high rate of land loss as caused many of the local areas to go into a spiral of decline as there is now very little new investment to sustain the local communities, also many of the properties along this coastline are losing their value lose their value, which has resulted in placing owners in negative equity, (Patrick Barkham 2015). Along with the local economies being impacted by this sea level rise, the local environment and ecology are also being damaged. The Holderness coast is home to many SSSI’s (sights of
Currently, it is estimated that the seas are rising by 3 mm each year, (Jenkins, G J et al, 2008), and due to global warming, there is also an increased magnitude and frequency of storms worldwide. Due to these factors, coastal erosion is becoming a major problem around the globe and within the UK, this can particularly be seen at Aldbrough, on the Holderness coast. The cliffs on this coastline are particularly soft and are made of a mixture of clay, silt, sand, and gravel. This makes the Holderness coastline extremely susceptible to coastal erosion, and presently erosion rates in this area are estimated to be around 1.5 metres per year, and since the roman time, 30 villages have been lost. This coastal erosion is having extreme social, economic and environmental impacts within the area. Farms along the coast are is losing land and profits each year as the land is eroded away, the Industry at Easington in danger as the land has fallen away and the gas terminal is now too close to the sea. This could affect the whole of the UK as a large amount of the North Sea oil is supplied here. This high rate of erosion is also causing the local towns and villages to having to spend millions on sea defences, the sea wall in Easington cost £4.5 million and the rock groynes in Mappleton built in 1991 cost £2 million. This high rate of land loss as caused many of the local areas to go into a spiral of decline as there is now very little new investment to sustain the local communities, also many of the properties along this coastline are losing their value lose their value, which has resulted in placing owners in negative equity, (Patrick Barkham 2015). Along with the local economies being impacted by this sea level rise, the local environment and ecology are also being damaged. The Holderness coast is home to many SSSI’s (sights of