The Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, And The Remaking Of The Civilized World

Front 1

Where are the major ice sheets that are melting due to human interference and what effect will they have?

Back 1

Greenland and Antarctica. Until just a few decades ago, most scientists believed these ice sheets were so big and so indomitable that not even seven billion humans could impact them. The Arctic, where Greenland is, is the fastest warmeling place on the planet. Sea levels in the immediate area will fall when melting, but rise on the opposite side of the earth. This is caused by the way gravity spreads water around as the Earth spins.

Front 2

How much will sea levels rise by 2100?

Back 2

A 2017 report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, the United States’ top climate science agency, says global sea-level rise could range from about one foot to more than eight feet by 2100.

Front 3

How much did sea levels rise at the end of the last ice age?

Back 3

After the end of the last ice age, there is evidence that the water rose about thirteen feet in a single century. If that were to occur again, it would be a catastrophe for coastal cities around the world, causing hundreds of millions of people to flee from the coastlines and submerging trillions of dollars’ worth of real estate and infrastructure.

Front 4

How will cutting CO2 affect sea-level rise?

Back 4

If heating can be held to about three degrees Fahrenheit above preindustrial temperatures, we might only face two feet of sea-level rise this century, giving people more time to adapt. However, if we don’t end the fossil fuel party, we’re headed for more than eight degrees Fahrenheit of warming. We could get four feet of sea-level rise by the end of the century—or we could get thirteen feet. The long-term consequences are even more alarming. If we burn all the known reserves of coal, oil, and gas on the planet, seas will likely rise by more than two hundred feet in the coming centuries, submerging virtually every major coastal city in the world.

Front 5

Why are the art deco buildings in place like South Florida so poorly constructed?

Back 5

The concrete used in buildings in South Florida was often mixed with salty beach sand or salt water, which corodes the rebar over time and weakens the concrete. There were no building codes in the 1960s

Front 6

Why was a day in prehistoric times quicker than today?

Back 6

A rise in sea levels causes the sea to gather around the equator due to gravity, making it fatter around the middle, which can slow the earth's spin. A day for the dinosaurs was 23 hours.

Front 7

How are tide levels measured today?

Back 7

Tide guages are a pipe on the end of a pier that records ups and downs. Now satellites with microwaves are used. The sea-level rise measured by the Jason 3 satellite bounces radar waves off of the sea surface all around the world. Distortions from tides and waves removed. This is paired with tide gauges and ocean floats.

Front 8

How do buildings in Venice withstand the ocean?

Back 8

Venetian builders entirely submerged timbers in seawater to prevent rotting and capped them in a dense limestone impervious to salt water. Overtime, the buildings were built on top of each other. However, modern brick and marble is highly susceptible to salt water. An outer layer of plaster work acts as a sacrificial layer.

Front 9

How does Venice keep out rising sea levels?

Back 9

The MOSE barrier consists of three seperate flood barriers. Each barrier is made of 20 gates, bound by a hollow hinge on the bottom of the lagoon that can fill with water. In calm weather the gates sit at the bottom of the lagoon. At high tide, water is pumped out of the hinge and the gates float. However, the gate has been massively expensive and linked to corruption. It also may not hold back increasing sea levels rising.

Front 10

How did the US impact the Marshall Islands in the past?

Back 10

For years, the US argued that no Marshallese had been hurt during the nuclear testing. But that was not true. The Bikini Atoll was evacuated, but the wind blew radioactive detritus onto the atolls nearby. Within hours, the atoll was covered with a fine, white, powder like substance. No one knew it was radioactive fallout. The children played in the snow. They ate it. Cancers, particularly of the thyroid, later riddled many survivors

Front 11

How does a desalination plant work and where is the largest one?

Back 11

The biggest desalinization plant in the world is in San Diego. It cost $1 billion to design and build. The plant takes in 100 million gallons of Pacific Ocean water a day and produces 54 million gallons of fresh, drinkable water. That’s only about 10 percent of what San Diego County needs, but it is reliable and drought-proof. It uses a process called reverse osmosis, which forces the seawater through a thin membrane, removing the salt and other impurities. One reason it is so expensive is the tremendous amount of energy that is required to push the water through the membrane—the San Diego plant uses about 35 megawatts of power, which costs about $30 million a year. The high price of desalinization is one reason why 70 percent of the plants in the world are in rich oil nations of the Middle East. Saudi Arabia alone is planning to spend $28 billion constructing new plants in the coming years.

Front 12

What are the Maldives doing to get more income?

Back 12

In 2016, the Maldives parliament passed a constitutional amendment that for the first time allowed foreign ownership of Maldives territory. Specifically, the amendment allows foreigners who invest over $1 billion to own land, provided that at least 70 percent of the land is reclaimed from the sea. Indian officials are concerned that this is an invitation to the Chinese, who have already launched a massive land reclamation project in the South China Sea. Unnamed Indian officials said they are “concerned” that China now plans to do the same in some of the Maldives’ 1,200 islands, which are located strategically in the Indian Ocean.

Front 13

How is the military affected by sea levels rising?

Back 13

The Norfolk Naval Base only has 20-50 years left. Four east coast military bases are also at risk

Front 14

How does the military pass bills through congress regarding sea levels rising?

Back 14

"Sea-level rise" rise is considered a left wing term. "Recurrent flooding" is the acceptable term. Expenditures are often red lined with the word 'climate' in it.

Front 15

How should one respond to someone saying that coastlines are growing, not shrinking?

Back 15

Coastlines are growing, not declining due to island creation and dredging. However, this is not sustainable.

Front 16

How is Lagos in Nigeria working around sea levels rising?

Back 16

A village in Lagos built a floating school shaped like a floating triangle. It was made from 250 oil barrels lashed together. It was two stories and contained class rooms and community meeting areas. It won numerous awards, by it was destroyed in a storm.

Front 17

How should one respond to someone saying "we can't even predict weekly tide rises, how can we predict the global sea level changes"

Back 17

Tides and sea level are very different, daily rides that are based on small and chaotic changes of winds and currents , while sea level is based on long term averages.

Front 18

How did Chicago in the 1850's deal with flooding?

Back 18

They raised the entire city to lay new sewage pipes rather than digging new holes. They raised buildings by 8ft by using thousands of corkscrew jacks to elevate five storey buildings.

Front 19

What is the major issue with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission?

Back 19

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission oversees the safety of nuclear plants in America. It demands operators take into account past natural disasters, but not future ones.

Front 20

What is a radical proposal to drastically stop carbon emissions?

Back 20

Volcanic eruptions alter climate for months by loading skies with tiny particles that act as mini reflectors, shading out sunlight and cooling earth. The idea is to burn sulfate in fuels and spray the particles out of high flying jets (they are harmless to the environment and you could potentially grow ice back). Some thought it required further research, others said climate is too chaotic of a system. However, it would do nothing to ocean acidification. Also, who would have ultimate control over the 'thermostat'?