31stOctober 2018
NEWS RELEASE
ASC'S SEA LEVEL PROJECTIONS TOO CONSERVATIVE
One of the most respected international voices on rising sea level has expressed deep concerns about the figures used as the basis of the recent UK ASC study, considering them to be significantly underestimated.
Responding to The UK Committee on Climate Change's report "Managing the Coast in a Changing Climate", released last week (26 Oct), John Englander, said: "The October 26th report by the Committee on Climate seriously understates the risk, not only in the UK, but globally." The Report looks at the devastating effects to homeowners and communities in the UK, stating that by the 2080s, up to 1.5 million properties (including 1.2 million homes) may be at greater risk of annual flooding, on the basis that sea level increase could be 'one meter at some point in the future'.
Englander disagrees: "We should be planning and preparing for a meter of sea level rise as early as mid-century. For those designing buildings and infrastructure lasting a century, it would be better to plan for two to three meters now.
"Regardless of the best efforts to reduce carbon emissions and slow the warming, the glaciers and ice sheets, mostly on Greenland and Antarctica, will continue to melt for a very long time. The melting of ice on land is the major cause of higher sea level and cannot be stopped for many decades due to the excess heat already stored in the sea, now approximately one degree Celsius warmer than a century ago.
"Designing and adapting to unprecedented higher sea level is the only sensible course of action, since the warmer planet will have rising seas for centuries. Though adapting to higher sea level will be challenging and disruptive, those communities that begin to invest in the future now will be far better positioned and should have far better economic returns than those that delay until the water is actually higher."
Englander maintains that to preserve asset values, to prepare for the future, and reduce losses, Government, professional societies and the private sector should plan for as much as a meter of sea level rise by mid-century and two to three meters for critical durable projects. He applauds the work of the Climate Change Committee to raise public awareness and encourages them to set their targets even higher, as the responsible, cautionary investment looking ahead to mid-century, now only a few decades away. That is well within the useful life of buildings and infrastructure.
Ends
Editors notes:
About John Englander: John Englander is an oceanographer, consultant and leading expert on sea level rise. Englander is author of "Rising Sea Level and the Coming Coastal Crisis" and brings the diverse points of view of an industry scientist, entrepreneur and CEO. For over thirty years, he has been a leader in both the private sector and the non-profit arena, serving as CEO for such noteworthy organizations as The Cousteau Society and The International SeaKeepers Society
About the International Sea Level Institute: The International Sea level Institute is the global leadership centre for understanding and adapting to the challenges of rising sea level. Its purpose is to become a catalyst for smart private and public sector policies, explain the science behind sea level rise to millions around the globe, advance education across multiple professional disciplines and lead the way towards intelligent adaptation.
http://www.sealevelinstitute.org/
for further information contact
Lorraine@ec-pr.com
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