Before leaving my awesome job in corporate America, I was focusing on identifying solution-based projects to help combat the effects of sea level rise. Earlier this year, I left to follow my passion to bring awareness to humanity by focusing on sustainable solutions and pathways helping to reverse climate change through the power of documentary films.
Did you know, there are two major causes for rising sea levels around the world? Oceans continue to warm. They absorb about 90% of heat created from the emissions of human activity, causing the water to go through a state of thermal expansion. Due to increased melting of the polar ice caps, glaciers and ice sheets, sea level rise continues to be a major threat to our cities and our existence on earth! This is a dangerous and costly problem, especially for eight of the ten largest and densely populated cities around the world, as they are located near the water’s edge. Here in the US, about 40% of the population lives in a coastal area.
Sea level rise has many negative effects to our planet and humanity! The warming of our oceans changes regional currents. It creates breeding grounds for stronger and more frequent storms that continue to wreak havoc on coastal populations and infrastructure. The storms are causing major shoreline erosion, loss of marshes and wetlands, increased risk of flooding, decline of water quality with increased salinity resulting from saltwater intrusion. Saltwater intrusion also impacts agriculture, local ecosystems, and coastal aquifers.
It is important to understand these causes and effects, that I have mentioned, and to be properly prepared for what may come. There is a new tool available, called “The En-Roads Climate Solutions Simulator” to help explore the effects of sea level rise around the world in different coastal communities, through an interactive map. You can even compare how different climate solutions will affect the risk analysis over the coming decades and beyond!
Please have a look at this awesome sustainable solution in the shape of an interactive map to be a tool within your tool belt!