Atlantic Surging, Virginia Sinking
from the American Prospect:
Atlantic Surging, Virginia Sinking
Rising sea level in Norfolk threatens the town, the Navy, and a state in denial.
Nathalie Baptiste
[font size="1"]The Norfolk Naval Station: At the world's largest naval installation, the carriers will float, but the base could go under.[/font]
Standing at the Elizabeth River looking at the Naval Shipyard and neighboring Portsmouth, the climate change carnage looming over Norfolk, Virginia, may not be immediately noticeable. The water is calm, and on this mild day in November, dedicated boaters cruise downstream. Nestled between the river, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean, Norfolk is paradise for anyone who loves living near the water.
But paradise comes with a price. The combination of sea level rise, tidal flooding, and subsidencethe sinking groundhas made Norfolk a prime example of what climate is going to do, and has already done, to our coastal cities. The city and surrounding region is on the front line in the battle against climate change, but opinions within city limits on just how bad the flooding is and what to do about it appear to be mixed.
The stakes are high in Norfolk, which is home to the headquarters of the Navys Atlantic Fleet. Ignoring the problem will prove costly and dangerous, but for some, tidal flooding and sea level rise are problems for a future generation. The more serious form of denial on climate change is not that of the science-deniers; its the everyday denial on the part of ordinary people, communities, and leaders who cant or wont acknowledge what is lapping at their feet, because the reality is so frightening and the required scale of change is so immense.
In the 1970s, Norfolk averaged less than two flooding events per year. That number has since tripled. But even when the water isnt making roads impassable, the signs of climate change are still there: the rusted base of a street sign, debris lines that form when the water carries litter onto the grass, salt patches where nothing grows, and a walkway thats underwater so often that no one bothers to use it anymore. .....................(more)
The complete piece is at:
http://prospect.org/article/atlantic-surging-virginia-sinking