The hottest months on record, and subsequent warming of the oceans, and melting ice caps and glaciers, are all contributing to sea level rise.Looking at the miles of coastline in our counties, it seems obvious that over the next 25 years, sea level rise will swallow up many square miles of shoreline, and cause arable inland areas to become wetlands.
The Virginia Institute of Marine Science issues annual evaluations of the rate of sea level rise, depicted in the most recent report on a graph that accompanies this article. The annual report card can be found at this site: https://vims.edu/research/products/slrc.
VIMS further breaks down its report by locality, including Gloucester and Mathews counties. These provide a grim forecast for the future appearance and protection requirements for our shorelines. Here is a link to those reports: www.vims.edu/ccrm/research/climate_change/impacts/maps.
We’re not just vulnerable here because of our location, but also our population. The Earth’s heat...