Sea Level Rise: A Slow Tsunami on America’s Shores

Description

The consequences of twenty-first-century sea level rise on the United States and its nearly 90,000 miles of shoreline will be immense: Miami and New Orleans will disappear; many nuclear and other power plants, hundreds of wastewater plants and toxic waste sites, and oil production facilities will be at risk; port infrastructures will need to be raised; and over ten million Americans fleeing rising seas will become climate refugees. In Sea Level Rise Orrin H. Pilkey and Keith C. Pilkey argue that the only feasible response along much of the U.S. shoreline is an immediate and managed retreat. Among many topics, they examine sea level rise's effects on coastal ecosystems, health, and native Alaskan coastal communities. They also provide guidelines for those living on the coasts or planning on moving to or away from them, as well as the steps local governments should take to prepare for this unstoppable, impending catastrophe. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgments......Page 8 Prologue......Page 12 1. Flee the Sea: Climate Refugees......Page 20 2. The End of the Inupiat Way of Life......Page 34 3. Lord Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise: Sunny Day Flooding......Page 46 4. Dirty Waters and Worried Minds: Health Concerns in an Age of Climate Change......Page 54 5. The Front Line in the Battle: The U.S. Military......Page 61 6. At-Risk Coastal Environments: Is Resilience Futile?......Page 70 7. The Environmental Impact of Surging Seas: Life at the Edge......Page 89 8. Inundated Infrastructure: Imperiled Energy Facilities......Page 98 9. Coastal Catastrophes: Cities on the Brink......Page 114 10. Under Water: National Flood Insurance and Climate Gentrification......Page 140 11. What You Can Do about Sea Level Rise......Page 155 Appendix A: Global Delta Population Displacement Potential by 2050......Page 170 Appendix B: The Economic and Environmental Price of Holding the Shoreline Still with Hard Stabilization......Page 171 Appendix C: Living with the Shore Book Series......Page 172 References......Page 174 B......Page 204 E......Page 205 I......Page 206 N......Page 207 S......Page 208 Z......Page 209