Sea Level Asterisk
 

Yesterday in a now-closed thread I referenced Anuta Island, a fascinating tiny island in the South Pacific that's been inhabited for almost 400 years, about which there doesn't seem to be much concern over sea level rise.

I just wanted to mention an even better island, Diego Garcia. It's odd that I didn't think of it first since I've actually been there years ago when I was in the Navy. Its average altitude is a mere 4 feet and the highest point is 22 to 30 feet, depending your source. It's been inhabited since the 1790s. It impressed me as being the real Gilligan's Island.

When someone challenges the prevailing view on most science topics, the response is either an unemotional intelligent discussion or a bored blank stare. But on a couple topics, a challenge tends to get a very emotional response. It's a shame.

But I was pleased that that thread didn't attract strong emotion. Maybe that means LQers are more intelligent or better thinkers than the general public.

LQers ARE the general public, just like everyone else.

LQ is not the general public. LQ is a subset of the general public.

Some of the general topics get quite heated.

I'd like to take this occasion to once again express my respect and admiration for Jeremy and any Moderators whose names i don't know for maintaining a truly adult forum where it is expected that even though adults can get heated, they also can reel it in and behave as intelligent gentlemen and possibly show the world that conflict is normal, but only idiots resort to verbal fisticuffs.

To Jeremy and all my LQ compatriots. Salut!

As for sea level rise resulting from Global Climate Change - The name was changed from the simpler "Global Warming" because ...well, it just isn't that simple. Some places get colder and others get warmer and Sea Level rise predictions have been ratcheted back to reflect the more refined, more complicated picture. FWIW slower sea level rise does not refute that on average the billions of tons added each year since coal and oil began to power everything, everywhere has in fact caused an average increase in temperature globally resulting in, among other events a massive change in melting ice at the poles. That is fully documented and the monitoring will only be increased and new evidence and understanding will result. We simply don't know enough yet for predictions on a short term level. Hopefully we will fill in the blanks and if it is a serious threat and in what time frame, as well as discover that in time to do our best to mitigate damage.

The monitoring has been ongoing since the early/mid 19th Century. Observations in France captured local glaciers retreating and scientists of the time failed to connect cause and effect; they understood the micro-climates were warming year-on-year but did not correlate that with physical changes in the global atmosphere. I find it shocking that contemporary research ignores historic measurements and photographic evidence. I suspect there is an exponential growth in greenhouse gasses, causing fluctuations in temperatures, such that a consensus will come too late.