Name

Ms. LeMieux
Gov/ Econ
Mr. Tronconi
Enviro. Eng.
Mr. Swedlow
Eng. 12
19 December 2016
Policy Paper : Sea Level Rise
I. Introduction-Background
Sea level rise occurs when the ocean water expands due to the temperature increase, also
called thermal expansion, and when large amounts of ice melt such as land ice sheets, polar ice
caps and glaciers. Currently, the global sea level rise is increasing at rapid rates caused by these
factors, but at a much faster rate.
II. Problem Statement
An estimated 13.1 million Americans will be affected by sea level rise in the US by year
2100 (Lavelle). There are projections of a 5.9 foot sea level rise in coastal areas due to warming
oceans, global temperature increase of 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit, melting of ice sheets, of polar ice
caps, and glaciers (ibid.).
III. Objective
The objective is to slow sea level rise in the country. The way to do that is to construct
levees, storm walls, and seawalls. The other way is by cutting emissions of certain pollutants.
The final way is to create adaptation plans for communities to follow. These ways give the
opportunity to slow sea level rise.
IV. Research

The global sea level is rising at fast rates, mainly caused from the release of huge
amounts of heat trapping gases entering the atmosphere. The heat trapping gasses caused by
human activity come from burning fossil fuels, burning coal, burning oil and the cut down of
tropical forests ("Causes of Sea Level). From the years 1972 to 2008, melting land ice had
increased to 0.5 inches a decade and thermal expansion had increased to 0.3 inches a decade.
From the years 1993 to 2008, melting land ice had also increased to 0.7 inches a decade, and
thermal expansion also increased to 0.3 inches a decade. Sea level rise puts our coasts at risk;
roughly a third of the U.S. population who live in the coastal areas are at risk (ibid.).
Amplified storm surges can make sea level rise worse - it allows waves to penetrate
further inland, and cause high winds to push water more inland ("Causes of Sea Level..). Storm
surges can also occur on top of elevated water levels and cause damage to homes and
infrastructure. Permanent inundation will happen in low-lying coastal land areas. An example
would be Florida: it is at risk of extreme flooding, and losing one trillion dollars worth of
infrastructures such as property, roads, buildings, and power supplies. Saltwater intrusion will
occur, and fresh groundwater sources near coastal areas will be contaminated. Drinking and
agriculture water will have an increase of salinity (ibid.).
It is said that humans are the main contributors to global warming, thus contributing to
thermal expansion causing Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets to melt and raise sea levels
(Hollingsworth). Others believe scientific studies show that there are no observable human
activity effects, that affect global warming in sea level rise (Hollingsworth). Contributors will be
nature contributions from climate systems that are the oceans, ice sheets, glaciers, atmosphere,
and land water reservoirs but not caused by human activity (ibid.). Researchers found that earths
surface, including coastal areas, has gained more land in the past 30 years than sea level has
withdrawn (ibid.).
V. Analysis of Options
The first option to prevent and slow sea level rise is to cut emissions of certain short-lived
pollutants such as methane, black carbon, hydrofluorocarbon, etc. This option can cost a lot of
money for companies if they are the ones to use or make the pollutants in their manufacturing

buildings. The companies will have to cut down in manufacturing to reduce the increase of
greenhouse gases. The second option is to create adaptation plans for communities to follow;
create natural buffers, construct levees, storm walls, and seawalls (Lausche). Though the down
side to adaptation plans is that not everyone will comply and it will take a lot of money and time
to build buffers and walls. The third option is to leave things as is; people will learn how to adapt
to the changes. The downside is that it might be too late to do any changes.
VI. Recommendation
The ideal option is to create adaptation plans for communities. We should use the
opportunity to educate and make them aware of the situation (Lausche). Infrastructures near
coasts can have resilience plans that will minimize the risks of flooding (Thead). New York City
is an example that looks at the flood analysis and the destruction made by Sandy and develop
adaptive plans to prevent flooding and use mitigation strategies (ibid.). We should create policies
that people can follow, and create job opportunities for construction companies that will benefit
from construction, natural buffers, and walls.

Annotated Bibliography

Boening, Carmen. "Understanding Sea Level Observations." NASA. NASA, n.d. Web. 14
Nov. 2016. (NEUTRAL)

Summary: This web page talked more of the method used to measure and observe the
changes of sea level rise. The observations are made from space with satellite altimetry
and gravimetry, satellites that are from Europe, the United States, and France. To find the
changes of sea level rise they use the sum of mass and density changes to figure the total
sea level change. The satellite can also see the movement of water that flows between the
land and the ocean.
Evaluation: I trust that this information is good because it comes from NASA a well
known research institute. I must say that this source is more accurate, compared to other

sources. I think that this web page is reliable. It gives good information, such as, giving
the time and how much data it has collected in the years it's been in space.
"Causes of Sea Level Rise: What the Science Tells Us (2013)." Union of Concerned Scientists.
Union of Concerned Scientists, Apr. 2013. Web. 2 Dec. 2016.

Summary: The article says that millions of people living in the coastal areas; east coast,
Gulf of Mexico, are going to be affected by sea level rise. Due to the local and regional
factors, the sea level is rising at fast rate. Another primary cause for sea level rise is
Global Warming because the atmospheric temperature has increased by one-point-four
degrees Fahrenheit. The article also tells about projections that indicate that there will be
an eight-inch increase by twenty-one-hundred. In addition, it gave suggestions of what
can be done to reduce the long term disasters that will occur.
Evaluation: This article was more of a factual article that based its information from,
Causes of Sea Level Rise fact sheet. The article was not a bias, it wasnt saying that sea
level really exist. The article gave the facts first and explained why sea level rise actually
exists. I would say that this article is reliable.

Gillis, Justin. "Seas Are Rising at Fastest Rate in Last 28 Centuries." The New York Times.
The New York Times, 22 Feb. 2016. Web. 14 Nov. 2016. (PRO)

Summary: The main argument of this article is that sea level is occurring and occurring at
fast rates. People are the main contributors to this fact. People are the ones that produce
these greenhouse gas emissions by burning lots of fossil fuels. Sea level rise cause
countries that contain fresh bodies of water to be polluted by saltwater. Sates of these
countries suffer greatly by the devastations that occur. Giving us limited amounts of
freshwater resources. It's confirmed by scientist that sea level rise will rise up to three or
four feet high within the coming years. It's told that the temperature change is also one of
the key factors that help contribute to sea level rise.

Evaluation: I'd say that this article is a reliable source; it's an article that comes from a
well known newspaper. It gave good information, most based off of researchers. It talked
about the contributors who contribute to sea level rise and in what way it is affecting us.
It is a bias source because it talks about the things sea level rise is bad for.

Hollingsworth, Barbara. "Four Studies Find 'No Observable Sea-Level Effect' From
Man-Made Global Warming." CNSNews.com, 14 Sept. 2016. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.
(CON)

Summary: This article believes Global warming caused by humans isn't the cause of sea
level rise. There are other factors that contribute to the increase of the sea level rise; ice
sheets, glaciers, water reservoirs, and the atmosphere, that is the climate system.
Research has shown that coasts around the world are getting bigger. Sea level rise is
actually creating more land. The opposite of what others believe, where land is retreating,
getting smaller.
Evaluation: I believe that the information given in the article is trustworthy. The
information given was backed up by research and researchers. The article was a bit bias,
saying that global warming caused by human activity isnt the cause of the increase of
sea level.

Lausche, Barbara J. Policy Tools For Local Adaptation To Sea Level Rise (n.d):n.pag. Marine
Policy Institute at Mote Marine Laboratory, Oct. 2009. Web. 16 Nov. 2016.

Summary: Adaptations are being made by governments to stop the upcoming sea level
rise. Many actions have already been put in motion to reduce the amount of greenhouse
gas emissions that going into the atmosphere. Policies already put in place are those of
Local comprehensive land use plans, Coastal management and beach preservation
authority, Ecosystem conservation policies, Major public facility and infrastructure

investments, and Post-disaster redevelopment planning to help communities adapt to sea

level rise in Florida.
Evaluation: This source talked greatly of adaptation methods that could help lower the
fast increasing sea level rise. It gave great points of why the policy adaptations should be
effective. This source really was towards preventing great long lasting devastations it
could have on the state's economic and welling being of the citizen. The source was very
useful.
Lavelle, Marianne. "Americans in Danger From Rising Seas Could Triple." National
Geographic. National Geographic Society, 14 Mar. 2016. Web. 2 Dec. 2016.

Summary: The National Geographic article says that many people who live in the coastal
areas will move more towards the southeastern states. That areas in the northern eastern
areas and west coast will have very little impact. It also mentioned that there are
three-hundred-nineteen U.S. counties at risk of inundation. There are people that are
trying to create scenarios of sea level rise to have an idea of what it might look for certain
places.
Evaluation: I think this article was pretty reliable, it comes from a well known
organization. It was nice to have an image of the counties that are more prone to being
drowned. I would say this was not so much a bias source. It gave good points of which
counties were being affected more.

Thead, Erin A. "Sea Level Rise: Risk and Resilience in Coastal Cities." Climate Institute.
Climate Institute, 11 Oct. 2016. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.

Summary: Sea level rise doesn't occur equally around the world because of factors, such
as, oceanic currents and the local terrains and more. So, the chance to have a rise in sea
level in that area can be minimal. A factor to the increasing amounts of seawater is the
melting of glaciers and land ice. The cause of this is the increase in temperature of the

atmosphere that also increase the warmth of the ocean, thus causing the increase of
melting ice. The most affected to this rapidly changing sea, are the residents that live
closer to the coast. Cities that are prone to flood zones in the near future look at the
effects of Sandy to analyze ways to stop future flood zones and storm surges by
constructing storm walls and levees. People around the world are trying to construct
resilience plans. Many are taking this in consideration because it's shown that sea levels
have risen almost three inches globally in the recent twenty years. There is also pointing
evidence that there will be an estimated increase of seawater of three or six point six feet
by two-thousand one hundred.
Evaluation: This web page contains good key facts that help understand the gravity of the
situation. I'd say that this source is pretty reliable, even though it is a bit bias. The source
also gives examples of things that can occur in different places. It talks about how people
are trying to prevent flood zones from happening by constructions barriers. In all, this
source was fairly useful.