A study by the University of Colorado at Boulder is shedding new light on the environmental consequences of climate change. As feared, researchers found that sea levels have risen as a result of melting ice caps.
The findings present disturbing evidence of a loss of 4.3 trillion tons or 1,000 cubic miles from the ice caps. This has contributed to a rise of 0.5 inches to the global sea level. What makes this information especially critical is the time period involved. Researchers used satellite imagery data from 2003 to 2010. Previous estimates by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) put the increase in sea level between 0.6 and 2 feet at the end of the century.
Environmental Risks
The risks of rising sea levels is greatest in coastal communities. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that up to 43 percent of wetlands would be lost with a two-foot rise in sea level. The brunt of this loss would occur in Louisiana.
The Gulf of Mexico is notorious for its dead zone, an area of low oxygen that cannot support aquatic life. The wetlands of this area are vital for controlling the flow of toxins into the water. Wetlands filter water and remove contaminants. With the loss of wetlands in Louisiana, there stands a greater risk the the dead zone will increase substantially.
Contributors to the Problem
The dead zone of the Gulf of Mexico is a national problem. The entire drainage basin of the Mississippi River contributes in some way. It encompasses over 1.2 million square miles, draining all or parts of 31 states and two Canadian provinces. It is exceeded in size only by the drainage basins of the Amazon and Congo Rivers.
The pressure on the surrounding wetlands is enormous. This makes any further impact an environmental risk on a grand scale. Nearly every aspect of the economy stands to lose, from tourism to the commercial fishing industry to housing. With an economy as vulnerable as it is now, additional pressure could be catastrophic.
As with other uses of satellite imagery, the findings of the University of Colorado study should serve as a wake-up call. Recovery from an environmental disaster on this scale may be virtually impossible.
