The Netherlands, New Orleans, and Dealing with Sea Level Rise

In class 4 we watched a video about the amazing Dutch engineers managing the Netherlands water issues over centuries, but especially dramatic efforts since the late 1950's..... Holland's Barriers to the Sea. The New Orleans perspective begins about minute 32, and based on joint efforts of understanding for best options going forward, both New Orleans and the Netherlands are looking to use the Mississippi and the Rhine River runoff sediment to build up (elevate) marsh land and farm land surrounding populated areas as an additional protection.

In Delaware, we are in some ways doing the same, although in a more man made form. We are extensively dredging the Delaware River channel in the Delaware Bay to enable deeper draft, more economical ships to reach the ports of Wilmington and Philadelphia......AND we are using much of the dredged materials to rebuild bay and coastal dunes for protection from storms and sea level rise.

Two other short Dutch videos explained their ingenious approaches to floating homes and farms:
Flood Proof Homes the Dutch Way   
Floating Farm Rotterdam

So in our final class, we will explore how Delaware might utilize what others are doing around the World to help us plan to deal with sea level rise more effectively. Joan and I hope you will come to our last class brimming-over with good ideas which we can pass on to those in power in Delaware.

Dealing with Sea Level Rise Class 3 Links

In this class, we watched the first 2 minutes of a video about Norfolk, VA, we discussed Dike considerations, and we covered New York City, Miami/South Florida, Alaska and Bangladesh.

The links to Videos shown today are as follows:
Norfolk  
New York City's $20 BN Plan
Is Miami Beach Doomed?  (first FL video)
South Florida Sea Level Rise (second FL video)

The link to the New York City Panel on Climate Change 2015 Report 

For the next class, Joan and I plan to cover New Orleans, Assateague, the Netherlands and Pacific Island Nations.

Based on a question in today's class, I did research what businesses in Coney Island, Brooklyn NY, are doing to plan for sea level rise, and seems they are still investing to make a quick buck before they go under for good. For a dramatic series of 50 photos after Hurricane Sandy.

And as another option, Walking on Water, as I am doing in the below pic. Storm-petrel Bill.

Safe Coast Virginia Report, July 2014

The full 62 page Safe Coast Virginia report is available HERE as a pdf. Rae Tyson, one of the 3 main authors, presented a summary to our Dealing with Sea Level Rise class today. His perspective of the challenges ahead was very eye opening, especially considering the new Administration in Washington. The figures in this presentation are excellent at helping convey the message, plus there are 113 linked references if you really want to delve deeper (pun intended).

Dealing with Sea Level Rise - Osher Class 1 Summary

Joan and I were glad to see the high level of interest from those who are taking the class. Following is the text from select slides, as well as links to some of the videos we watched.

Class Syllabus:
1. Causes of sea level rise - class 1
2. Forecast of future sea level rise - class 1
3. Regions of the World most affected - class 1
4. Responses being taken - class 2
5. Responses in specific locations
:
 - Norfolk and Tidewater VA - class 2 by Rae Tyson
 
- New Orleans
 - class timing for following TBD
 - South Florida
 
- New York City

 - Netherlands
 - Island Nations

 - Alaska

 - Delaware
 - Locations of class interest - Galveston TX, SC Islands, San Diego CA, Venice Italy

Four Basic Causes of Sea Level Rise
1. Melting of land based ice
2. Thermal expansion of the oceans
3. Land subsidence
4. Land based water inventory changes

1. Melting of Land Based Ice
  Max Potential Contributions, source USGS
- Greenland: +6 meters sea level rise
- West Antarctica: +5 meters
- East Antarctica: + 68 meters
- Other land based ice, Alps, Andes, etc: +1 meter
- An ice-free World:  +80 meters sea level rise

2. Thermal Expansion of Oceans
  Max Potential Contribution at + 3 deg C air temp rise
  + 1.5  meters, source David Archer, The Long Thaw

3. Land subsidence
- Very localized, but significant in some locations like Norfolk, VA

4. Land based water inventory changes
- like using slowly replenished ground water for irrigation
- significant in many ways, but currently not in sea level rise

Videos and links Documenting Changes Taking Place
- Yale Forum video on West Antarctic ice sheet
- NASA Video on Greenland ice sheet changes
- Argo Array of worldwide ocean buoys measuring ocean temp vs depth (+ more)



From David Archer's book, The Long Thaw