At this time, the Climate Reality program is on a 24-hour long world-wide tour. Organized by (Vice) President Gore, this program moves time-zone by time-zone around the world, laying out the truth of climate science, things that are occurring to help turn the tide on Global Warming’s rising seas, realities of the time zone or location for that ‘time zone’, and to try to spark a wake-up call for the United States (and the globe) about climate denial.
As I type this, listening in to a panel, the comment: “The most important place to go is renewables …”
And, well, while there is truth about science and the planet, and then there is truthiness. While Gore and colleagues and collaborators are laying basic truths and critical issues of physical reality, we confront the reality of the reason this 24 hour marathon is required: that one of the two American political parties is dominated by anti-science ideologues who are, literally, willing to let the planet (or, well, at least portions — like a good part of Texas) burn before they will question their ideology and open their eyes to actual science. And, well, it continues as it types, I hear Sarah Palin talk about “Gore-Gate” … We have a majority party in the House of Representatives working hard to make political hay by distorting Solyndra’s bankruptcy and will then use this as a hammer to try to kill off clean energy. And, via that, dig our holes even deeper.
Our challenge is worsening … figuring out how to have the reality of science to lead to dominance over this ‘reality’ of politics. After all, when they conflict, political reality doesn’t win out over physical reality …
The last session will be from New York City. The page describing just one set of implication for NYC:
A Megacity Inching Closer to Sea Level
There are few places as diverse and as international as New York City. Located on a large natural harbor on the Atlantic Coast of the United States, New York boasts a population of close to 9 million people. New York is home to people with roots in more than a hundred different countries, speaking more than two hundred different languages, and professing every faith. How do you get such a big, diverse and densely populated city ready for climate change? That’s what planners in New York are grappling with as they come to grips with preparing the city for sea level rise.
New York Harbor has already experienced sea level rise of 15 inches in the last 150 years, with another 2-10 inches projected by the 2020s and 7-29 inches projected by mid-century. As sea levels rise, roads and homes will be increasingly flooded, drinking water may become contaminated by saltwater, and pollution from flooded sewers will increase. And that’s without the addition of stronger hurricanes, one potential impact of climate change. New York is already vulnerable to up to 30 feet of flooding during a hurricane. High seas and stronger storms are a recipe for disaster for one of the world’s great cities.
You, too, can follow along at the site and via Twitter.
Happily (or sadly …), the material will be archived and available for watching (at least for awhile). Right now, for example, is a section discussing how companies have been funding anti-science for decades, from tobacco to today. Not ‘news’ to me but a well done video show images and voices and … worth seeing and contemplating.