Summary of this Boston Globe article
Post by Eliza Curtis
The United Nations projects that the world is currently on the path towards 3 degrees Celsius of warming (post-industrial levels) by the end of the century. Even with commitments from participating countries, the plans currently in place are simply not enough. With the UN’s Climate Change Conference in Glasgow scheduled for October 31 through November 12, one of the primary questions to tackle will be how to align global efforts with the original Paris Agreement, which aims to cap warming at 1.5 degrees C.
So, what does this mean for Boston? According to Climate Central, many of Boston’s landmarks, including Boston Common, will be underwater if we continue on this current track. While the timeline for this is uncertain, we do know that “what we do in the next 10 years will matter for 10,000 years.” The research organization has released an interactive map that allows users to see with their own eyes the possible extent of sea level rise and its consequences, in both the 1.5 and 3 degrees Celsius scenarios. You can have a look here.
In 1850s Chicago, they raised the city 14 feet to combat flooding and consequent health hazards from Lake Michigan. One wonders what creative solutions the City of Boston may have to dream up in the near future, especially if we fail to aggressively curb our carbon emissions and remain on the globe’s current path.
You must log in to post a comment.