In a recent New York Times article, authored by Denise Lu and
A paper that was published by a science organization in New Jersey on Monday explained that this extensive increase comes following a correction in mapping elevation levels for use in sea level rise models. Researchers at Climate Central, the organization from which the paper comes, have stated that their use of satellite technology had trouble differentiating between the elevation of the actual ground and the tops of large objects, such as trees or buildings. They used corrective AI measures to fix the issue, and given the lowering in the overall elevations after factoring out these tall objects, the total expected underwater area has been severely increased. The image below shows the prediction of sea level rise in Southern Vietnam with both the original and revised study and data.
Many areas around the world that exist in or near coastal areas are at risk, according to the predictions described in the article. Such cities include Alexandria, Egypt; Mumbai, India; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Shanghai, China; Bangkok, Thailand; and Basra, Iraq.
What’s more, multiple factors can very well exacerbate the situation. As stated in the article, the projections and predictions done in the study fail to factor in events such as “future population growth or land lost to coastal erosion.” That’s to say, the model doesn’t even look at how the population will have increased in the next 30 years or the extent to which land masses can be diminished by naturally occurring phenomena.
The challenges imposed by this situation are more than just natural or environmental. They are social and political. With coastal lands being swallowed by water, it will either force people to slowly migrate inwards, migrate to other countries, or it could cause loss of human life. None of these are ideal, as nobody wants to be needlessly thrust from where they are comfortable. The migrations will be sure to cause overcrowding, lack of resources, and may even go so far as to “reignite armed conflict and increase the likelihood of terrorism,” according to a board member of the Center for Climate and Security.
The article does note that many people do live in areas that are beneath sea-level through the use of techniques and equipment, such as levees and dykes. It also goes on to note, however, how these are fallible and not one hundred percent effective. The challenges imposed by sea-level rise in just thirty years could be catastrophic.
As far as applying class concepts to this article, it seems to be relatively straightforward and clear-cut. We have talked at length about how environmental issues are so much more than just that. They often have a slew of undesirable social impacts, as well. Impacts that often times are just as detrimental to the integrity of our world as we know it.
Also, I think our discussions for game theory can, to some extent, be applied here. We talked about how some agents always have a dominant strategy, and some do not. I think in this case, those with dominant strategies are those that live so far inland and that do not have to worry about being directly impacted by the rise in sea level. I think everyone, however, can cause this rise. In the same way that we did the extra credit game with cities fighting over pollution of a shared body of water, the impact of everyone on Earth can cause this sea rise. Like how that body of water reached a tipping point and became so toxic it couldn’t be used by any “city” to make any more money in the game, the actions of anyone living on Earth can cause a cascade of effects that leaves everyone in worse shape. A cascade that can render our Earth (the lake) to be too far gone, past the point of no return We are all agents in this extensive prisoner’s dilemma. Even though the payoff may be more for some to do what is wrong and easy (i.e. to defect!), it would be worthy for all of us to do our part to cooperate and work together.