Rising seas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rising seas - Essay Example Currently, the trend of this rise has increased, compared to the past years. Beginning 1850, sea levels rose at a high rate because of high industrialization experienced during this period, which led to increase of greenhouse gas emissions. Scientific predictions show that global temperatures will continue to increase in future, thus further rise in sea levels (Milliman and Haq 11). The adverse effect of this phenomenon is that coastal towns, docks, and piers may be submerged if this trend continues. In addition, an increase in wave energy may be experienced. Therefore, a response to address this situation is imperative to avert the looming adversity. There are different ways in which this situation can be solved. However, preventing further global warming will serve to stop the rise in sea level. Nonetheless, the solutions require the expertise of engineers, including soft-engineering processes and hard-engineering processes. Since this problem is already here with us, the solutions will aim at controlling the risen sea level. However, prevention strategies may as well be employed to reduce global warming, which is core in this situation (Pilkey and Young 137-139). Directing seawater to different areas such as depressions, which are below sea level, will help to lower sea level. This could be achieved by digging canals directed to these depressions, where the seawater will drain. Most of depressions in the world have a higher rate of evaporation than other areas. Therefore, this is advantageous, as the seawater will be drained into these depressions continuously without filling up fast, due to the high evaporation (Milliman and Haq 11). By redirecting rivers and streams either partially or completely to drain their waters in a different place will also reduce the sea level, as the water draining into the oceans will be lower. The development of massive reservoirs for rivers and streams to drain in is costly but achievable. Alternatively, the rivers and streams