1

The Rising Sea Levels Due to Climate Change

Oga Lesmana

Institutional Affiliation

Course

Instructor Name

Date
 2

The Rising Sea Levels Due to Climate Change

The persistent and destructive tsunamis, hurricanes, and tornadoes over the recent

years should come as an early wake-up call that the cosmic balance of gravitation and other

influences that kept the world stable are rapidly changing. It is even worrying that climate

change is the cause of rising sea levels which in a matter of a few years will result in different

forms of disasters across the globe, particularly for low-lying cities. According to Alaktif

(2020), apparently, 8 out of 10 of the world’s largest cities are near a coastline and the

potential for habitual disasters is exacerbated by the fact these cities hold high-population

densities with a growing trend of more people migrating globally to cities. Society today, and

into the future should awaken to the reality that the earth is not all-forgiving and if the trend

of climate change is not addressed, humanity itself will be critically threatened on all fronts.

Rising sea levels are, therefore, a call for immediate action.

            Climate change is a self-evident phenomenon of our times. Recent environmental

catastrophes everywhere attest to this realism even without scientific explanation. However,

it has been found that the real cause of these dynamics is the rising level of atmospheric and

ocean temperatures. Although sea-level surges may be evidenced in some locations more

than others, geographical and topographical factors account for these differences. In the

experience of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans was hit hardest by the flooding on the account

that the city is low lying and the water management pumps were submerged hindering

effective drainage efforts. Moreover, the balance is adversely affected by the intense

withdrawal of groundwater and fossil fuels which alter ocean current trends. Furthermore, the

balance between landmass and the compressive weight of Ice age glaciers is another factor

causing the readjustments in oceans (Alaktif, 2020).

 3

            The rate at which the sea levels are expected to rise depends largely on the rate at

which the glaciers and ice sheets melt in the arctic, mainly in Greenland. In research

conducted in 2012, the U.S. Climate Change Program concluded that global sea levels will

rise at least 8 inches and not above 2 meters by 2100 (McKibben, 2019). The rise will be

accompanied by massive disruption of climatic and weather systems as well as catastrophes

of devastating magnitude if a remedy is not sought immediately. Nevertheless, rising sea

levels are part of a cycle that begins when human activity emits heat-trapping effuse into the

atmosphere with no regard for the consequences. Greenhouse gases like Carbon dioxide trap

more heat into the atmosphere and the result is the melting of glacial ice and rise in ocean

temperatures. Apart from the greenhouse effect, other gases like sulphur dioxide and nitrogen

dioxide have adverse effects because they cause acid rain. The earth’s biosphere is composed

of massive interdependencies that determine the fate of the environment as the sole boundary

of the survival of life. 

            The solution to global warming and the resulting environmental effects begins with

public education. Raising awareness and the deepening of scientific research into the risk

factors like greenhouse gas emission will go a long way to change the consumption

behaviours and dispositions when relevant government incentives are given in the economy.

For instance, in commuter services, the Uber-like sharing economy promises a greater

reduction in the output of greenhouse gases if the company adopts electric cars. According to

Alaktif (2020), disaster preparedness among communities should also be advanced because it

helps mitigate the effects of disasters associated with rising sea levels. After the devastation

of Hurricane Katrina, many programs have been rolled out to help communities deal with

disasters from a more informed outlook.  

            In conclusion, despite many challenges along the way, the commitments to direct the

global economy in ways that advance environmental sustainability are underway in every
 4

country. Rising sea levels are the result of a well-established system of global warming and

the rate at which such trends advance has signalled a warning that must be addressed

immediately rather than later. Whereas corporate America has shown a bold step in the

direction of energy efficiency and a resilient electric grid, local players in every town should

take the challenge to advance in the same direction. To date, the U.S. is leading in solar

power investments, nuclear energy, and other environmentally safe forms of utilities. The

new frontier should be to adapt cities and societies in manners that mitigate the magnitude of

causalities and destruction to private property when hurricanes and storms strike cities.
 5

References

Alaktif, J., Callens, S. (2020). Migration and Climate Change: From the Emergence of

Human Cultures to Contemporary Management in Organizations. United

Kingdom: Wiley.

McKibben, B. (2019). Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?. United

States: Henry Holt and Company.