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goltz20707 t1_j8phszf wrote

I see a number of comments here like, “sea levels are going to rise X feet, but I’m Y feet above sea level, so I’m fine.”

No. No, you’re not.

Remember how, not that long ago, all the closures and disruption from COVID-19 totally screwed up the supply chain? Well, the vast majority of the nation’s commerce, and that of other nations, flows through oceanside ports, ports that will be largely unusable for a good period of time once the seas rise. Probably for decades, even if we start adapting them now.

Oil, LPG, JP-1, imports from China, exports, everything non-domestic that doesn’t come from or go to Canada or Mexico, all of it flows through oceanside ports, many of which will be shut down or impaired.

And, just like there are many major cities near the ocean, there are many major airports. Inland airports will still be functional (although see above re: JP-1), but our air traffic control system is largely at capacity now. Diverting all the flights from JFK, Miami, etc. to other airports is going to create the mother of all air traffic jams.

And except for digital traffic, air and water transport is all there is for intercontinental commerce. (I suppose we could use suborbital rockets, but that doesn’t scale well.)

The upshot is, once the sea levels rise—and it’s a when, not an if—take COVID levels of disruption and multiply them by 20. At minimum.

This is on track to happen within 10 years.

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octopusarian t1_j8pwojn wrote

Ugh I remember having this moment during the toilet paper crisis. Sitting in my room alone, early quarantine, staring at the wall just thinking "fuck. If this is what a virus does to us, what's gonna happen when climate change finally peaks?"

Like nearly everything that props up society was buckling at that point and all we had to do was stay inside ffs. I want to be optimistic but it was a real wake up moment...

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ThinkSleepKoya t1_j8ps66p wrote

I really, REALLY want to think you're just some rando on the internet trying to troll people into being afraid, but I have a gut feeling that you are not wrong. And that scares me.

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goltz20707 t1_j8psntw wrote

If it helps, I’m not a meteorologist, climatologist, international trade expert, sailor, pilot, air traffic controller, or really any kind of expert whatsoever.

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