I recently stumbled on a posting at The Climate Reality Project that provides a simple explanation of the relationship between climate change and sea level rise.
- Glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica melt, there’s more water in the ocean, sea level rises.
- Water expands when it gets warmer, sea level rises.
In addition to this simple explanation, it includes a video that shows the effect that sea level rise of 8 inches over the last 130 years is already having on Norfolk Virginia. It should be enough to convince skeptics that the impact of climate change is not scare mongering, but real, serious, and current.
If you want to read more about this issue, this article at Sceptical Science gives a detailed discussion of the extent of sea level rise projected by climate models. The quick summary is that most reputable models show a rise by 2100 of 30 to 80 inches.
Graham, Thanks for your comment which I fully endorse. The Climate Reality Project is one of the featured links we include on our web site. They are doing their part to spread the truth and counteract the organized campaign by the deniers. The truth will eventually prevail, but only if we are vigilant and come to its defense whenever we see the spurious arguments of the deniers.
the climaterealityproject.org — worth a look. fight the climate change deniers!