What does climate change mean for me...?

You may have noticed the news article on my blog's marina RSS feed about sea level rise in California. The article --"Venice, Marina del Rey at risk with rising ocean levels"-- reports, "Hundreds of thousands of people and billions of dollars of Golden State infrastructure and property would be at risk if ocean levels rose 55 inches by the end of the century, as computer models suggest."

It got me wondering what was going on in my home state of Rhode Island.

A quick search found a report issued by NOAA's Coastal Services Center that finds, "While a United Nations panel of scientists and government officials is predicting that oceans will rise up to 2 feet by 2100, coastal resource managers in Rhode Island are preparing for the sea to rise 3 to 5 feet. And that estimate is considered conservative." The report continues, noting, "Sea level rise along Rhode Island's coast is contributing to increased coastal flooding and erosion, and has the potential to damage infrastructure and property."

So, what is the reality of this situation? I believe that the truth often lurks in the middle of opposing views. There is clear evidence of global warming. There is less clarity about the rate of change and how much of this change can be attributed to macro, historical climate trends. And, as demonstrated in the two articles above, there are some very interesting propositions about the consequences of climate-change trends on our opposite coasts.

I suspect many of my colleagues and friends have strong opinions on this topic—one way or the other. That's good. To encourage the conversation that needs to happen, the Association of Marina Industries is scheduling a Climate Change workshop in Warwick, Rhode Island, on July 28. This will be, to my knowledge, the first workshop for the marina industry that deals head-on with this issue. Speakers and attendees will review the facts as they are known, learn and understand the range of policies coastal states are considering to address these facts, and discuss practices that can be used by marinas and boatyards to adapt to the situation. This should be the beginning of a productive and interesting conversation.

For more information about this workshop, visit AMI's training and certification page.

-Mark