Sea level experts convene in Miami

Jeff Burnside in NBC Miami: And you thought the down economy made it hard to sell your home? New scientific data says the sea is rising faster than anyone thought and under worst-case scenarios, much of Miami and South Florida could be under water by the end of the century, unless drastic measures are taken soon.

Some of the world’s leading experts on Arctic climate change are meeting in Miami this week to share the newest science and plot the course for future science. …[T]he cause of this slow, insidious rise in the sea level is coming from thousands of miles away at the Greenland ice sheet. Additionally, new data says the polar ice cap will be completely without ice during a summer within a few years, which compounds the problem under the Florida sunshine.

That is the heavy burden carried by the world’s top Arctic scientists studying the worsening crisis at the top of the world. So it's entirely relevant that they came to Miami, which lies only feet above sea level.

"So the combination of heavier development on the coast and rising sea levels coupled with hurricanes,” said University of Miami Rosensteil oceanographer David Kadko, “Even if they were not more destructive - and there are arguments that they will be more destructive because of climate change - will cause huge amounts of destruction of property and, of course, our insurance rates will go up."

…"It is hard to believe for me, in a time when we have such sophisticated technology where people have the facts that they choose to ignore the facts, and go with emotion and almost a faith-based reaction," said Peter Schloesser of Columbia University and chair of the conference organizing committee. "So in that sense it is clearly disappointing. At the same time, we have to overcome that and keep doing our work."…

Miami by satellite