Scientists concerned about rise of sea level

Climate experts came to the Port City today to talk about sea level rise. Some of their findings don't bode well for our coast. Our coastline is being attacked by polar ice caps thousands of miles away, and its happening faster than we think. The sand and surf at Wrightsville Beach could be just surf in another century. “At some point we will have to move some infrastructure from barrier islands, because the island itself will be moving underneath the infrastructure,” said Brooks Yeager, VP of Clean Air Cool Planet. Sea level around the world is on the rise and experts visiting Wilmington Tuesday said the latest numbers leave part of Wilmington underwater. This animation shows the future 'coastline' around the Port City with the predicted rise of one meter over the next century. That means Wrightsville Beach may be gone. “If you're thinking that you're going to pass along your home on to your children and grandchildren, this predicted sea level rise should make you think about whether that's going to be possible or not,” Yeagar said. NASA chief scientist Richard Bindschadler says the problem the changing polar ice caps. “It's one of the most direct connections that illustrates how what happens thousands of miles away does come to meet us right in our own front and backyards.” These predictions have real consequences. Sea-level rise can result in the loss of millions of dollars in property value, tax revenue, and tourism that would cripple the area's economy. So what can communities do in the meantime? “Accept what the science says is happening and plan for it early rather than late,” Bindschadler said. If nothing is done now, too late might be sooner than we think “There will always be a beach somewhere, but it might be a lot further inland than we wish it was,” Yeagar said. There are steps you can take to fight sea level rise at home. Conserving energy will help reduce carbon emissions, the main culprit in climate change.