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+--- Thread: Article Current emissions will cause sea level rise for centuries (oceanography) (/thread-19069.html)
Current emissions will cause sea level rise for centuries (oceanography) - C C - Oct 29, 2025
While the Western World dawdles, China is saving the world from climate change. It is the top producer of alternative energy technology (despite China having to continually build more coal plants to power that manufacturing process, and consequently leading the world in overall environmental harm). Unlike the right-wing deniers and the hesitant centrists, the far-left recognizes that climate change is real and serious. We need authoritarian Marxism's special brand of tyranny to force everyone to diminish or prevent the disaster ahead. Since, as this article points, it is just not happening fast and effectively enough in voluntary context...
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Current emissions cause sea level rise for centuries
https://theness.com/neurologicablog/current-emissions-cause-sea-level-rise-for-centuries/#more-15086
EXCERPT: A recent study adds to the mountain of evidence that this is the case. They find that under current climate policies emissions through 2050 lock in 0.3 meters of sea level rise through 2300. If current policy continues through 2090 then the locked in sea level rise will be about 0.8 meters. If, on the other hand, we make significant efforts to reduce emissions, we can reduce this locked in sea level rise by 0.6 meters. The point is, what we do now will impact global coastlines for centuries. And while 0.8 meters may not sound like a lot, that is an average with some areas experiencing much more. That is also enough to cause significant displacement of coastal populations.
Meanwhile, it is during this time period (the first half of the 21st century) that the consensus of climate experts was pretty solid – the evidence is clear that greenhouse gas emissions are trapping heat and causing average global warming. You could argue that this consensus existed earlier, but 2000 is a convenient round number – by then there was no reasonable denial of that consensus. And of course, I am talking about the big picture, not all the tiny details. It was clear we needed to think of ways to move our civilization away from burning more and more fossil fuel. In 2016 the Paris Accords were signed, formalizing global recognition that we need to collectively address this issue. This makes it difficult to deny that we did not recognize there was a problem and that we urgently need to do something about it.
I would also argue that between 2000 and 2025 the technology to address our dependence on fossil fuel improved dramatically. Renewable forms of energy, including wind and solar, became the cheapest form of new energy to add to our production. Battery technology also improved dramatically. For example, typical commercial solar panels are about twice as efficient at converting sunlight to electricity in 2025 from 2000. The cost of solar energy has decreased by 80% over this same time. The price of Li-ion batteries has dropped by 97% in the last three decades. The cost of electric vehicles is also decreasing. Right now on average (there are lots of variables) you need to own an EV for about 5 years before they become cheaper to own than an ICE vehicle. On average people keep their cars for 8.4 years, which means for most people and most cars, EVs are cheaper overall.
I could (and have) do a deep dive on each individual technology, as well as nuclear, pumped-hydro grid storage, grid upgrades, geothermal, and others. The bottom line of all of this is that we currently have the technology to significantly transition our various technology sectors to be more electricity-based and for that electricity to be generated using low-carbon sources. Yes, this would require some investment. But these investments are largely in infrastructure, and they will be cost-effective in the long term. Yes there are challenges, and you can raise them as if they are deal-killers, but they are not. For every issue there is one or more potential solutions.
In other words – there really is no excuse. Future generations will likely look back at this time period as reckless, selfish, and dysfunctional. I know I am projecting into the future, which is extremely difficult, but this is a reasonable inference from all available data. There are many things we can be doing which we are not... (MORE - missing details)