“West African Coastal Towns Swallowed by Ocean”
I was fortunate to come across a story of African coastal climate change in an article published this week called “West African Coastal Towns Swallowed by Ocean”. Specifically, in relation to this week’s topic of smart building, this article made me think about how difficult it must be to build smart and sustainable coastal protections in the context of abject poverty and government dereliction.
This article caught my eye as I was scrolling through my news feed and I am glad it did because it did a phenomenal job of briefly detailing the lives of members of Ivory Coast community and how they are affected by coastal change on a micro-level. For example, one resident of an Ivory Coast town explained, “There used to be people living here. There used to be coconut trees.” Not only is the beach being eroded, but the economic livelihoods of those who lived in the area were destroyed, as well. For a country with already-low income levels, this is devestating. According to another, “the river mouth is stuck in the sand. We can’t cross with the boat,” he says.
This article also highlighted human influence in the matter. In Grand-Lahou, nearby government dams, as well as the local practice of taking sand to build houses, have exacerbated the issue of coastal degradation. This leaves me wondering how a community is to mitigate coastal damage when they are reliant on sand to build their homes. Similarly, government activity in damming nearby rivers has altered coastal processes, causing further damage to local populations.
Further still, this article highlights how biodiversity is affected by all of the coastal changes. For example, Barthelemy Bemba, director of the Center for Ocean Research in Abidjan, says that in the lagoon, there were mangroves that grow in saltwater. He explains that when the river mouth is closed, the lagoon becomes freshwater and the mangroves die off. The problem is that the mangroves are requisite for biodiversity. If the mangroves die, fishing industry dies as well. This shows that not only is it the physical change to the environment, there are broader biological consequences, as well.
Members of communities that rely on the coastal areas’ health will become climate refugees and be forced to move inland. We hear so much about refugees of violence that we fail to think about climate refugees and how they can move on. This is something I will be thinking about in the coming days.
Reference:
http://www.voanews.com/content/west-african-coastal-towns-swallowed-by-ocean/3417750.html
How carbon emissions could impact future Storms!
In recent years we have seen powerful storms ravage our coasts, and in 2015 Hurricane Patricia grew from a tropical storm to a powerful category 5 hurricane in less than 24 hours. Lee (2015) discussed Hurricane Patricia in an article published on National Geographic, and contributed the swift intensification as partly due to the deep warm waters off the pacific coast of Mexico. This article made me question how global warming will impact powerful “warm core” storms. This thought led me to an article by Roach (2005), which discussed how global warming is projected to impact hurricanes. Roach (2005) discussed that over the last three decades the duration and strength of hurricanes have grown by 50 percent. The article sites that one of the key ingredients for powerful storms is warm water, and considering the unusually warm waters and the powerful-swift intensification of Hurricane Patricia, warming seas could have considerable impacts on storms in the future.
If ocean temperature continue to rise as forecasted, because of the carbon we are emitting into the atmosphere, I imagine we will see more intense storms in the future. Hurricane Patricia grew in strength so quickly, that I fear that our ability to forecast storms in a timely manner will decrease with the storm’s ability to rapidly change. Our coasts are already in jeopardy from warming and rising seas. Homes along the coast are vulnerable to powerful storms, and I fear that homes more inland will experience storm threats as coastlines that now exist vanish as the ocean level rises. Storm surge will probably be larger and more damaging as winds increase. The main reason our oceans are warming is because of our carbon emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. We, as a society, have the power to influence future storms in a sense, if we decrease the carbon we are emitting into the air. Hurricanes are just one of the many scary consequences the world will face as temperatures rise. We just bought a house near the North Carolina Coast, but inland enough to be out of the flood zone. However, I do have a fear that in 30 or 40 years my home may not be in the “safe zone” it is now.
References:
Lee, J. (2015, October 23). What Makes Patricia the Most Powerful Hurricane Ever? Retrieved June 19, 2016, from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/10/151023-patricia-hurricane-strongest-history-weather-atmosphere/
Roach, J. (2005, August 4). Is Global Warming Making Hurricanes Worse? Retrieved June 19, 2016, from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0804_050804_hurricanewarming.html
NASA: photos of impact of climate change on coastal areas
Images published this week by NASA’s climate change group provide a dramatic look at how climate change, over the course of a few short years, has shaped our world today.
Given that one of my majors is African Studies, I am particularly interested in how climate change affects geology and society in African countries. NASA’s photos depict a whiting event, presumably caused by chemical changes in Lake Kivu in central Africa. This may be due, in part, to human influence on the climate and is troubling because the massive lake is the source of sustenance for many living around it, providing drinking water, fish, and a transportation route for nearly two million people (NASA, 2016).
Further, NASA’s images captured the effects of an unusually strong tropical disturbance in Mozambique, which caused heavy rainfall and consequent flooding in areas around the Licungo and other rivers. These events, in addition to others not captured in the photos published by NASA this week, are very concerning in light of population growth and coastal development in many African countries. Like many other developing areas in the world, African countries are increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters. Given the dependence of many Africans on coastal ecosystems for their livelihoods and well-being, it is particularly concerning that coastal flooding will increase in the future, posing a great dilemma for countries who already exhibit difficulty in supporting their growing populations.
Additionally, with increased risk of climate change-induced severe weather events, I am especially concerned about how flooding may exacerbate health issues posed by already-destitute sanitation in many coastal African countries. With increased coastal flooding, we may see higher rates of malaria; as the anopheles mosquito (the vector for malaria) thrives in areas with a high population density and stagnant water; and other associated vector-borne illnesses.
I am excited to learn more about coastal processes throughout this course and to connect my learning with my prior understanding of Africa and the world. I hope you all have a great week and I look forward to reading your reflections!
References:
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=87931
https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/climate-change/climate-change-affects-shown-in-nasa-images-highlight-drastic-impact/news-story/0d03453643648bd96ff4e4cc5af0221b
Introduction
Hi my name is Janie Saile. I am currently a student athlete entering my senior year at Penn State Abington. I am a business major with a management/marketing option with a minor in criminal justice. I am taking this class mostly to fulfill my gen-ed science requirement but also because of my love of oceans and the beach. I recently bought a paddle board and there was something about paddling around the bay looking at the marshes and different animals and sea life that really intrigued me. One day when I was out, myself and another paddler found and old crab trap that had probably fallen off of a boat with turtles stuck it. We tried to free the turtles but we had no way of opening the trap. It was really sad to see that they were trapped. It showed me that no matter what if left behind, it had can a drastic impact on the ecosystems and society. I am excited to learn more about coastlines and what affects natural disasters can have on ecosystems such as how dunes protect beach towns.
My References
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/coastal-flooding-us-cities-18148
I forgot to add this to my blog…
Sea Level Rise Making Floods Routine for Coastal Cities
The article I chose to discuss is “Sea Level Rise Making Floods Routine for Coastal Cities” by John Upton. It is common sense that if you live near an ocean, that flooding could happen to you at some point due to an hurricane, tidal wave, etc. But researchers are warning that increased sea levels can make flooding a more normal occurring event.
Some researchers predict that tidal flooding could become the new normal in the next 15 years; “we didn’t think it would be so soon,” said Melanie Fitzpatrick, one of three researchers at the nonprofit who analyzed tide gauge data and sea level projections, producing soused prognoses for scores of coastal Americans. “If you live on a coast and haven’t seen coastal flooding yet, just give it a few years. You will.” This is of course is very terrifying news to those that live at or near the coast.
Fitzpatrick and the other researchers used information they obtained from the recent National Climate Assessment such as intermediate-to-high sea level rise projections to help guide their predictions for future coastal flooding rates. As the article states “those projections included a rise in sea levels of five inches between 2012 and 2030, and a rise of nearly a foot between 2012 and 2045. To help consider the effects of local conditions, such as the sinking lands of the mid-Atlantic coast, the group used data compiled by Climate Central’s team of scientists”.
The researchers selected 52 locations that stretched from Portland, ME, to Freeport, Texas. Theses locations were selected because the of the number of flood advisories based on local tide gauge recordings there. This allowed researchers to use historical flooding rates and compare those with projected future rates.
According to Upton’s article, “these 52 communities studied can expect a tripling in the frequency of high-tide flooding during the next 15 years, the researchers concluded. Half of the communities studied are expected to be flooded more than two dozen times every year by 2030.
Cara Antonaccio introduction
Hello, all! My name is Cara Antonaccio and I am a senior majoring in Health Policy and African Studies. I attended Penn State at U Park and loved every minute of it. Now, I live in New Jersey and am working at the Department of Health Management. I am taking this course in place of EARTH 105 (Environments of Africa). This is my last semester at Penn State and I will be attending Johns Hopkins in the fall for graduate studies in Population, Family, and Reproductive Health.
I am interested in EARTH 107 course material because I realize that with climate change and broader human influence on coastal processes, many communities are faced with vulnerable livelihoods and unsure futures. This will affect health in many ways, which I hope to brainstorm across the course of EARTH 107. I look forward to discussing these issues with all of you!
Angela in Missouri
Good Afternoon from Missouri, my name is Angela Turner. I am majoring in International Politics with a focus in National Security. Looking to graduate in 2018.
When I’m not in class my days are spent coaching cross country, volunteering with the Make A Wish Foundation, and spending time with my amazing 3 month old son.
I hope to gain a better understanding of coastal processes and how they effect the communities surrounding them. Additionally, I am interested in learning and brainstorming new ideas to mitigate the potential hazards.
This is not my first online course, however it is my first online course with Penn State and I am thrilled to begin!
Hello!
Hello!
I’m Christine and i’m currently a junior majoring in Labor and Employment Relations. I’ve been a Penn State student for quite some time now having taken classes at Hazleton, Harrisburg, and University Park before beginning at World Campus last fall. In addition to being a full-time student I work (full-time) at Hershey Medical Center as well as being a member of the PA Air National Guard so free time isn’t something I get much of! When I do get a chance to relax I mountain bike, hike, read, and occasionally have a Netflix binge.
I decided to take Earth 107 because I took a Geoscience course last fall and enjoyed learning about the earth and it’s processes. I’m genuinely excited to take this course and am looking forward to expanding my knowledge of the earth!
I’ve taken many online courses prior to Earth 107. I got to experience Canvas last semester and it made miss ANGEL very much. I’m hoping that some improvements are made before the fall semester begins!
Good luck to all my classmates this semester!
-Christine