Major oil ports are threatened by rising sea levels [View all]

(Salon) According to a recent report by the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (ICCI), a worldwide group of scientists who study Earth’s frozen regions, the rapidly accelerating melting of all our ice is raising sea levels. Ironically, this is threatening the very industry overwhelmingly responsible: the fossil fuel industry, which will definitely feel the strain of rising sea levels, which is already impacting coastal regions across the globe.

As a result, oil ports in cities like Houston and Galveston and in nations like China and Saudi Arabia are threatened with being overwhelmed, according to the report. As sea levels rise, coastal communities become increasingly vulnerable to flooding and other extreme weather events. When those events occur, their infrastructure and other valuable resources get compromised.

Much of the damage from rising sea levels is baked into humanity’s future, but these losses can be mitigated. As the authors write, costs and damages will be even more extreme, “with many regions experiencing sea-level rise or water resource loss well beyond adaptation limits in this century if our current level of emissions continues – leading towards a rise of 3º C or more.” .........................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2025/01/16/major-oil-ports-are-threatened-by-rising-sea-levels/?in_brief=true