Sea-level Rise:
A Community Conversation
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By Shauneen Hutchinson
f you are reading this, chances are you live on
or visit Kiawah Island. You are likely one of the
600,000,000 people worldwide who spend time
within a few miles of an ocean. And if you pay
even passing attention to local and international news,
you have read about rising sea levels. Locally dozens of
cities and communities have begun taking a closer look
at the effects that warmer temperatures and melting
Greenland and Antarctica ice sheets have on ocean levels.
Further, any conversation about sea-level rise must
be coupled with concerns about flood mitigation. Rising
sea levels mean greater difficulties in addressing water
from storms. Significant rain events like hurricanes or
the very memorable deluge of October 2017 result in
flooded roads and property damage. Are these issues
that, like the weather, “everybody talks about, but
nobody does anything about?” Perhaps in some places,
inaction may prevail, but not on Kiawah Island. As a
community of energetic, concerned, knowledgeable
people, Kiawah people have not only talked but also
have initiated action to address sea-level rise. In this
article, we take a look at the involvement of Island
organizations and leaders in efforts to ensure that we
do more than stand idly by and watch as the land and
waters around us change.
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