Will Sea Level Rise Affect Your Favorite Vacation Spot?
C3 is working with two area high-school interns Ian Helgerson (Western Albemarle High School) and Amelia Lewis (Monticello High School) on best practices in advocacy communications.
Who doesn't love a day or week-long vacation to Virginia Beach, a mere 3-hour drive from Charlottesville? Virginia Beach hosts millions of visitors every summer. Personally, I have many memories of this beautiful Beach environment (see image below - author pictured with his grandmother at Virginia Beach), and it would be a true shame to see Virginia Beach fall victim to rising sea levels.
Sea level rise is a continually worsening issue worldwide. Humans are the main cause of sea level rise, as many modern practices lead to increased temperatures. For example, transportation emissions and fossil fuel consumption are major sources of human pollution. This causes major ice stores to continue to melt, and water to rise as temperatures increase.
Sea levels have risen a total of 8 inches in Virginia Beach over the past 50 years, and scientists predict another 2 feet of rise in the upcoming years. Increasing sea levels cause the beach to slowly disappear, however, there are many precautions in place to prevent disaster. For example, dredging (pictured below) is the process of moving sand from the seafloor and placing it on the beach to slow sea level rise. In addition, Virginia Beach is allocating funds towards raising roads and creating evacuation plans in the event of a flood.
Photo Credit: US Army Corps of Engineers - website link
Due to human fossil fuel consumption being the main contributor to sea level rise, humans must take action to reduce their impact. There are many things that people can do every day that can help slow sea level rise, here are some tips to get you started:
Reduce your carbon footprint: Reducing greenhouse gas consumption is the best thing you can do to slow sea level rise. As a teenager with an interest in protecting the environment, I have found ways to reduce my carbon footprint. First, I have moved my family to make the shift toward compostable trash bags, and move to reusable bags over plastic alternatives. To learn more about your carbon footprint, see this link.
Make your voice heard: Are you passionate about saving your favorite family vacation spot? Advocate for change by petitioning Charlottesville City Council to employ a Climate Action Plan that will aim to reduce fossil-fuel dependency with this link.
Be respectful of our environment! Respecting the environment is very important in protecting our seas. Some tips for being respectful to the environment include: never littering, recycling, making sure not to damage flora and fauna, carpooling, and cutting down on natural gas usage.
Participate in environmentally friendly initiatives: Around Charlottesville, there are many organizations working to combat climate change, including C3. Find a way to get involved!
Go virtual: The internet is a great resource for reducing consumption. Hold meetings virtually to reduce transportation pollution. Cut back on the number of things that you print, and print on both sides to save paper.
Go electric and at the same time be mindful of electronic waste: If you can, make the switch to an electric vehicle. Also, make sure that you recycle any old computers/phones/batteries that you throw away, you can typically do this at electronics stores including Best Buy.
The issue of sea level rise is consistently worsening, however, if we all actively work to reduce any harmful output, we will be successful in protecting our favorite beach destinations. The next time you go to fill up on gas, or avoid a carpool for convenience, remember the effect that these actions will have on your summer vacation.
Sources:
Clean Ocean Action: https://cleanoceanaction.org/fileadmin/editor_group2/COAST/10_Tips_on_Sea_Level_Rise_final.pdf
Union of Concerned Scientists : https://www.climatehotmap.org/global-warming-locations/virginia-beach-va-usa.html
US Army Corps of Engineers: https://www.nao.usace.army.mil/Media/Images/igphoto/2002178065/
Virginia Beach Government: https://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/public-works/comp-sea-level-rise/Documents/vb-slr-policy-response-rpt-4-2-19.pdf