The US space agency NASA has also warned that significant sea level rise is “unavoidable,” given mankind’s continued burning of fossil fuels like oil and gas that contribute to warming the planet. In 2015, NASA said the Earth is likely locked in to at least three feet of sea level rise, and probably more. Localized resultsThough experts warn that the past is not an accurate predictor of future sea level rise, global average sea level has climbed eight to nine inches since 1880, when modern record-keeping began. With the exception of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, almost all US coasts are expected to see greater than global average sea level rise in the next eight decades. Recent research has shown that about three feet of sea level rise “would permanently inundate areas currently home to two million Americans,” said the report.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer January 24, 2017 23:52 UTC