According to experts, it’s also a sobering preview of how climate change, accelerated by human behavior, will not just complicate Venetians’ unique and fragile way of life but wash it away entirely. But climate change has a way of making the city less accessible for everyone as the very attractions tourists and locals enjoy dissolve, Oppenheimer said. There’s also concern about the long-term damage to the pillars supporting the structure — and some of the floods damaged marble that was recently replaced after a round of intense flooding in 2018. Venice faces the twin threats of rising sea levels — which affect many coastal cities — and a sinking city. After 2050, Venice’s prospects will depend on how much humans have done to put a dent in the carbon emissions speeding climate change.

Source: Washington Post November 17, 2019 14:03 UTC