Detail script for 09 / ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
Flooding in 4 US States; BNSF reroutes lines
Ex. Protecting Shorelines from further degradation
Dead birds most affected; Oil spill Alaska 1997
Climate Change is of course one of the defining challenges of our times. The topic of Climate Change is heavily loaded with complex data from scientific findings and observations, as well as controversy and many conflicting opinions. Our goal for this section is to easily allow the reader the opportunity to expand understandings as regards Climate Change and all it entails. Below is a list of credible sources that can assist the reader on this complex topic. And below the links, we will focus on the three that appear directly correlated with the RR initiative.
Rising ocean levels in coastal environments are not new information. As many readers will know, many areas of NA coastline have already been reclaimed by rising water levels resulting in the displacement of cities, people and habitat. A recent news story out of the USA states that 98% of a village in Louisiana is now reclaimed by rising water levels. The article continues that as a result they are working on a relocation plan of moving the village 40 miles inland; see US Village link here. Recently, BNSF has had to re-route around floodwaters in four US states; see BNSF Reroute link here
In BC, the Province has mandated that municipalities along the Pacific Ocean must create strategic plans for the long-range future. These plans include how to mitigate usable properties and infrastructure and more specifically how the City of Surrey ‘Coastal Flood Adaption Strategy’ [CFAS] has been running in a collaborative and citizen-oriented manner for the past 3 years. This initiative was completed in early 2019; council approved Nov 2019; federal funding is already flowing for the first projects; see CFAS link here
Shoreline degradation or erosion is the natural process that occurs on lakes, streams, rivers and along the ocean coast. It is the gradual, although sometimes rapid, removal of sediments from the shoreline. It is caused by a number of factors including storms, wave action, rain, ice, winds, runoff, and loss of trees and other vegetation. The New York state Dept. of Environmental Conservation website allows an in-depth look at this topic; see Degrade link here
Habitat disruptions and loss are being experienced in most areas of the world’s oceans. This has far-reaching impacts on the entire ocean biodiversity. These critical areas, which include estuaries, swamps, marshes, and wetlands, serve as breeding grounds or nurseries for nearly all marine species. A National Geographic website explores this topic; see Habitat link here …