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The Water Will Come

Jeff Goodell

The Water Will Come

19min

19min

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Global warming, caused by CO2 pollution, is causing sea levels to rise. This is a known phenomenon, which for the moment, is not considered alarming because most people believe that the ultimate impact is destined to materialise many years into the future. However, The Water Will Come states that a possible catastrophe awaits us at the end of the century. A detailed and data-rich report offers in-depth analysis into what is happening at the North and South Poles, and in the large coastal cities, to offer useful suggestions in answer to the most difficult question: is our economic and political system ready to face a crisis of this magnitude?

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Analysis and key concepts

01.

Even if we stop c02 emissions immediately, sea levels could rise by over 2 metres by 2100

02.

What we can learn from history: Australian myths, the stories of Noah and Gilgamesh are eye witness accounts of real events

03.

The events of 2012 worsened the situation, but the data was not updated in time

04.

The countries that pollute the least are the ones most at risk of disappearing simply because of their topography

05.

The problem is the absence of any recognition of risk: take the case of Miami, which Miami expands out to the sea

06.

Engineering systems: the solutions for Venice, Rotterdam and New York

07.

The engineering method to deal with the problem: create new emerged lands

08.

Another terrible risk caused by salt water: the salinity of the soil and the contamination of the springs

09.

Climate changes create political instability and social tension

10.

Geoengineering: the temptation to experiment with risky solutions

11.

The best strategy for the future is the least popular one: pull back to win

12.

Quotes

13.

Take-home message

01. Even if we stop c02 emissions immediately, sea levels could rise by over 2 metres by 2100

A 2017 report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the leading climate science agency in the United States, says that by 2100 we will experience a rise in sea levels of between 30 centimetres and 2.5 metres. This growth may not be gradual: at the end of the last ice age, water levels rose almost 4 metres in just a century. A rise in sea levels of 1.80 metres could see nearly $ 1 trillion worth of real estate in the United States underwater.

CO2 pollution, the main cause of overheating, differs from all others, because this gas remains in the atmosphere for thousands of years. Even if we stopped emissions today, global warming would not decrease, and sea levels would continue to rise. The fact is, that not perceiving the effects day after day, makes it extremely difficult for us to understand the gravity of the situation. For now, the phenomenon only shows itself through dramatic events, which do not cause us any alarm because we perceive them as exceptional. The same happened with the sudden disintegration of the ice caps at the end of the last ice age, when about 3 million people lived on Earth: the waters advanced inland at a speed of 150/180 metres per year. How would our political-economic system react, faced with an event of this magnitude?

02. What we can learn from history: Australian myths, the stories of Noah and Gilgamesh are eye witness accounts of real events

03. The events of 2012 worsened the situation, but the data was not updated in time

04. The countries that pollute the least are the ones most at risk of disappearing simply because of their topography

05. The problem is the absence of any recognition of risk: take the case of Miami, which Miami expands out to the sea

06. Engineering systems: the solutions for Venice, Rotterdam and New York

07. The engineering method to deal with the problem: create new emerged lands

08. Another terrible risk caused by salt water: the salinity of the soil and the contamination of the springs

09. Climate changes create political instability and social tension

10. Geoengineering: the temptation to experiment with risky solutions

11. The best strategy for the future is the least popular one: pull back to win

12. Quotes

13. Take-home message

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Many useful tips to:

  • Understand the consequences of global warming and climate change at a global level.
  • Be more adequately informed on possible solutions and on those already put in motion to counteract the danger of rising water levels.
  • Understand the financial and political risk that civilisation is up against.

Jeff Goodell began his career in New York, as an expert crime journalist on the editorial board of 7 Days. Freelancing for Rolling Stone since 1996, he has covered a wide variety of topics, interviewing politicians, scientists and billionaires. Bestselling author and commentator for New York Times Magazine, he is highly credited for his analysis on energy and environmental issues. He has been a member of the New America Foundation since 2016.

Publishing house:

Back Bay Books

Year:

2018

Pages:

352

ISBN:

978-0316260206