Futurism

$500,000 Sand Dune to Protect Vacation Homes Washes Away in Three Days

Victor Tangermann
Wed, March 13, 2024

In a desperate attempt to keep away the ocean tides, residents of an affluent vacation community in Massachusetts spent half a million dollars on a sand dune to protect their lavish coastal homes.

Unfortunately for them, the Atlantic wasn't impressed, sweeping away the 14,000 tons of sand in a matter of just three days, according to local ABC-affiliated news station WCVB.

Local resident Ron Guilmette called the situation at the nearby Salisbury Beach, about an hour north of Boston, "catastrophic."

"I don't know what the solution is," he told WCVB.

The incident highlights the very real risks of climate change, which has been shown to not only lead to rising sea levels, but more frequent and more ferocious storms as well.

Washed Out

The area had already been battered by several fierce storms, including two in January alone. At the time, Boston recorded some of the highest tides ever recorded in the city's history.

Meanwhile, coastal homes have become a ticking time bomb in light of rising temperatures and sea levels. While the wealthy have the resources to move away, others with fewer resources aren't as lucky.

According to the United Nations Development Program, tens of millions of people who live near the coast are exposed to an increased flood risk due to the impact of climate change across the globe. By 2100, 73 million people could live in floodplains that have a one-in-20 chance of flooding.

And coastal counties in the US are just as vulnerable, with up to $106 billion worth of coastal property likely being wiped out by rising tides by 2050, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, if current climate trends continue.

In response, communities are constructing barriers, elevating buildings, and restoring coastal habitats with the goal of protecting coasts from climate change.

But unfortunately for the inhabitants of Salisbury, 14,000 tons of sand are no match for our rapidly changing climate.

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Dora Hates You

Inertia had an article the other day on this. Don't feel sorry at all!!! I know..let's all say global warming IS happening and actually take steps to slow it. Get off the Dino juice we pump in our cars and dead carcass we eat !!! But we aint gunna... Better to just dump more sand.... that will fix it!!!! Should be an interesting hurricane season.

Wabasso south is getting another big dose of sand. Wabasso itself got sanded pretty recently. On the positive side, while much of the rest of the US Atlantic coast is sinking (groudwater pumping is a big cause), the Florida Atlantic coast is pretty stable.

https://www.wfit.org/2024-02-23/el-nino-contributed-to-floridas-cool-winter-a-summer-la-nina-could-influence-hurricane-season

WFIT

History shows again and again

How nature points up the folly of man

B.O.C. Godzilla

surfcheck


Epic!!!

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So if you are a surfer I wish you the prosperity that allows you more time to pursue the salt water dream, and the true happiness that comes from warm water, clean waves and the companionship of your fellow surfers. If you are an internet troll just spewing bs then f off.

Anyone know the rate at which the sea is rising yearly, or per decade? That never seems to be mentioned in these articles.

Between 1901 and 2018, the global mean sea level rose by about 20 cm (7.9 in). More precise data gathered from satellite radar measurements found a rise of 7.5 cm (3.0 in) from 1993 to 2017 (average of 2.9 mm (0.11 in)/yr). This accelerated to 4.62 mm (0.182 in)/yr for 2013 - 2022.

https://ncseagrant.ncsu.edu/coastwatch/winter-2024/seven-more-feet/?fbclid=IwAR2wgt1PO0JHFjnr7aepJST5YcUWtRpC3MGYaAM6LRYcD-0GFyhCa3zONGk

Edited: 03/16/2024 at 01:46 AM by Dahui321

None of these FACTS will change our habits. You would think they would but...... Keep pumping that gas while we still can!!!!

.... and subsidize the billionaires that are pumping it.



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I was right.

Pull themselves by their boot straps. No hand outs. No beach welfare. They will thank us later for teaching them character in the face of adversity.

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"One of the reasons why propaganda tries to get you to hate government is because it's the one existing institution in which people can participate to some extent and constrain tyrannical unaccountable power." Noam Chomsky.

Some years ago, I had a good time talking with a guy from North Carolina Seagrant. I don't think they made much of an impression on the state's politicians, at least not for a long while. And by the way, North Carolina State doesn't quite get the attention that UNC-Chapel Hill does, but it's bigger, has engineering and agriculture, and of course it's red where UNC is blue.

Edited: 03/17/2024 at 01:10 PM by ww