Philobiblon

Neatly following on from a discussion I was having last night – how much do we really have to worry about the impact of climate change in Britain within the immediate future? – a preview of a report out this week on rising sea levels, higher waves and stronger storms.

The most obvious impact will be from rising sea levels. A report from the Hadley Centre, the Met Office’s climate research facility, warns that sea levels could rise by up to 2ft 6in around southern England by 2080.
Even Scotland, where rising sea levels are mitigated by the fact that the country is rising slightly from the earth’s crust, will experience an increase of up to 2ft, says the report.
Climate change causes sea levels to rise partly through melting ice sheets but also because, as water gets warmer, it expands slightly. A 1C temperature rise could raise global sea levels by many feet.
The report warns that such rises will be accompanied by an increase in the frequency and strength of big storms. As the atmosphere warms, more heat is generated to power weather systems.
“There has already been a greater incidence of severe winds,” says a report from the National Oceanography Centre at Southampton University. “Wave heights are increasing by about 2% a year around western and northern UK waters.”

I think of one of my favourite seaside spots – Broadstairs. There’s a wonderful Georgian house right on the beach tucked underneath its cliffs, with the small claim to fame that it is supposed to have been where the news of the first victory at Waterloo was delivered. I really don’t like its chances….