Search for facts on sea-level rise
You recently featured a study on rising sea level by a group known as the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Social norms dictate that experts are entitled to adopt a relatively dogmatic, closed-minded orientation; self-perceptions of high expertise elicit this more often than not. The Union of Concerned Scientists as a group certainly fit this pattern.
Sea level over the past three decades has actually risen about two inches. What is different about tomorrow? I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. Sea level, by 2045, is likely to have risen another two inches, not the 6 feet as suggested.
As distasteful as it is, it is beneficial to talk to people who disagree with us. If you run into someone who believes Hilton Head Island is about to be submerged, chat with him or her. It can broaden your thinking, and it’s cheaper than moving. We love to be right, but we are better off if people show us we are wrong. Let me know when you have some new facts on the subject.
Nicholas W. Fast
Hilton Head Island
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