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12-01-2017
Figure 1:
The mesmerizing Antarctic Ice Shelf
showed melting highlighting the
effects of global warming contributing
to the dangerous trend of rising global
sea levels.
(Photo By: Maria Stenzel
Source: National Geographic)
The rate of rising sea levels possesses a huge threat that requires the worlds attention.
The effects of rising sea levels are starting to be felt in different parts of the world. Erosion,
flooding, and freshwater contamination are the result of ocean water rising and flowing inland.
For a country with major coastal cities such as the United States, these consequences lead to
social and economic disruptions. Coastal flooding has led to damaged homes and important
infrastructure causing the relocation of affected citizens. Moreover, flooding has disrupted
businesses on the coasts leaving economic dents. Research has shown that the rate of sea level
rise has reached alarming levels, and can continue to rise leaving more regions susceptible to its
effects. Sea level rise is a complex issue that cannot be fixed overnight. Multiple solutions are
required to decelerate the rising trend and minimize its damages in the U.S. coast.
The breaching seas must be fought through collective efforts by the people and
government. A way to reverse the trend is to attack its core, global warming. Collaborative
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efforts between officials and people can jump start environmental projects that can alleviate
global warming causing the rising trend to slow down. Alternatively, since rising sea levels can
only be slowed down and not stopped, coastal management like building seawalls or fortifying
infrastructure must be considered to limit the potential damage from rising sea levels.
Unfortunately, these proposals have been met with opposition due to staggering costs and
skepticism about rising sea levels and climate change in general. We must work together and
educate people about damages caused by rising sea levels that can be dealt with by unified
coastal regions. The U.S. general coastline spans over 12,000 miles full of homes, businesses,
and valuable resources. According to Jochen Hinkel, a senior researcher at the Global Climate
Forum, We dont know by how much or by when. But [sea level is] going to rise. So our future
planning must consider that. (Lehmann) We cannot stop the continuous growth of sea levels,
but we have the technology to lessen its consequences. Seawalls can serve as long-lasting
barriers from the rising seas ensuring the safety of civilians while protecting physical assets near
the coasts.
The cost has been a huge deterrent of a larger scale implementation of coastal defense in
the United States. James Koch of the Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy highlights the
significant increase, from 5,300 to 6,789 dollars, of seawall construction cost per linear foot in a
span of about a decade. In addition, maintaining these seawalls are estimated to cost between 5
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and 10 percent of the original cost. (Koch 53) With thousands of miles to potentially cover
across the United States coast, the price tag for this type of coastal defense has left the
Figure 2:
Coastal defense mechanisms like levees and seawalls have
proven to be costly for a country with massive coastal
coverage like the United States. Inflation will lead to an
inevitable increase in cost the slower we implement them
to protect coastal regions from the creeping seas.
(Source: The Journal of Regional Analysis Policy, Cost
of Defending Against Rising Sea Levels and Flooding in
Mid-Atlantic Metropolitan Coastal Areas: The Basic
Issues)
However, the economic benefits of seawalls outweigh the costs it will take to build them.
Potential damages caused by the rising seas will not only affect coastal states. Major states like
California, New York, Texas, and Florida have significant coastlines. These states have major
political and economic influence on the entire country. If these states fall victim to the trend, all
states will suffer. Coastal and inland states must work together in aiding the coast to fortify their
defenses to the unforgiving seas. Hinkel sends a message regarding the importance of creating
these walls despite its high costs stating that if humans build dikes, the annual cost of flooding
could drop from as high as $100 trillion, in an unprotected world, to about $80 billion.
(Lehmann) Furthermore, Hinkels report asks for a sense of urgency to protect the coast since
socioeconomic development increases the number of people and value of assets in the coastal
floodplain (Hinkel 1) leaving many things in danger from sea level rise. Trillions of dollars and
millions of lives can be saved if we invest in protecting the coast effectively and as early as
possible.
In addition, seawalls have also been opposed due to its potential impact on tourism.
Critics believe that erecting seawalls on the coast will affect the natural ambiance of coastal
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attractions like beaches hurting tourism. However, seawalls are not the only form of coastal
defense management. There are other techniques that can be used to provide coastal regions the
protection they need while keeping their beauty for tourists. The Maldivian governments
Integrating Climate Change Risks into Resilient Island Planning (Sovacool 1180) program in
2010 is a great example of how tourism can be retained while protecting the coasts from rising
sea levels. They implemented organic solutions like the use of mangrove trees at the island of
Kudhahuvadhoo to minimize the threat from the seas like flooding while maintaining the natural
ambiance of the Maldivian island. Coastal defense management is a complicated task that can be
addressed by many different ways. There is the flexibility of utilizing the hard defense like sea
walls or the soft defense like the use of organic plants to address the rising seas and minimize the
Fortifying infrastructures is another key to minimizing the damages caused by rising sea
levels. Elizabeth McNichol of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities emphasize the
importance of infrastructure investment for the country. If coastal cities begin to flood due to the
rising sea levels, infrastructure is an area that will be affected heavily. A report from James
Neumann et al. highlight the increase in vulnerability of infrastructure across the United States
due to the effects of climate change like rising sea levels. (97) Damaged infrastructure will cost
millions of dollars to repair, and would negatively impact the economy further due to disruptions
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in businesses and the relocation of affected areas. Investing in strengthening our infrastructure
can benefit the country by lowering repair costs and disruptions that can hurt the American
Like sea walls, the cost is a huge reason why infrastructure projects lack progress.
McNicholss article claims that estimated cost of bringing Americas infrastructure to a state of
good repair (a grade of B) by 2025 [is] $4.6 trillion, of which only about 55 percent has been
committed. (3) The government continues to underfund projects for infrastructure fortification
leaving major infrastructure out of date. In fact, State and Local government spending on
infrastructure three years ago was at a 30-year low when spending dropped from 2.4 percent to
1.95 percent of the GDP (gross domestic product) in 2014. We cannot let the government cheap
Figure 3:
Roads, electricity, and schools are important
infrastructures that we take for granted. As sea levels
continue to rise, the funding gap between allocated
funds for public infrastructure seems to follow the
same trend.
(Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities,
Its Time for States to Invest in Infrastructure)
Research indicates that investing in infrastructure repair can fuel social and economic
growth in addition to protecting resources. Mcnichol believes the condition of roads, bridges,
schools and other physical assets greatly affect the economys ability to function and grow.
(12). A functioning economy requires well-built infrastructure able to withstand natural disasters.
As the world feels the wrath of climate change and rising sea levels, public infrastructure must
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overshadow the cost to repair damages sea level rise can bring. Roads, ports, and airports are
necessary for trade to progress, and we cannot let the rising seas take these crucial infrastructures
without a fight. Furthermore, enhanced infrastructure can enhance the quality of living for
Americans and stimulate the economy further by providing jobs and opportunities. Maintaining
these resources to withstand more than just sea level rise open a bridge to economic
Figure 4:
Research has shown carbon
emissions and deforestation as
the main culprits of climate
change. A significant decrease
in these actions can bode well
for our futures climate and sea
levels.
(Source: Union of Concerned
Scientists)
Another way to deal with rising sea levels is by going on an all-out war against its root
cause, global warming. Global warming is responsible for melting ice sheets and increasing
ocean water temperatures triggering the rise in global sea levels. The war on global warming is a
complex issue that requires a plethora of solutions like the battle with rising sea levels.
Regardless of its complexity, dealing with global warming promotes one big theme about saving
mother nature. Reducing carbon emissions and stopping deforestation is a great way to combat
climate change as shown in figure 4. At a larger scale, major companies responsible for
emissions and deforestation must consider alternatives to make their systems eco-friendly. The
public can also have an impact reducing emissions and deforestation to mitigate global warming.
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The choices we make in our everyday lives can contribute to the battle against global warming.
Slowing climate change will limit ocean thermal expansion and the melting of ice sheets and
Reducing carbon emissions and stopping deforestation will have a powerful impact in
mitigating climate change contributing to the effort to reverse the rising sea level trend. Carbon
dioxide and several other air pollutants are known to trap heat and stay for centuries in the
[Earths] troposphere (Seeker). Healthy forests are needed to absorb heat-trapping gasses like
carbon dioxide. Deforestation contributes to the release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere that
stimulates global warming. The fight against global warming starts with reducing air pollution
while keeping our forests green. A Seeker article in 2013 emphasizes that cutting air pollutants
(DNews) by the year 2100. Actions are imminent to jump-start projects that will contribute to the
Despite its proven necessity, projects of reducing carbon emissions and deforestation
have been a challenge due to the unwillingness of government officials and companies in related
industries to comply and cooperate in saving the environment. Paul Griffin, head of the Carbon
Disclosure Project report, shows that only 100 companies are responsible for over 70 percent of
carbon emissions. (Griffin) These companies must consider changes like converting to renewable
energy or recycling resources to reduce the emissions they produce to contribute to the efforts on
slowing climate change. Furthermore, a study in 2015 by the Union of Concerned Scientist
studied big corporations efforts to get their beef from cattle raised on deforestation-free areas.
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While top companies like Wal-Mart and McDonalds earned the studys top score, several other
companies like Burger King and Pizza Hut still fail to commit using deforestation-free beef.
(Gustin) We can only hope that these companies change course and commit to protecting the
environment. To further exacerbate this issue, President Donald Trump and other officials
continue to question the legitimacy of climate change. This leaves the United States the only
[powerful] country to reject the Paris Agreement that focuses on global efforts to address
climate change. (Meyer) Lack of movement and commitment by the current government and
major companies has slowed the efforts in addressing climate change in the United States.
Officials need to be more informed of the severity of climate change and rising sea levels;
showing the potential social and economic dents in can produce if not dealt with.
Regardless of the conflicts this issue produces on a corporate scale, the public has just as
much influence in fighting climate change. Making conscious everyday decisions to save the
environment make people huge assets in stopping global warming. Companies are not the only
ones that can make significant changes to fight climate change and the rising seas. Even though a
persons actions to help the environment may not be comparable to one companys decisions,
these contributions add up with hundreds of millions of Americans able to help. Figure 5 shows
sectors that contribute to gas emissions that harm our atmosphere. Majority of these sectors can
Figure 5:
A 2013 recording by the Environmental Protection
Agency of greenhouse gas emissions broken down
into different sectors. With electricity being the
leading sector at 31 percent, smarter investment in
more efficient technology and electricity
conservation can be significant fighting emissions
to fight global warming and rising sea levels.
(Source: World Resources Institute, Putting a
Price on Carbon: Reducing Emissions)
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For example, electricity, a luxury humans take for granted, leads the figure on its
contribution to greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. If nothing is done, as the rise of
technology and population continues, the future of electricity and greenhouse emissions can be
frightening. According to the World Resources Institute, over four billion megawatt hours of
electricity are produced each year. (Kaufmann et al. 7) How do we lower these numbers? A
solution to lower electricity consumption is to simply use less electricity. Simple changes like
turning the lights off when they are not in use or using our air conditioning less during the
summer have a huge impact minimizing energy consumption. Alternatively, the beauty of
appliances. People have the power to minimize energy consumption by using these products that
barely change their lifestyles. Lowering energy consumption can save families a lot of money
The war against rising sea levels cannot be solved by one spontaneous solution. It
requires a collaborative effort that can minimize its wrath to valuable resources in the United
States and the world. Despite the consequences of the rising seas being proved by valid research,
there continues to be a conflict between officials and the public whether or not rising sea levels
and climate change is a cause for concern. We must continue to educate and spread the word to
help them understand the damages sea level rise will cause unless dealt with. People need to be
informed of the different solutions to disrupt sea level growth. Coastal defense management like
seawalls has the goal of protecting lands and infrastructure from damages caused by sea water.
Fortification of infrastructure share this goal with coastal defense management making sure that
important resources that we use every day like roads and buildings are up to code and are able to
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withstand the inevitable rise of global sea level. The government and public need to understand
the importance of these investments in reducing the social and economic threat sea level rise can
produce. Dealing with climate change is another way to deal with sea level rise. Reducing
harmful emissions and deforestation can serve as a huge step for dealing with climate change
that can aid our efforts to combat sea level rise. These proposed solutions are necessary to make
huge progress to reverse the trend. Whether you live close to the coast or live further inland,
addressing this issue is beneficial for all since the world is run on collaboration, not isolation.
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Works Cited
Acilo. Global Warming and Emissions. Digital image. Union of Concerned Scientists. N.p., n.d.
warming-solutions-reduce-emissions#.WhvLfUqnGUk>.
Bunny, Tessa. Global Warming and Deforestation. Digital image. Union of Concerned
solutions/stop/deforestation#.WhvM1EqnGUk>.
DNews. "Want to Slow Sea Level Rise? Curb 4 Pollutants." Seeker. Seeker, 16 Apr. 2013. Web.
1767411333.html>.
A Seeker article that highlights four pollutants, carbon, methane, ozone, and
hydrofluorocarbons, that contribute to the continuous rise in global sea level. The article
mentions how these pollutants and carbon dioxide stay in the Earths atmosphere trapping
in heat causing global warming. The article seeks the attention of officials and the public
towards other pollutants besides carbon dioxide that aid rising sea levels and global
warming.
Griffin, Paul. "CDP Carbon Majors Report." Carbon Disclosure Project (2017): 1-16. The
A very detailed report regarding the history of carbon emissions by Paul Griffin backed
by statistical analysis. Griffin provides data throughout the report showing the severity of
carbon emissions caused by only a small number of companies. This report covers in
detail the progression of Carbon emissions from several countries through several means
like coal and fossil fuel. This report showed the influence major companies in the related
Gustin, Georgina. "Beef Companies Falling Short in Pledge to Help Prevent Deforestation in
Amazon." Inside Climate News. Inside Climate News, 19 Oct. 2016. Web. 14 Nov. 2017.
A brief article by Georgina Gustin of the Pulitzer Prize winning news organization Inside
Climate News displaying the battle between beef companies and their commitment
towards the use of deforestation-free beef. Gustin covers how several other major
companies have failed to fully commit in investing towards deforestation-free beef for
Hinkel, Jochen, and Et Al. "Coastal Flood Damage and Adaptation Costs Under 21st Century
<https://www.eenews.net/assets/2014/02/04/document_ew_01.pdf>.
regarding the potential damages coastal flooding can cause and the costs of defending the
coasts against it. The main takeaway from this article is that the inevitable increase of sea
level rise and socioeconomic developments would also increase the damages caused by
coastal flooding. This article presented a cost-benefit analysis of using coastal defense
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management to minimize the economic and social damage of rising sea levels breaching
coastal regions.
Kaufmann, Noah, Michael Obeiter, and Eleanor Krause. "Putting a Price on Carbon: Reducing
<https://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/Putting_a_Price_on_Carbon_Emissions.pdf>.
Kaufmann, Obeiter, and Krauses report about carbon emissions was mainly used to
exhibit the fact that the electricity sector is one of the leading cause of carbon emissions
in the United States. This report provided a graph for my paper to exhibit the emissions
done by specific sectors in the United States and gave me the statistics regarding yearly
electricity use in the United States playing a big role in advancing rising sea levels and
climate change.
Koch, James V. "Costs of Defending Against Rising Sea Levels and Flooding in Mid-Atlantic
Metropolitan Coastal Areas: The Basic Issues." The Journal of Regional Analysis &
<https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/132440/2/10-1-4.pdf>.
Kochs article for the Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy focuses on the cost of
coastal defenses like sea walls in the United States. Koch shows the staggering potential
costs of coastal defense mechanisms reaching several million dollars per mile in addition
to the maintenance and damages it can cause along the way. This article assures the
readers that the potential of saving the United States coastal resources will pay off the
Lehmann, Evan. "Sea Walls May Be Cheaper Than Rising Waters." Scientific American.
<https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sea-walls-may-be-cheaper-than-rising-
waters/>.
Lehmanns article is a continuation of Hinkel and his colleagues report on coastal flood
damages and the adaptation costs. Lehmanns article features the same idea about
regions. This article features an interview with Hinkel talking about the inevitable future
of rising sea levels under climate change and the need for humans to defend themselves
Mcnichol, Elizabeth. "It's Time for States to Invest in Infrastructure." Center on Budget and
Policy Priorities. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 10 Aug. 2017. Web. 14 Nov.
2017. <https://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/its-time-for-states-to-invest-
in-infrastructure>.
Elizabeth Mcnichols article highlights the importance of the United States government
to take notice and invest in infrastructure projects. In the issue of rising sea levels, in the
possible event of ocean waters breaching inland, a well maintained and strengthened
infrastructure is essential to minimize the damages it can cause. Mcnichols article also
emphasizes the other social and economic advances if the government invests in
infrastructure. Mcnichols argue that the investment can lead to job opportunities and a
better quality of life for the people affected by these changes. This shows that investment
in infrastructure goes beyond coastal defense for the rising sea levels.
Meyer, Robinson. Syria Is Joining the Paris Agreement. Now What? The Atlantic, Atlantic
joining-the-paris-agreement-now-what/545261/.
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Robinson Meyers The Atlantic article covers Syrias recent joining of the
Paris Agreement to fight climate change. This leaves the United States under the Trump
Administration, the only major nation not part of the Paris Agreement. The article
showed the conflict regarding rising sea levels and climate change within the United
with rising sea levels and climate change under a conflicted government.
Neumann, James E., Jason Price, Paul Chinowski, Leonard Wright, and Lindsay Ludwig.
Development, and Urban Drainage." Climactic Change 131.1 (2015): 97-109. Web. 14
Nov. 2017.
This article had information regarding the effects of climate change and rising sea levels
on U.S. infrastructure. Neumann, Price, Chinowski, Wright, and Ludwig discuss the
Their paper goes in depth on four factors assessing the vulnerabilities of infrastructure
under these stressful conditions and goes in-depth with potential adaptations to minimize
the damages caused by climate change and the increase in sea level.
Sovacool, Benjamin K. "Hard and Soft Paths for Climate Change Adaptation." Climate
Policy (Earthscan), vol. 11, no. 4, July 2011, pp. 1177-1183. EBSCOhost,
This report by Benjamin Sovacool covers the different methods of coastal defense
management. I learned about both hard and soft defense mechanisms to address
rising sea levels on the coast. I mostly focused on Sovacools report on the Maldivians
rising sea levels while maintaining the beauty of the Maldives. Sovacools report helped
defense like sea walls on U.S. coastal regions to defend from the rising seas.
Stenzel, Maria. Antarctic Ice Shelf. Digital image. National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov.
2017. <http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/photos/sea-level-rise/#/sea-level01-
iceberg-antarctica_16592_600x450.jpg>.
An image by Maria Stenzel from the National Geographic was used as a multimodal
Reflection
The Advocacy Project paper has been easier to research for with the HCP paper under my
belt. The HCP served as a foundation for this paper helping me understand the issue about rising
sea levels to a larger extent. The research I have done for the HCP exposed me to certain
solutions that I soon advocated for in this paper. The skill of proper research and smarter reading
we practiced throughout the quarter made my research process for this paper better and painless.
The process of setting up my AP paper for my exploratory and rough draft has been
similar to my process of writing my HCP rough draft. Due to the HCP being heavily connected
to my AP, most of the pre-write work for the AP has been done. The information I needed
regarding sea level rise and solutions I will advocate for has been shaped when I was writing my
HCP paper. The road to the rough draft for my AP paper consisted of structuring my paper and
researching to fulfill this structure. Due to the endless possibilities of sources for the AP paper,
the UCI Library research databases and google helped me find scholarly articles and related
credible news articles that help support the solutions I was advocating for. The final product of
my AP rough draft has been fueled by class activities like the modeling exercise, making my AP
paper more than just a piece of paper filled with words. These activities showed me techniques I
have not used in major papers before like section headers, proper captions, and pull quotes.
One of the biggest focus I had on this paper was my choice and use of multimodal
sources and captions. Class work made me realize that I need to make my integration of
multimodal sources and captions better. Looking at my HCP showed me my poor execution of
using a variety of multimodal images and properly captioning images I used. The activities that
helped me the most with this improvement is the modeling exercise and the revision activity. The
modeling exercise, specifically the paper about poaching, helped me understand that informative
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papers should also include multimodal pieces beyond charts and graphs to establish rhetoric. The
paper inspired me to use images beyond the infographics I planned on using for this paper. The
revision activity for multimodal sources featured an article that exhibited great use of images
activities helped me improve my use of multimodal sources and captions compared to my HCP.
In conclusion, though most of the heavy research and nitty-gritty work has been done on
my HCP, the AP paper proved to be the most significant in showing the techniques I have
acquired throughout the quarter. Writing the HCP and AP was a great learning experience that I
know can help me in the future. Being exposed to writing techniques throughout the quarter
made writing this paper special. These techniques made me realize that this paper was not just a
persuasive essay filled with fancy words to educate my audience. The AP paper was special due
to different techniques I learned and used throughout, and I hope that I showed improvement in
this paper when it comes to informing my audience while establishing good rhetoric through the
use of multimodal sources and literary techniques like pull quotes and meaningful captions.