+
Sign up for
The Upworthiest
Our top stories of the day delivered straight to your inbox.
upworthy

sea level rise

Heroes

Meet the man trying to use conservative values to fight climate change.

True
Starbucks Upstanders Season 2

The sixth time he ran for Congress, Rep. Bob Inglis (R-South Carolina) made two big mistakes.

The second mistake, according to Inglis, was when he refused to confirm at a town hall event that President Barack Obama was indeed an evil secret non-American Muslim socialist.

But the truly shameful blunder that would cost him the election was when he spoke the words: "Climate change is real. Let’s do something about it."

"I got 29% of the vote after 12 years in Congress," he says today with a self-effacing chuckle. "A rather spectacular face-plant, really."

[rebelmouse-image 19529601 dam="1" original_size="1260x900" caption="Inglis, left, meets with troops in Ghana in 2010. Photo via U.S. Army Africa/Flickr." expand=1]Inglis, left, meets with troops in Ghana in 2010. Photo via U.S. Army Africa/Flickr.

With his Congress career officially over, Inglis decided to dedicate himself to finding conservative solutions to climate change.

Two years after his failed re-election campaign, he launched an advocacy group called RepublicEn through the Energy and Enterprise Initiative at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

Inglis hoped to use traditional Republican values such as free enterprise, limited government, accountability, and reasonable risk avoidance to shape the climate conversation in a way that would appeal to people in the reddest of the red communities.

His mission took him all the way from Antarctica to Tangier Island, Virginia, a small crabbing community in the Chesapeake Bay.

Tangier Island is perhaps best known as the setting for the battle that inspired "The Star-Spangled Banner," but today, Tangier Island is losing about 15 feet of land every year from rising sea levels — and many of its 700 residents still don't believe in the threat of climate change.

Inglis thought that if they heard about climate change from a person who holds many of their ideologies and is just more like them, the residents there might say, "Yeah, we're for that."

[rebelmouse-image 19529602 dam="1" original_size="1280x853" caption="Tangier Island. Photo by Eli Christman/Wikimedia Commons." expand=1]Tangier Island. Photo by Eli Christman/Wikimedia Commons.

But it turned out that was easier said than done:

Upstanders: Disappearing Island

After a conversation with his son, this conservative congressman decided to tackle climate change, head-on.

Posted by Upworthy on Tuesday, November 7, 2017

With help from Tangier Mayor James Eskridge, Inglis arranged a conversation with locals over a crab salad dinner.

He tried to appeal to them as a fellow Christian with an impressive resume of endorsements from conservative groups such as the NRA and the National Right to Life Committee.

The people of Tangier listened and responded to what he had to say, but they still insisted that the island wasn't suffering from climate change. It was just natural erosion or settling soil — nothing that needed a long-term solution except perhaps a seawall.

"When I see the sea level rising, I’ll shout it from the rooftops. But I’m just not seeing it," said Eskridge. "I’m not lying about it or denying it, I’m just telling you what I see."

[rebelmouse-image 19529603 dam="1" original_size="1280x827" caption="Soft shell crab houses on Tangier Island. Photo by David Broad/Wikimedia Commons." expand=1]Soft shell crab houses on Tangier Island. Photo by David Broad/Wikimedia Commons.

When Inglis asked why, as conservatives, they didn't want to listen to scientists, the answer was simple: resentment.

"We’re nothing," one resident said. "They’ve made fun, ridiculed. But you let a scientist talk, and everybody listens. Scientist is fine, but we’re forgetting the experience that people have."

"With some of 'em you get a smart mouth, and we’re not into that. We don’t need a smart mouth," another added.

"We’re all about protecting the Chesapeake Bay. It’s more important to us than it is to any scientist or regulator," the mayor said. "But when they talk about fixing the environment, they go to extremes, and they leave the common guy out."

[rebelmouse-image 19529604 dam="1" original_size="1280x960" caption="County Dock, Tangier Island. Photo by Seriousresearcher13/Wikimedia Commons." expand=1]County Dock, Tangier Island. Photo by Seriousresearcher13/Wikimedia Commons.

Inglis understood this attitude. It was one he had himself back when he was still a party-line Republican in Congress.

"If you represented the reddest district in the reddest state in the nation like I did, you just knew that Al Gore was for it, and so therefore, you should be against it," he says.

But now he knows: That hyper-partisan, us-or-them divide doesn't solve the real problems we're facing. It only helps to make the divide — and the resentment — dig in even deeper.

Inglis tried to explain to residents how conservatives could incentivize the right behavior and steer the environmental conversation without the federal government getting in the way. He appealed to their logic by pointing out that even if they don't believe in rising sea levels, higher tides still mean more erosion, so maybe there is something that could be done about it.

[rebelmouse-image 19529605 dam="1" original_size="1280x833" caption="Wallace Road Bridge, Tangier Island. Photo by David Broad/Wikimedia Commons." expand=1]Wallace Road Bridge, Tangier Island. Photo by David Broad/Wikimedia Commons.

In the end, not many were convinced, and only one Tangier resident expressed that day that maybe mankind had something to do with climate change.

But that doesn't mean that Inglis's mission was a failure.

Eskridge remained skeptical about the climate issue, for example. But he was still moved by the conversation. "[Inglis was] very polite about it," he said. "We’ve had other folks come in, and because we had different opinions on the climate change and sea-level-rise issue, they really got nasty about it. ... Bob’s approach was the way you should approach these things."

[rebelmouse-image 19529606 dam="1" original_size="1280x853" caption="Photo by Eli Christman/Wikimedia Commons." expand=1]Photo by Eli Christman/Wikimedia Commons.

Inglis didn't change as many minds that day as he had hoped.

But he certainly opened some minds and tempered some of that resentment by connecting with people and treating them dignity and respect.

The fight to save our planet might still have a long way to go, but as Inglis's journey shows, it has to start with human beings.

Badge
United Nations
Shaping Our Future Together
Heroes

5 iconic places you need to visit before climate change ruins them.

A new report from the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has highlighted 31 World Heritage Sites at risk of being seriously damaged by our changing climate.

Many of them are popular tourist destinations, and all of them would be devastating to lose — many represent important pieces of our culture and history.

Here are five iconic landmarks that are in serious danger from climate change and what it would mean to lose them:

1. The Galápagos Islands could see its food web collapse, forcing animals that rely on it to abandon its shores.

Off the coast of Ecuador lies the stunning archipelago of the Galápagos Islands. It's home to many species of animals, including tortoises, marine iguanas, sea lions, and, yep, even penguins! There are tropical, sun-loving penguins in the Galápagos!

It's a magical place.

Photo by Martin Bernetti/AFP/Getty Images.

Unfortunately, the weather system known as El Niño is getting worse, and it could disrupt the livelihoods of the Galápagos' unique collection of creatures. As the UN report states:

"El Niño affects the entire food web, with warmer waters reducing the upwelling of nutrients that usually characterizes the cold waters around the Galápagos, resulting in a reduction in phytoplankton availability and causing small fish and invertebrates to migrate away, as well as reducing the growth of algae on which many species rely."

Food webs are called webs for a reason. Every part of them structurally relies on the other parts; if even the smallest part is in danger, the whole thing is in danger.

Photo by Martin Bernetti/AFP/Getty Images.

After a visit to the Galápagos, Charles Darwin started positing his theory of natural selection, which forever changed the way we look at the natural world. The islands aren't just a beautiful vacation spot — they're home to a historic, culturally important, and fragile ecosystem.

2. Yellowstone National Park could become a dry wasteland.

Yellowstone became the world's first national park when President Grant signed the Yellowstone Act in 1872, designating the region a public "pleasuring ground" (probably right before he realized how weird that sounded).

People from all over the world come to see Yellowstone's jaw-dropping landscapes, cheer for the Old Faithful geyser, and see bison and moose, all the while wondering how to pluralize "bison" and "moose."

Photo by Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images.

Unfortunately, according to the UN report, Yellowstone is a candle burning at both ends. Warming temperatures are causing shorter winters and longer summers, which means less snowfall feeding the rivers, lakes, and wetlands during winter months, as well as a longer, more dangerous fire season during summer months.

Photo by Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images.

The vibrant forests of Yellowstone could be replaced with drier shrublands. And no one wants to Instagram that.

3. The Statue of Liberty is at "'high exposure' risk from sea-level rise due to the extremely low elevation of the island and its vulnerability to storms," according to the report.

In what is perhaps the greatest metaphor of all time for the threat climate change poses to our national interests, America's giant copper symbol of freedom and security is in pretty serious danger.

Photo by Kena Betancur/Getty Images.

For generations of immigrants, the Statue of Liberty has been a beacon of hope, an outstretched hand in a world of fists, a light at the end of the tunnel of tyranny where they could finally be free.

It remains a symbol of the promise of a second chance, comforting the tired, poor, and huddled masses, yearning to breathe free.

Rising sea levels, which are already a real-life disaster, could bring to life the iconic disaster-movie image of the "ruined Statue of Liberty." That would be a tragedy.

4. Stonehenge could become unstable and inaccessible due to flash flooding.

Stonehenge was constructed thousands of years ago by either ancient humans or aliens, depending on who you ask, and no one really knows how they did it. First of all, some of the stones were from 200 miles away. Second of all, the wheel wasn't even invented yet — it was barely a glimmer in the eye of some ancient Steve Jobs.

Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images.

There are theories, sure — everything from brute force to druid magic to this guy, who figured out how to move giant stones with the clever use of tiny stones (honestly, my money is on him).

Stonehenge gets over 1 million visitors a year. Climate change, combined with such heavy tourist foot traffic, could threaten the structural integrity of the world's most famous ancient monument.

"Of most concern for Stonehenge are increasing rainfall amounts, more extreme rainfall events and worsening floods," says the UN report. "Flash floods can result in damage through gullying and wetter conditions are also expected to increase the impact of visitors walking on the site."

Photo by Niklas Halle'n/AFP/Getty Images.

Frankly, if Stonehenge is in danger, that should be one of the biggest warning signs of all. The monument has stood for thousands of years and has remained in remarkably good shape. If the changing climate has the ability to ruin its winning streak, we should all be shaking in our boots.

5. Venice, Italy, is already sinking — but rising sea levels are making the floating city drown even faster.

Venice is one of the World Heritage Sites "most at threat" from sea level rise.

"Flooding at especially high tides or as a result of storm surges has always been an issue for Venice. But now, with sea levels rising, the problem is becoming much more severe," the report says.

Photo by Franco Debernardi/Getty Images.

The report also suggests that flooding in Venice could damage the buildings that sit on the lagoon, as it did in 1966. Venice's floodgates will also have to remain closed longer and longer, which could lead to worsening stagnant water pollution.

Venice is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, and the city relies heavily on those tourist dollars. If the tourists stop coming because of the damaged buildings or unstable structures, the economic impact on the city will be massive.

Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images.

Beyond economics, though, Venice is a city filled with history and vibrant culture. Its Renaissance architecture and old-world charm draw so much tourism for a reason. It's a beautiful place, and we should do what we can to keep it around.

The biggest takeaway from the UNESCO report is that climate change, left unchecked, can damage a lot more than we think.

There's a seemingly insurmountable amount of work to be done if we want to save these World Heritage Sites from their impending doom. There are some who say it's impossible, but humans have already done more improbable and incredible things.

We built a giant copper lady on an island to dedicate a nation to liberty. We protected 3,400 square miles of natural habitat by declaring it a national park. We discovered the origin of species. We built a city that floats on the water. We built ... whatever Stonehenge is.

And while that last thing was (debatably) created by aliens, the point is this: Humans are capable of amazing things. Stopping the effects of climate change can be one of them.

All it takes is the doing of it.

From Your Site Articles
Heroes

There are so many icebergs, we thought we’d see who's who from this year's class.

Icebergs! They're gorgeous, chilly, and might remind you of some of the people you went to high school with.

Or at least they might by the end of this article.

And because sea ice is breaking off more frequently, we're seeing more and more of these gorgeous chunks of icecap float away into the sea. With so many icebergs hitting the news lately, we thought we'd take a look at this recent class to see what their future holds.

Most likely to end up in a cocktail glass: Franklin.

Franklin may be small, but he enjoys the finer things in life. Image from Liam Quinn/Flickr.

Most likely to star in a "Titanic" remake: Aisha.

She's been the star of the school play since "Dr. Seuss Meets the Easter Bunny" back in kindergarten. Image from Kim Hansen/Wikimedia Commons.

Most likely to become an ice sculpture ... goes to Malcolm.


He's taken every single arts and crafts class. Even woodworking! Image from Drew Avery/Flickr.

Most likely to be on the cover of National Geographic: Emilia.

Looking stunning, as always. Image from Drew Avery/Flickr.

Most likely to be confused for the island of Jamaica: Bobbi.

Bobbi, also known as B-15, was nearly 200 miles long and broke off Antarctica in the year 2000. Image from NSF/Josh Landis/Wikimedia Commons.

Weirdest fashion sense: Nathan.

You're supposed to be 90% underwater, Nathan! Image from robynm/Pixabay.

Best bromance goes to Jesse and Sam.

They're inseparable! At least they were, but I hear they might break up soon. Image from Brocken Inaglory/Wikimedia Commons.

Most likely to have a meltdown: Anders.

High-stress situations make him sweat! Image from Brocken Inaglory/Wikimedia Commons.

Best party host goes to Kim.

Everyone always comes over to her place on Saturday. Image from Jason Auch/Wikimedia Commons.

...and finally, last but not least, class president: Stephanie.

She ran on calving reform and fewer leopard seals. Image from Joe Raedle/Getty Images.

This a big class! And that's the problem.

It's great to see all these icebergs, but what's not so good is their rate of graduation.

It's hard to count exactly how many icebergs exist at any one time, but experts say we have more today than we did even when the Titanic sailed. And that's because they're graduating from their ice shelves (and glaciers) much too quickly.

So while they're stunning, we're seeing these beauties way more often than we should be. Seriously, it seems like every year, there's some new mega-berg, like this one in 2014 or this one in 2010. In fact, Antarctica is losing over 300 square kilometers of sea ice every year.

We'd rather see these icebergs stay together! (BFFs! Never lose touch! Class of '16 forever!)

I mean, check out these pictures from NASA. Those are the before-and-after shots of a 20-mile-long iceberg about to crack its way off the Nansen Ice Shelf.

Images from Jesse Allen/NASA Earth Observatory.

The breakup happened over the last two years. The crack itself runs nearly the entire length of the ice sheet and is as wide as a football field.


Don't leave us! Stay together! Image from Jesse Allen/NASA Earth Observatory.

That whole section is about to detach from the ice shelf.

And though sea ice doesn't contribute to sea level rise (as opposed to land-based ice), too much melt can cause other problems, like slowing down ocean currents and increasing the amount of sunlight being absorbed by the ocean. Plus, big ice shelves help act like a cork, keeping land-based ice from slipping into the sea, where it does contribute to sea level rise.

Climate change is one of the biggest problems we are going to have to tackle in the near future and, unfortunately, there are still people — people who want to be world leaders — who refuse to take it seriously.

There's still plenty we can do — like letting go of fossil fuels — so don't despair. But now is the time to act and keep next year's "Iceberg Yearbook" as small as possible.

From Your Site Articles
Heroes

Why are new rivers carving through Greenland, and can we stop them?

True
Natural Resources Defense Council

It's no big secret that our planet's heating up.

You can tell just by looking at the average temperatures over the last hundred years.

There's also the fact that, oh yeah, Greenland is literally melting.

Yup, that's a puddle of melted ice. Not actually a river leading to a lake. WHOOPS. GIF via New York Times.

That's why Dr. Laurence Smith and his team are getting their feet wet and hands dirty on Greenland's glaciers.

Perhaps more accurately, they are risking life and limb as they contend with frostbite and sinkholes in the cracking ice in an attempt to gather the most up-to-date and accurate on-the-ground evidence of climate change ever.

“We scientists love to sit at our computers and use climate models to make those predictions. But to really know what's happening, that kind of understanding can only come about through empirical measurements in the field," Dr. Smith, the head of the geography department at UCLA, told the New York Times (in a super-cool multimedia story that you should totally check out).

GIF via New York Times.

As the icy landmass crumbles beneath their feet, they're out there recording information on the velocity, volume, temperature, and depth of the thousands and thousandsof rushing rivers of melted water that have carved their way through Greenland due to rising global temperatures.

We're talkin' 430,000 gallons of water per minute flowing off the ice and into sinkholes called moulins that lead out into the ocean.

Did I mention that if the entire Greenland ice sheet melts, they're currently predicting that it could cause the sea to rise by a whopping 20 feet? 'Cause that's fun.

GIF via New York Times.

Until now, most climate scientists have relied on computer models to predict the changing shape of the world.

The physical evidence of climate change right outside is pretty hard to deny. But scientists have spent the last few decades trying to come up with computer calculations to predict exactly what will happen if our rate of carbon consumption continues.

430,000 gallons of water per minute is flowing off the ice and into the ocean.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of factors involved in climate conditions. As a result, these theoretical models have not perfectly predicted the future — a fact which those who reject mainstream climate science love to use as justification for their willful ignorance.

Case in point: Just this past year, when the overall sea level rose a whole one-quarter of a millimeter less than predicted.

To recap: Sea levels are in fact still rising, and the world is in fact heating up overall. But climate change isn't real because something something margin of error and science uh-huh OK sure.

GIF from "Easy A."

While these new calculations won't stop what's happening, they'll at least help us prepare for what we're about to face.

For example, if we can predict with greater accuracy (like, less than a quarter-of-a-millimeter off) just how much the water levels are going to rise in the years to come, we can enact a plan to build seawalls or other structures to stop flooding and save our coastal cities ( like that same quaint New England one that I call home ahhhhhhhhh).

GIF via New York Times.

But preventive treatment to stop the effects of climate change also means taking action to end the damage that we're doing right now. It's no use wasting taxpayer dollars on research that we ourselves are rendering useless to plan for a future that we won't live to see.

In the meantime, you can check out this stunning drone video of Greenland's melting glaciers — just as long as you promise to remind yourself that the beautiful sparkling landscape is neither natural nor good.

Trending Stories