Editor’s note: This story is part of “Washout: Our vanishing beaches,” a series about the reshaping of Rhode Island’s shoreline. Taylor Ellis loves the Rhode Island shoreline so much that about a year-and-half-ago he decided to see as much of it as possible. By foot. The long-time South Kingstown resident walked most of the state’s […]
sea level rise
Posted inNPR
Mangroves protect communities from storms. Half are at risk of collapse, report finds
Mangroves are unique coastal ecosystems protecting humans and wildlife. Rising sea levels and storms pose an increasing threat to their survival.
Posted inNPR
New research on Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier could reshape sea-level rise predictions
At 80 miles across, Thwaites is the world’s widest glacier. It has been nicknamed the “Doomsday Glacier” for the catastrophic effects its thawing could have on global sea-level rise.
Posted inNPR
China’s cities are sinking, putting tens of millions at risk
Nearly a third of China’s urban population lives in areas that are subsiding, according to a sweeping national survey of 82 major Chinese cities. In coastal areas, that makes sea level rise worse.
Posted inNPR
How a Northwest tribe is escaping a rising ocean
The Quinault Indian Nation in Washington state is gradually moving the village of Taholah away from a rising Pacific Ocean. Other communities in the U.S. may need to take a similar approach.
Posted inEnvironment, Local, Newport Bureau
Rhode Island lawmakers propose plan to tackle climate-related coastal threats
On a recent weekday, state Representative Terri Cortvriend climbed the rock outcropping at Surfers End at Sachuest Beach in Middletown. It was raining, and she climbed slowly, her boots seeking traction. At the top, in every direction, she saw areas that are being impacted by the effects of climate change. To the southwest, she mentioned […]
Posted inArticle, Environment
Mavericks pitch novel buyout plan for flood-prone Warren
By the end of this century, sea level rise is projected to split the Rhode Island town of Warren into three pieces. Part of town might even be on a new island. But a dynamic pair of town leaders is determined not to wait for a hurricane to force the town’s hand. Instead, they’re considering a controversial proposal: voluntary buyouts for at-risk property owners.
Posted inArticle, Environment
RI coastal town considers abandoning roads predicted to flood as sea level rises
South Kingstown is building a seawall to protect Matunuck Beach Road from rapid erosion made worse by climate change. But just around the corner lurks a more complicated threat to this coastal community. In 30 years, South Kingstown predicts more than 300 homes will be isolated from the main roads by flooding.
Posted inArticle, Environment
South Kingstown’s beaches are shrinking, and the town’s identity is at stake
Sea level rise and intensifying storms are speeding up erosion of Rhode Island’s coast. Homes, businesses and residents are at risk in unprecedented ways. Communities are wrestling with a daunting question: when is it time to retreat from the sea. In South Kingstown, that’s a question that threatens the core identity of the town.
Posted inArticle, Environment
Pull The Plugs: How A Simple Move May Help Plum Island’s Salt Marshes Adapt To Sea-Level Rise
Walking through the Parker River Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island with wildlife biologist Nancy Pau is to take a tour through the various ways humans have disrupted the saltwater marsh for the last 300-plus years.The area is filled with what Pau calls “legacy infrastructure” — colonial-era irrigation canals and 20th century mosquito control ditches. These drainage canals were […]