Los Angeles (CBSLA) – A climate-centered non-profit organization has shown in models how around 50 cities around the world could possibly change or even disappear as a result of climate change.
“Your future viability depends on our measures,” said Benjamin Strauss, CEO of Climate Central.
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Strauss’ nonprofit Climate Central did the research and created amazing images of landmarks around the world, including some parts of Southern California like Long Beach and Huntington Beach, hit by rising sea levels.
The Santa Monica Pier is a landmark from both the ground and the sky, but these models show that everything could vanish and look very different in 100 years.
The model shows the Santa Monica Boardwalk underwater, predictions by climate scientists could come true in the next few centuries if temperatures and sea levels rise without human intervention.
“It’s really sad to think that one day it could disappear under the rising sea,” said Strauss.
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The projections range from 1 to 4 degrees warming, with the worst-case scenarios showing a rise in the seas of more than 6 meters.
Long Beach climate model visualization. (Credit: Climate Center)
In pictures of Long Beach, the tides push all the way to the 405 Freeway and much of Huntington’s is also underwater.
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“Really, the neighborhoods from Golden West to Los Altos would all be well below sea level, could be nearly three meters,” said Strauss.
While images like this could be thousands of years in our future, scientists have said that climate change is already wreaking havoc along our coastline.
“This is not a thing that goes into the future. It’s happening right now, ”said John Dorsey, a Loyola Marymount professor.
Researching rising sea levels, Dorsey suggests that the loss of our beaches and the tourists they bring with them could hurt our local economy. He also said we would lose infrastructure like water pipes, sewers and highways.
“IF we get this coastal erosion that could erode and start destroying this type of infrastructure, we’re going to pay billions of dollars to try and move this inland,” Dorsey said.
Climate scientists say some of this could be avoided if we take big steps to reduce emissions over the next decade.
It was announced on Thursday that President Biden would be traveling to Europe for the annual United Nations climate change conference in a few weeks’ time.
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