For those of you already in catastrophe mode over New Orleans' two sinkholes in so many days, you're not going to like this. The Advocate published research that presents us with a disturbing ultimatum: get global warming under control, or face catastrophic flooding of the Louisiana coast.
This research doesn't have to do with levees, rainwater retention, soil subsidence, or any of the typical culprits for concern when it comes to flooding—it all has to do with Antartica.
If global temperatures rise more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2100, "the result could be a sudden, dramatic melting of ice on Antarctica, adding another 3 feet to the current prediction of a 3.5-foot rise in sea level by 2100—an event that would swamp most of the southern third of Louisiana"
There is some hope if the world hits the goal of reducing carbon emissions to a level that would limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius, set at this year's international meeting on climate change in Paris. According to coastal researcher Donald Boesch, "This report is telling us that if we are aggressive and committed to the Paris goals, we have a real chance for saving the coast."
• Saving Louisiana's coast: Curbing emissions critical to avoiding devastating sea level rise [The Advocate]
• There is Now a Sinkhole on Canal Street Above the Harrah's Tunnel [Curbed NOLA]
• Here Are Photos of the Terrifying Sinkhole That Opened in Uptown This Week [Curbed NOLA]