Beach Vacation 2050: Sea Level Rise and the Disappearing Shores

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As you get ready for summer and all the wonderful things it brings, if you are like many of us at ClimateMama, you can’t wait to put “real life” on hold and head down the shore or to the beach for a day, a weekend or even a week! But before you get lost in that great summer read with a fresh squeezed lemonade, or start building the “most amazing castles in the sand” with your kids, take a look at the shore, the beach, and the sea, and think about your kids future and if they will be able to bring their kids to the very same spot you are at. Chance are, if we continue business as usual and ignore the changes happening around us that beach or shore will not be there in 50 years.

So before heading out take 5 minutes, grab the kids in your life, and watch this webstory from our friends at Rise. It will transport you to one of our favorite cities, San Francisco. Listen, watch and learn what sea level rise will do to this special place. After you watch it, talk to your kids about “thermal expansion” and the “melting of glacial ice caps,” the two main contributors to sea level rise associated with climate change. Get your kid’s take on what is happening and why, and what we ALL can do to protect and safeguard their future. (I bet they will surprise you with their answers and ideas!)

While it is so important that we do take time to unwind and enjoy those “moments” like vacations at the beach with friends, it is also important to acknowledge and face the facts and the reality of what is happening around us. We need to remember those special moments when we are back to real life so we can feel more empowered to work towards changes at home, in our community and nationally; changes that will put policies and solutions in place to combat and mitigate climate change.

Yours,

Climate Mama

P.S. Check out some of the other great webstories on climate change and coastal communities at Rise.