Why Focusing on Uncertainty in Sea Level Projections Harms Climate Adaptation Efforts
By
Jeremy Bassis
Summary
The article argues that emphasizing uncertainty in sea level rise projections from climate and ice sheet models is counterproductive. Instead of focusing on what models disagree about, scientists and communicators should highlight what is known with confidence about sea level rise while working to improve model accuracy. The piece critiques the tendency to highlight model disagreements, which can undermine public understanding and policy action on coastal adaptation.
Source
bskyWhy Focusing on Uncertainty in Sea Level Projections Harms Climate Adaptation Effortseos.orgKey quotes
· 3 pulledAs ice sheets lose mass at increasing rates, scientists are growing increasingly concerned that portions of these massive reservoirs of frozen water are poised to begin irreversibly retreating
Recent studies using climate and ice sheet models are, more and more often, coming to very different conclusions about future rates of sea level rise
Emphasizing uncertainty in model projections of long-term sea level rise is a misguided approach. Instead, we should focus on communicating what we do know while improving model confidence.
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