Remember when Fukushima happened, how clear it was in hindsight that disaster might have been prevented with a little more foresight and better planning for a worst-case scenario? That’s exactly the kind of foresight and planning that needs to be outlawed, according to a bill proposed by Republicans in North Carolina.
A state-appointed science panel has reported that a 1-meter rise in sea level is likely by 2100.
The calculation, prepared for the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission, was intended to help the state plan for rising water that could threaten 2,000 square miles. Critics say it could thwart economic development on just as large a scale.
A coastal economic development group called NC-20 attacked the report, insisting the scientific research it cited is flawed. The science panel last month confirmed its findings, recommending that they be reassessed every five years. But NC-20, named for the 20 coastal counties, appears to be winning its campaign to undermine them.
Wealthy developers in North Carolina have their eye on some prime coastal real-estate, and they don’t want a bunch of pesky, science based safety considerations getting in the way of their profits. So they just went out and bought themselves a bunch of Republican legislators, who dutifully put together a planned law that would leave science out of the planning.
They circulated a bill that authorizes only the coastal commission to calculate how fast the sea is rising. It said the calculations must be based only on historic trends – leaving out the accelerated rise that climate scientists widely expect this century if warming increases and glaciers melt.
No word on how they expect to force the ocean to abide by their restrictions. On the other hand, if the sea level does rise, the catastrophe will happen to other people, so the developers’ profits will be safe. I guess it’s all good then.