LOCAL COASTLINES TO DISAPPEAR TWICE AS FAST

Southwest coastlines could be

destroyed twice as quickly as first predicted according to an international

study carried out by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). It

is expected that thousands of residents in Exmouth and other coastal towns will

lose their homes due to rising sea levels.

The report, published last month, describes

sea levels increasing by as much as 1.4 metres by 2100, if levels continue to

rise at the current rate.  This could

have a possible disastrous effect on local cliffs which are already being

quickly worn away.  SCAR scientists have

said that the original report published two years ago by the Intergovernmental

Panel on Climate Change grossly underestimated how much melting ice caps would

affect sea levels. If the average global temperature rises by just 2C, sea

levels could rise by 50cm, showing that a small increase in temperature can

have a big effect on our environment.

“Things are not happening as slowly

as people first felt and are less predictable” says Dr David Santillo,

scientist at the Greenpeace research laboratories in Exeter.

 “The scale of change is just a matter of time”

 With changing predictions and a worsening

climate, the security of local beauty spots is under question, and a need for

attention on reducing climate change is increasing.

“We need a primary focus on cutting

emissions and reducing climate change” Dr Santillo says, emphasising the need

for local action in order to protect our surrounding environment.