It's on the way. Some of us know it and some are oblivious, but notice has been served, thanks to Tidwell and others, and if our own government will not respond positively to the threat from global warming, there may well not be much populated land that corresponds to the maps terrorists might use to target civilian centers. All those former residents will either have fled inland or washed away. Is that the solution this administration is persuing?

First will probably be Miami, which, as Tidwell points out, doesn't have the necessary three feet to break even. Next will be the tidewater areas of Virginia and southern Maryland - all the way up to Annapolis; then Baltimore. The last great disaster, the last great and improbably migration inland would be New York, and if we permit things to go that far there's no reason to expect we will not see an insane scene of unparalelled horror formerly available only in the movies.

Washington, DC, sits upon the lip of its Tidal Basin, a product of the DelMarVa tidewater area to which I refer above. This and this alone could be the saving grace in the scenario Tidwell has proposed, as indigenous peoples rarely recognize the shadow of catastrophe that overreaches them (as in New Orleans). But in D.C. there are enough out-of-towners who spend a good deal of time there just screwing us and the rest of the planet, that they might be moved to do something

constructive, if only in the name of breaking the oil habit, if not by bowing to Godless Science

which has shown us the future in time to prevent the next New Orleans catastrophe. If not, we'll all be singing the Delta blues.

Oh well, I will most likely be dead before it stops getting worse, so I will miss the worst.

Bloody hell. I live about ten miles inland on the Australian coast. There was a very big storm that hit Innisfail in the Far North of Australia this year and I heard from a number of reliable sounding sources that we need to all Move. Away. From. The. Coast. Aaaarrrrggggghhhhhh!

And the nearest coast is some of the most expensive realestate in the world. So I don't really care. Screw them and $20,000/week condo they drowned in. Katrina is a big story because they depended on the govt to help them. But the floating miserables of Wrightsville Beach NC aren't poor so a) no one will care (including I) and b) it won't be newsworthy to film a bunch of fat white upper middle class rednecks in golfshirts. So screw them. After they're all underwater I will sell you some beachfront property in Rocky Mount.

AJCalhoun asked: "All those former residents will either have fled inland or washed away. Is that the solution this administration is persuing?"

Yeah, I kind of think they are. I have the vague recollection from Sunday School that the end days include some flooding on the order of Noah's. The majority of sinners are in the big cities framing our country, let's not forget. Rapture, rapture, everywhere.

On a more practical note, what happens globally if the U.S. government starts to take a more responsible approach to all this information about global warming, and our country's significant impact on it? Will we be faced with footing part of the bill for relocating what must be staggering numbers of people living in the coastal cities around the globe?. Just wondering.

Moron, global warming is going to affect you whether you live on the coast or not, as will flooding. Storm surge doesn't just affect people who live on the coast, it affects lakes and rivers that are inland.

I'm assuming you are one of those "heartland" people who believe federal aid should not be used to help those after a hurricane because they "choose" to live on the coast. Well, if that's how you really feel let's just all the way. You idiots in the heartland get more money funneled to your states than let's say, the Northeastern States. So, how about giving back all those federal dollars that come out of our pockets here in the Northeast that you use for your crumby schools, your roads, your hospitals, your welfare mothers(which you have a LOT more of), etc...Oh and what about tornados? Maybe we on the Northeastern coast should refuse FEMA aid to those poor fat bastards that die in trailor parks during tornados?

I agree with the writer that alternative sources to oil will most likely be put into use not because of global warming, but because of a looming oil shortage. Alternative energy sources will be found not out of the goodness of peoples heart but out of the fondness people have for their wallets. Greed and love for money is probably humanities greatest motivator. If there is a cry for fuel efficient cars and appliances, wealthy investors will step up to the plate to finance inventors who come up with the solution. Things will probably have to get worse before most people will become convinced that there is global warming. SUV's are still selling.

I would like to add a little to KM’s article.

If the oceans’ level increases by 3 feet, the loss of lives and property in populated coastal areas will pale in comparison with the environmental changes that will follow.

Initially, millions of tons of pollutants will be released into the oceans because of damage done to the infrastructure of the coastal areas. These pollutants will persist in the continental shelves, which will already have been significantly changed by the rising sea level.

The continental shelves are the main governors of life on our planet. Their ecosystem, including life ranging from bacteria to predators, creates such a complicated web of interactions that it is very difficult to know exactly what changes will occur due to the higher sea levels and the added pollution. However, it is clear that a major change will occur. Almost certainly this change will happen too quickly for humans to control. And almost certainly this change will be detrimental to the current fashion of human existence. - AGJ