Climate Change Peril More Acute than Ever

San Francisco has its work cut out for it, according to a new report on the potentially devastation effects of climate change.

Fortunately, as part of that report, experts are offering concrete steps that we can take to reduce the risk of sinking underwater. Those measures include planting more trees, using eco-friendly roofs to regulate temperature, and considering temperature when evaluating air quality.

In addition, regulatory agencies should design dams that allow sediment to trickle to the ocean, elevating shorelines and reducing the effect of sea level rise. Cap and trade policies can also have a positive impact, but only if pursued at a national level.

Failure to act could have dramatic impacts, with much of the familiar Bay Area at risk of being flooded over the next century. The latest estimates have sea levels increasing by five feet, which would be unimaginably destructive. Previous estimates pegged the increase at less than half that.

But there's only so much that San Francisco can do on its own. According to experts, national action is needed to prevent catastrophic changes to our weather. Surrounding countries have already taken an aggressive approach to combating emissions and waste, leaving the United States behind.