(TheConservativeTimes.org) – Recent studies have raised concerns for experts about what climate change and rising sea levels could mean for shipping and trading at ports.
Experts predicted that the sea level would rise an average of 2 feet by 2100, which would affect beach communities and seaports on the coast. However, just recently experts have said that these changes might occur sooner than expected; The United States Geological Survey stated that the shoreline is expected to change for the Northeastern US within the next decade or so.
The data from The United States Geological Survey said that 67,000 people along the East Coast live in communities that are exposed to rising sea levels, hurricanes, and other hazards that could erode or change the landscape around the coast in the next decade.
The report also said that there are more than 45 seaports on the eastern coastline that would be affected by the rising sea level, and more than 67,000 people would be displaced, along with businesses, communities, and places of worship.
The port of Boston is one of the most vulnerable areas that might be affected because it supplies 60,000 jobs, and rising sea levels could change that. They say that the smaller ports might not be affected as much, or it might not cause a huge change for the community, but bigger ports may struggle due to the various infrastructure changes that would occur.
The American Association of Port Authorities estimates that 31 million jobs are brought by ports whether it’s directly or indirectly, showing that a hit to the ports could affect many different areas and aspects of life for communities close by.
Regardless, we are seeing an increase in both funding and alterations at ports across the coasts. Just recently, the Biden Administration announced a federal grant that would be available for capital improvement at select shipping terminals. Ten of the East Coast ports have received grant funding from this program.
Experts also encourage ports to think about climate change, what they can do, and how they can adapt to avoid problems as the climate changes. They encourage them to reinforce infrastructure or to move vulnerable components like fuel and electrical facilities.
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