World Net News: Three million citizens of the Republic of Bangladesh watched their farms and villages wash away as early monsoons burst their handbuilt levees, turning remnants of the crippled state into a realm of swampy shoals covered by the rising Bay of Bengal.
Status: Confirmed
The novel concentrates on the rise in sea levels submerging low-lying coastal areas (although references to changing weather patterns are made)
In the Afterword, Brin states that he intentionally overstated the effects of global Warming and UV for dramatic effect (this is, after all, a work of fiction!). However, the latest climate models suggest that he hasn't!
The full effects of global warming are yet to be felt, and a lot of naysayers are still in denial, but the body of evidence is now overwhelming.
Likely effects of global warming include:
- increasing sea levels, due to thermal expansion, and to melting icesheets (the collapse of the Ross ice shelf has not, of itself had an effect since, it was already displacing, however, its absence has speeded up the flow from the Antarctic)
- changes in ocean currents (a decrease in the gulf stream has already been noted. Although caused by increases in temperatures, ironically, this could trigger lower temperatures in western Europe)
- changes in weather systems as a result of changes in ocean currents and temperature distributions.
These things are not new. What is of concern is the speed with which they are occurring. Adaption requires time...
References
- Sea Level Rise: Wikipedia
- Failing ocean current raises fears of mini ice age: New Scientist, 2005
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