Americans Worried About Rise in Sea Levels and Climatic Changes

A poll released by Stanford University on Thursday showed that 82 percent of Americans responded to the poll were worried about the rise in sea levels and the climatic changes that were causing this rise.

Researchers think coastal communities should invest in preparing for the risks that make take place.

The poll was conducted keeping in mind the disastrous Hurricane Sandy and the damage it causes, the cost of rebuilding of most of which is being paid by taxpayers. While previous studies have asked Americans about global warming, this is the first research that concentrates particularly on one of the effects of global warming - rise in sea levels. Through the study it was found that though Americans wanted protection from the disasters that could be caused owing to the rise in sea levels, not many of them were willing to pay for coastal development that will get battered repeatedly by rising seas.

"People want preventive action," said survey director Jon Krosnick, a senior fellow at the institute and a professor of communication, "and few people believe these preparations will harm the economy or eliminate jobs. But people want coastal homeowners and businesses that locate in high-risk areas to pay for these measures."

In the nationwide poll, 1,200 people took part. Out of these people 82 percent said that the global warming was posing a threat to the entire world while 72 percent said that the associated sea level rise poses a threat to the United States now and in the future. Nearly three-quarters of respondents said they think sea level rise will worsen storm damage. Moreover, two-thirds of them said that coastal communities should pay the bill for developing their defenses against sea level rise

"The question is, how does public support for preparation translate to action?" asked Meg Caldwell, executive director of the Center for Ocean Solutions, a Monterey environmental group that cosponsored the survey. "Our impulse is to try to move quickly to put communities back together the way they were after devastation. But that impulse often leads to doubling down on high-risk investments, such as rebuilding in areas likely to experience severe impacts."