I believe we have reason to be alarmed for the possibility of harmful affects of climate change. If water continues to rise at 7 inches per century, the risk of a flooding will continue to increase. I believe that Danvers, having experienced the amount of precipitation predicted for once every 500 years in the past 4 out of 12 years, is crazy. This is so extremely unlikely that I think it is not only about mere chance. I think the predictions must either be wrong or or environment is changing very rapidly. Moreover, flooding could pose a very serious issue in the future.
The fact that there have been 4 storms in 12 years when it was predicted that only one should be expected every five centuries shows that either the predictions are incredibly off, or the environment from which they were drawn has become something else entirely. Living on the coast as we do, we are also in danger of flooding, so this is a good lesson to us.
As we discussed in class, the storms coming as often as they have is very highly unlikely, and indicates an error in the prediction or a change in the environment. I found it interesting that the officials dealing with this issue are avoiding the words "climate change" and "global warming" at all costs to avoid the political issues that accompany them. Although I think that it's an important issue to discuss, I also understand that avoiding the politics will actually make the process quicker, and reading about the rate of these storms, time is very important.
I think that it seems absurd that a storm that we thought may only occur once every 500 years has occurred four times in 12 years. Being so close to the coast, Beverly residents as well as residents in surrounding towns should be very concerned with the overall issue. Whether people believe in global warming or climate change or not, it is impossible to ignore the fact that their has been a steady erosion in the area as well as other areas that are near the coast. I think that not stating climate change or global warming was very strategic and it lead to more people listening to the speakers, therefore giving them the knowledge they may be able to use in order to stop the rapid flooding issue.
The article was very interesting, and I find it very surprising that the rate of storms and flooding has increased from once every 500 years to four times in 12 years. As we discussed in class, there is either an error with the original hypothesis (1 storm every 500 years), or the environment from which the data being gathered has shifted and a new hypothesis should be made. Regardless, I feel it is positive that officials are in action to solve a problem that will economically and socially hurt the costal towns of Massachusetts.
I agree with what Michaela said regarding the officials treatment of the "why" of this issue. I feel that the officials involved are wise to avoid references to "global warming" for the same reason: it would take much longer to find a possible solution to the more immediate issue of flooding.
I believe after reading this articles that the "once in every 500 years" storm is an antiquated idea. 500 years ago was 1512 and before that was 1012. My point is that whoever coined the term held false beliefs that there would be a major storm every 500 years as our records do not even go back half as far. In addition, they failed to account for changes in weather patterns and one thing all New Englanders know: unpredictability in regards to weather. The fact that there is an increase in the number of these major storms, occurring 4 times over a span of 12 years, is significant that there are natural changes our planet is undergoing. It is wise to leave global warming out of the equation as it only sparks controversy and hinders any results. The article brought much needed attention to a growing problem; if this trend continues there could be another storm in 4 years and that's banking on no increase in frequency.
I agree with what India had to say about the repercussions that the increase in storms could have for coastal towns and cities. Erosion leads to property damage, lack of interest in real estate, and a ultimately plummeting housing sector. Businesses would lose not only valued customers but potentially their business as well. With that said the damage and changes made to ecosystems and the biology of the coasts would be drastic. All in all, this issue needs to be addressed and sooner rather than later.
I agree with what Jonny said about how accurate their predictions can be. We dont have many records for 500 year spans. Also, it would be impossible to predict the ever-changing weather patterns especially in the NE area. This could be a factor to why the data seems so unlikely.
I agree with Johnny that it is near impossible to create the idea that these types of storms should only happen once every 500 years. By taking note of how far back 500 years actually is and how weather patterns have changed, it makes the storms happening 4 times out of 12 years seem less strange. I think the storms need to be looked at more closely in today's modern world and a new statistics should be created to go by.
I think that the article was very interesting. i think it is very rare and unusually for a 500 year storm to occur 4 times in 12 years, like we discussed in class. But I also thought it was strange that they decided to avoid talking about possible reasons for the storms. They had said in the article that they don't talk about the cause of the problems, but how can they expect to find a new solution when they don't know what is causing it.
I agree with Courtney that Beverly residents should be as concerned as Danvers residents because we are so very close to them! I think it is odd that the span of the storm is 500 years because our technology is much better than the technology 500 years ago. I can't seem to understand how they even have records from that long ago and are going by them. Because knowledge has increased so much, i think they should reconsider this issue and look at it now because 4 out of 12 years seems crazy!
This is definitely an issue that we need to be concerned about as coastal residents. Hopefully this can be predicted for better awareness in the future so we can prepare for potential flooding. I think it is very interesting that they chose to ignore the cause of the flooding, and concentrate on the consequences. Global warming is a very divisive issue that could cause the different town officials to disagree unnecessarily. Completely ignoring this issue is an interesting tactic, even though ignoring a problem never leads to good things. I also agree with Jonny about the once in five hundred years statistic. It is unrealistic to say this flood occurs every 500 years here when the first settlers weren't even here then!
I completely agree with everyone who has already mentioned that this is a super rare occurrence and chance, and because of this it should be adressed immediately if the water continues to rise at this rate. Since the chances are so slim It would definitely be a good idea to asses the data again to make sure it is accurate, and if it is it must be very likely that water levels will continue to increase. Though everyone in the article tried to avoid using the term global warming, this known process may be occurring much greater than we expected, which could be an explanation as to why 4 500 year storms occurred in only 12 years.
I agree with ben, this may be a clear warning for coastal cities like ours. the 4 storms occurring in such little time may be chance, or it could be a huge warning for us to become more aware of the rising water levels.
This is extremely scary to read. The fact that the water is rising in general should obviously express the idea that something is changing in our environment whether it be natural or human caused. The issue is affecting our lives daily, but it is important to just identify the issue itself. The rate of water levels rising so quickly shows that with such a high rate at one point water will consume cities and eat away sea shore place. I liked the idea that the causes were not expressed in the article, but the fact that there is an underlying issue affecting the water levels.
Also, I agree with Adi, with such extreme water level changes and storm occurrences the idea of re evaluating collected data might be helpful in identifying whether this was all just a fluke or if there really is an issue.
I believe that towns should be taking stronger actions to prepare for flooding. I agree with Idan that this issue of rising water levels is "extremely scary" and affecting the towns of the North Shore. I also think that a 500 year event happening 4 times is 12 years is very unlikely and should be noticed by public officials. There has been a debate for many decades about global warming, but if it exist or not, the fact of rising sea levels should not be ignored.
This article contains an important issue that, in a perfect world, would not be even close to as heavily debated as it is. Everyone agrees that the water levels are rising, but due to the politics of people arguing whether the change is caused by humans, the issue is basically pushed under the table. With the emerging data from things like the "laser-generated maps" in the article, hopefully everyone in this area can agree to come up with a long-term plan for flood protection. I agree with Idan's statement that instead of ignoring the issue, we basically have to ignore the cause of the issue because of how intense the debate over "global warming" has become. The coastal towns of Massachusetts surely need a plan to protect our land, no matter what the cause of the rising sea level is.
I think that although this is a rare occurrence, it should not be taken lightly. It would be better to at least have a distinct plan in place in case this becomes a more frequent and serious problem in the future. However, because it is still somewhat rare resources should not be overused on it until necessary. I understand that they do not want to alarm people by using the terms "global warming" and "climate change" but the fact is that people need to get real and accept change. They can't ignore and hide it forever, the rising sea levels are just proof of this.
I thought this article on the rising sea levels gave backup information to an issue that has been in peoples mind for years, but because of all the issues surrounding the talks of global warming few bring it up. I though this article was important because it finally talked about this very important issue without getting into politics. The rising sea levels are an issue everyone should be concerned about because I believe they are rising at a concerning rate. I think this 500 year event happening 4 times is 12 years is very unlikely and should be noticed by public officials. I believe we should be concerned and should start preparing more, so I am glad this article was published to bring this issue into people's mind.
I also agree with Courtney when she talked of how towns on the coast including Beverly should be concerned. These rising sea levels are an issue that everyone should pay attention to and should prepare for the worst because you don't want all you own to wash away. I also agree that it doesn't matter if you believe in global warming or not it is an issue we should all pay attention to. The facts show that it is an important issue and we should all be prepared.
I think this article was very interesting and gave a lot of insight into things people may not have realized. I think we all understood that sea levels were rising and things such as global warming were in effect but I don't think people expected the rate to be as fast as it is. I definitely think it is something everyone should be aware of and possibly have a concern about. I agree with everyone who has already talked about living on the coast. I agree that these are the people who should more so be concerned about the rising levels.
As many people have said before me, this is not a common occurrence. The alarming rate at which the storms have occurred says a lot about the effect our world's lifestyle is having on the environment. As we mentioned in class, it is smart of the article to present this matter in a way that doesn't pose it as a global warming issue. Many people hear "global warming" and just stop listening because they may be skeptical or possibly in denial. However, with this article, the math does not lie. I think people should take a second after reading this article to think about how unusual this type of occurrence is and think about what they can do to decrease their carbon footprint. The waters will only get higher if no one steps up, so we better do it now.
I also think that this article is very concerning. Although I personally live very close to the coast, I've never been concerned with flooding. However, this article creates worry that something like that could happen. Clearly the environment is changing more rapidly than ever before. I don't think that the information in the article is wrong, as some other people have said here, I think it is just an unusual occurrence, and this situation should continue to be observed and tracked.
Also, I agree with Hannah that "this is very unlikely and should be noticed by public officials". This could become a problem for many cities in the north shore and is something that should definitely not be involved.
I live fairly close to the coast and work on a beach and flooding has never crossed my mind. Although there may be concrete proof that ocean levels are rising, the tough of flooding due to ocean levels does not phase me. From this data however we can create a plan to enact which would help stop the rising sea levels from invading people land and wrecking homes. The four in twelve number of storms is concerning however and should raise some public attention.
Many of the people above agree on the fact that this data should be taken seriously if it is in fact true and plans should be made.
if the predictions are accurate then the data collected should be taken seriously because it does prove true that there is a serious problem. although beverly is very close to the coast and flooding hardly ever crosses my mind this article does get someone thinking that something severe could potentially happen. The environment seems to be changing at a more rapid speed than before with a not normal occurrence which the storms have been appearing. this article has the numbers to back it up that sea levels are rising. Something should be done now in order to prevent home damage in the future
The fact that this flooding has happened 4 times in the past 12 years when it was predicted to happen only about once every 500 years is very alarming. Either these predictions are way off or the climate has changed which lead to an increase in water levels and therefore more flooding. This could be a warning sign, especially to those who live along the coast, of what may come in the future. This data should not be taken lightly, and is a sign that the environment in which we live is rapidly changing, and we must adapt to these changes.
i think this article was very interesting because 4 storms have occurred in 12 years when they should should have been happening once every 500 years. This is concerning to not only Danvers residents, but Beverly too because we live right next to the ocean. This is a serious problem and the cause should be investigated. Public officials should also be very aware of what may be an increasing problem.
The fact that massive storms the likes of which are predicted to occur only once in 500 years, have occurred four times in a period of twelve years is extremely disturbing. This reflects that either there was in error in the prediction or a major change. The facts make blatantly obvious that the climate change is a very real problem that must be handled as rapidly as possible. While the article chooses to avoid terms such as "global warming" and "climate change" for political reasons, everyone can agree that a change has occurred in our climate.
I believe that the opening quote was kind of disturbing in the sense that rather than actually helping the people and telling the truth they would rather just not tell anyone at all so they don't worry about it. Also, I think that Lockman telling people to look at their problems they have had with the weather and just telling them they will continue to happen in the future without giving a reason was uncalled for and he could have told them what would help but didn't feel like putting then time and energy into it. Over all however, I believe the article was filled with fun facts and was very interesting to read. And i completely agree with what Hannah said about the cities doing more to help the towns from flooding.
I also agree with Hannah when she says that "towns should be taking stronger actions to prepare for flooding". The rising water levels could be a serious issue and towns should be careful.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI believe we have reason to be alarmed for the possibility of harmful affects of climate change. If water continues to rise at 7 inches per century, the risk of a flooding will continue to increase. I believe that Danvers, having experienced the amount of precipitation predicted for once every 500 years in the past 4 out of 12 years, is crazy. This is so extremely unlikely that I think it is not only about mere chance. I think the predictions must either be wrong or or environment is changing very rapidly. Moreover, flooding could pose a very serious issue in the future.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that there have been 4 storms in 12 years when it was predicted that only one should be expected every five centuries shows that either the predictions are incredibly off, or the environment from which they were drawn has become something else entirely. Living on the coast as we do, we are also in danger of flooding, so this is a good lesson to us.
ReplyDeleteAs we discussed in class, the storms coming as often as they have is very highly unlikely, and indicates an error in the prediction or a change in the environment. I found it interesting that the officials dealing with this issue are avoiding the words "climate change" and "global warming" at all costs to avoid the political issues that accompany them. Although I think that it's an important issue to discuss, I also understand that avoiding the politics will actually make the process quicker, and reading about the rate of these storms, time is very important.
ReplyDeleteI think that it seems absurd that a storm that we thought may only occur once every 500 years has occurred four times in 12 years. Being so close to the coast, Beverly residents as well as residents in surrounding towns should be very concerned with the overall issue. Whether people believe in global warming or climate change or not, it is impossible to ignore the fact that their has been a steady erosion in the area as well as other areas that are near the coast. I think that not stating climate change or global warming was very strategic and it lead to more people listening to the speakers, therefore giving them the knowledge they may be able to use in order to stop the rapid flooding issue.
ReplyDeleteThe article was very interesting, and I find it very surprising that the rate of storms and flooding has increased from once every 500 years to four times in 12 years. As we discussed in class, there is either an error with the original hypothesis (1 storm every 500 years), or the environment from which the data being gathered has shifted and a new hypothesis should be made. Regardless, I feel it is positive that officials are in action to solve a problem that will economically and socially hurt the costal towns of Massachusetts.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Michaela said regarding the officials treatment of the "why" of this issue. I feel that the officials involved are wise to avoid references to "global warming" for the same reason: it would take much longer to find a possible solution to the more immediate issue of flooding.
I believe after reading this articles that the "once in every 500 years" storm is an antiquated idea. 500 years ago was 1512 and before that was 1012. My point is that whoever coined the term held false beliefs that there would be a major storm every 500 years as our records do not even go back half as far. In addition, they failed to account for changes in weather patterns and one thing all New Englanders know: unpredictability in regards to weather. The fact that there is an increase in the number of these major storms, occurring 4 times over a span of 12 years, is significant that there are natural changes our planet is undergoing. It is wise to leave global warming out of the equation as it only sparks controversy and hinders any results. The article brought much needed attention to a growing problem; if this trend continues there could be another storm in 4 years and that's banking on no increase in frequency.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what India had to say about the repercussions that the increase in storms could have for coastal towns and cities. Erosion leads to property damage, lack of interest in real estate, and a ultimately plummeting housing sector. Businesses would lose not only valued customers but potentially their business as well. With that said the damage and changes made to ecosystems and the biology of the coasts would be drastic. All in all, this issue needs to be addressed and sooner rather than later.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Jonny said about how accurate their predictions can be. We dont have many records for 500 year spans. Also, it would be impossible to predict the ever-changing weather patterns especially in the NE area. This could be a factor to why the data seems so unlikely.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Johnny that it is near impossible to create the idea that these types of storms should only happen once every 500 years. By taking note of how far back 500 years actually is and how weather patterns have changed, it makes the storms happening 4 times out of 12 years seem less strange. I think the storms need to be looked at more closely in today's modern world and a new statistics should be created to go by.
ReplyDeleteI think that the article was very interesting. i think it is very rare and unusually for a 500 year storm to occur 4 times in 12 years, like we discussed in class. But I also thought it was strange that they decided to avoid talking about possible reasons for the storms. They had said in the article that they don't talk about the cause of the problems, but how can they expect to find a new solution when they don't know what is causing it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Courtney that Beverly residents should be as concerned as Danvers residents because we are so very close to them! I think it is odd that the span of the storm is 500 years because our technology is much better than the technology 500 years ago. I can't seem to understand how they even have records from that long ago and are going by them. Because knowledge has increased so much, i think they should reconsider this issue and look at it now because 4 out of 12 years seems crazy!
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely an issue that we need to be concerned about as coastal residents. Hopefully this can be predicted for better awareness in the future so we can prepare for potential flooding. I think it is very interesting that they chose to ignore the cause of the flooding, and concentrate on the consequences. Global warming is a very divisive issue that could cause the different town officials to disagree unnecessarily. Completely ignoring this issue is an interesting tactic, even though ignoring a problem never leads to good things. I also agree with Jonny about the once in five hundred years statistic. It is unrealistic to say this flood occurs every 500 years here when the first settlers weren't even here then!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with everyone who has already mentioned that this is a super rare occurrence and chance, and because of this it should be adressed immediately if the water continues to rise at this rate. Since the chances are so slim It would definitely be a good idea to asses the data again to make sure it is accurate, and if it is it must be very likely that water levels will continue to increase. Though everyone in the article tried to avoid using the term global warming, this known process may be occurring much greater than we expected, which could be an explanation as to why 4 500 year storms occurred in only 12 years.
ReplyDeleteI agree with ben, this may be a clear warning for coastal cities like ours. the 4 storms occurring in such little time may be chance, or it could be a huge warning for us to become more aware of the rising water levels.
ReplyDeleteThis is extremely scary to read. The fact that the water is rising in general should obviously express the idea that something is changing in our environment whether it be natural or human caused. The issue is affecting our lives daily, but it is important to just identify the issue itself. The rate of water levels rising so quickly shows that with such a high rate at one point water will consume cities and eat away sea shore place. I liked the idea that the causes were not expressed in the article, but the fact that there is an underlying issue affecting the water levels.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I agree with Adi, with such extreme water level changes and storm occurrences the idea of re evaluating collected data might be helpful in identifying whether this was all just a fluke or if there really is an issue.
ReplyDeleteI believe that towns should be taking stronger actions to prepare for flooding. I agree with Idan that this issue of rising water levels is "extremely scary" and affecting the towns of the North Shore. I also think that a 500 year event happening 4 times is 12 years is very unlikely and should be noticed by public officials. There has been a debate for many decades about global warming, but if it exist or not, the fact of rising sea levels should not be ignored.
ReplyDeleteThis article contains an important issue that, in a perfect world, would not be even close to as heavily debated as it is. Everyone agrees that the water levels are rising, but due to the politics of people arguing whether the change is caused by humans, the issue is basically pushed under the table. With the emerging data from things like the "laser-generated maps" in the article, hopefully everyone in this area can agree to come up with a long-term plan for flood protection. I agree with Idan's statement that instead of ignoring the issue, we basically have to ignore the cause of the issue because of how intense the debate over "global warming" has become. The coastal towns of Massachusetts surely need a plan to protect our land, no matter what the cause of the rising sea level is.
ReplyDeleteI think that although this is a rare occurrence, it should not be taken lightly. It would be better to at least have a distinct plan in place in case this becomes a more frequent and serious problem in the future. However, because it is still somewhat rare resources should not be overused on it until necessary. I understand that they do not want to alarm people by using the terms "global warming" and "climate change" but the fact is that people need to get real and accept change. They can't ignore and hide it forever, the rising sea levels are just proof of this.
ReplyDeleteI thought this article on the rising sea levels gave backup information to an issue that has been in peoples mind for years, but because of all the issues surrounding the talks of global warming few bring it up. I though this article was important because it finally talked about this very important issue without getting into politics. The rising sea levels are an issue everyone should be concerned about because I believe they are rising at a concerning rate. I think this 500 year event happening 4 times is 12 years is very unlikely and should be noticed by public officials. I believe we should be concerned and should start preparing more, so I am glad this article was published to bring this issue into people's mind.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Courtney when she talked of how towns on the coast including Beverly should be concerned. These rising sea levels are an issue that everyone should pay attention to and should prepare for the worst because you don't want all you own to wash away. I also agree that it doesn't matter if you believe in global warming or not it is an issue we should all pay attention to. The facts show that it is an important issue and we should all be prepared.
I think this article was very interesting and gave a lot of insight into things people may not have realized. I think we all understood that sea levels were rising and things such as global warming were in effect but I don't think people expected the rate to be as fast as it is. I definitely think it is something everyone should be aware of and possibly have a concern about. I agree with everyone who has already talked about living on the coast. I agree that these are the people who should more so be concerned about the rising levels.
ReplyDeleteAs many people have said before me, this is not a common occurrence. The alarming rate at which the storms have occurred says a lot about the effect our world's lifestyle is having on the environment. As we mentioned in class, it is smart of the article to present this matter in a way that doesn't pose it as a global warming issue. Many people hear "global warming" and just stop listening because they may be skeptical or possibly in denial. However, with this article, the math does not lie. I think people should take a second after reading this article to think about how unusual this type of occurrence is and think about what they can do to decrease their carbon footprint. The waters will only get higher if no one steps up, so we better do it now.
ReplyDeleteI also think that this article is very concerning. Although I personally live very close to the coast, I've never been concerned with flooding. However, this article creates worry that something like that could happen. Clearly the environment is changing more rapidly than ever before. I don't think that the information in the article is wrong, as some other people have said here, I think it is just an unusual occurrence, and this situation should continue to be observed and tracked.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I agree with Hannah that "this is very unlikely and should be noticed by public officials". This could become a problem for many cities in the north shore and is something that should definitely not be involved.
I live fairly close to the coast and work on a beach and flooding has never crossed my mind. Although there may be concrete proof that ocean levels are rising, the tough of flooding due to ocean levels does not phase me. From this data however we can create a plan to enact which would help stop the rising sea levels from invading people land and wrecking homes. The four in twelve number of storms is concerning however and should raise some public attention.
ReplyDeleteMany of the people above agree on the fact that this data should be taken seriously if it is in fact true and plans should be made.
if the predictions are accurate then the data collected should be taken seriously because it does prove true that there is a serious problem. although beverly is very close to the coast and flooding hardly ever crosses my mind this article does get someone thinking that something severe could potentially happen. The environment seems to be changing at a more rapid speed than before with a not normal occurrence which the storms have been appearing. this article has the numbers to back it up that sea levels are rising. Something should be done now in order to prevent home damage in the future
ReplyDeleteThe fact that this flooding has happened 4 times in the past 12 years when it was predicted to happen only about once every 500 years is very alarming. Either these predictions are way off or the climate has changed which lead to an increase in water levels and therefore more flooding. This could be a warning sign, especially to those who live along the coast, of what may come in the future. This data should not be taken lightly, and is a sign that the environment in which we live is rapidly changing, and we must adapt to these changes.
ReplyDeletei think this article was very interesting because 4 storms have occurred in 12 years when they should should have been happening once every 500 years. This is concerning to not only Danvers residents, but Beverly too because we live right next to the ocean. This is a serious problem and the cause should be investigated. Public officials should also be very aware of what may be an increasing problem.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that massive storms the likes of which are predicted to occur only once in 500 years, have occurred four times in a period of twelve years is extremely disturbing. This reflects that either there was in error in the prediction or a major change. The facts make blatantly obvious that the climate change is a very real problem that must be handled as rapidly as possible. While the article chooses to avoid terms such as "global warming" and "climate change" for political reasons, everyone can agree that a change has occurred in our climate.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the opening quote was kind of disturbing in the sense that rather than actually helping the people and telling the truth they would rather just not tell anyone at all so they don't worry about it. Also, I think that Lockman telling people to look at their problems they have had with the weather and just telling them they will continue to happen in the future without giving a reason was uncalled for and he could have told them what would help but didn't feel like putting then time and energy into it. Over all however, I believe the article was filled with fun facts and was very interesting to read. And i completely agree with what Hannah said about the cities doing more to help the towns from flooding.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Hannah when she says that "towns should be taking stronger actions to prepare for flooding". The rising water levels could be a serious issue and towns should be careful.
ReplyDelete