Vanishing Tangier and the Chesapeake's first climate change refugees

The Baltimore Sun ^ | October 3, 2018 | By Dan Rodricks

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Scientists believe Tangier Island, in the Virginia waters of the Chesapeake Bay, could vanish within the next 25 years. Two-thirds of Tangier's land mass has disappeared since the time of the Civil War, and in recent years sea-level rise caused by global warming took more acres from the island. Fewer than 500 people remain there. Many of them voted for Donald J. Trump, share his rejection of climate change as the reason for their existential challenge and insist that a seawall around the island would save it from further "wave erosion."

The deeply religious islanders have frequently been in the media spotlight, often the subject of derision and ridicule for their climate change denials and support of Trump.

Journalist and author Earl Swift spent more than a year on Tangier, learning about the island way of life and the work of the watermen who've harvested blue crabs and oysters for generations.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

[blueunicorn6]

Ahhhhhhh.....Baltimore.

The Baltimore jail has the best drugs and the female guards will do you for some.

[Ingtar]

If the sea level were rising, I would expect to see it in many other places. However, if the island near the mouth of the river is sinking, think New Orleans, due to engineering the water flow, that would seem more plausible.

[a fool in paradise]

First the Civil War, then Trump voters, how will the island survive?

At least with fewer people they are less likely to capsize it.

[17th Miss Regt]

The deeply religious islanders have frequently been in the media spotlight, often the subject of media derision and ridicule for their climate change denials, religious beliefs, failure to accept LGBTQs as normal, insistence on their children learning to read, write and do arithmetic, silly archaic notions of what is normal and support of Trump.

[Turbo Pig]

f the sea level were rising, I would expect to see it in many other places.

Nope, dont ya know, it only happens in certain spots. Unlike a glass of ice cubes melting, where the water rises uniformly, increased water volume caused by Global Warming(TM)only effects areas that can be used to promote it. It's a very self serving phenomena, and a bit narcissistic. Unlike other environmental changes, Global Warming(TM) is very savy when it comes to marketing itself.

[Myrddin]

Land subsidence is more likely than sea level rise.

[z3n]

Yes! Rising sea levels! All according to plan! Muahaha!

[Milton Miteybad]

What’s the water source for the inhabitants of the island? If they’re extracting their water from wells pumping from underground aquifers, then their problem is probably subsidence, not sea level rise.

[Mr. K]

"...and in recent years sea-level rise caused by global warming took more acres from the island"

You can stop reading right there. Everything that follows is as stupid as that statement.

[Rebelbase]

Erosion isn’t climate change.

[teeman8r]

they must be sacrificed for their denial of man made climate change.

[Antoninus]

Ah, 25 years.

Where are the articles from 25 years ago predicting islands disappearing that actually came to pass?

[Vlad The Inhaler]

Two-thirds of Tangier's land mass has disappeared since the time of the Civil War

Once they introduced those horse-drawn SUV's it was downhill for the climate...

[Haiku Guy]

Sandbars come and sandbars go.

There is no need to appeal to the religion of climate change to explain this.

[Jimmy Valentine]

It isn’t climate change. The current Jin the Bay scours that side of the Bay. That’s why Poplar Island almost disappeared. Best solution is to sink old wooden barges around Tangier where the scour is strongest and fill them with dredging spoil from the harbors.

[Jimmy Valentine]

Where’s “Otis Burg “ ?

[spincaster]

Oh my god.Like the polar bears?

[outofsalt]

I live in York County, Virginia about 35 feet above sea level.
Near our home is a creek and after a good storm you can find Virginia’s state fossil poking out from the eroded banks.

Chesapectin jeffersonius is a scallop shell about the size of a salad plate. It once lived in a sea that was at least 35 feet deeper than today.

[cyclotic]

More “truth” from the Baltimore Democratic Party Daily Newsletter.