U.S. Icon Threatened by Sea-Level Rise

Long-term sea level rise set in motion by near-term carbon emissions threatens major American icons. These paired images show major U.S. urban icons could fare under scenarios of business as usual vs. a sharp transition to clean energy.

The left image of the pair shows projections of eventual sea level rise that would be locked in following 7.2°F (4°C) of warming from carbon pollution in the coming decades. This pathway corresponds roughly to business as usual. The right image depicts a projection based on 3.6°F (2°C) of warming from carbon pollution. This degree of warming corresponds to the target limit widely discussed as the threshold to avoid catastrophic climate change — and officially designated as part of the Cancun Agreement, signed in 2010 by international delegates gathered under the umbrella of the United Nations.

Source: Climate Central