by Jeff Goodell
First published 2017
Rising sea levels threaten coastal communities worldwide as ice sheets crack and global temperatures climb. Jeff Goodell examines this accelerating crisis through on-the-ground reporting across twelve countries. He documents how scientists and residents observe higher tides flooding cities and villages. Engineering solutions may delay the inevitable, but no permanent barriers can stop the transformation ahead. By 2100, hundreds of millions will abandon coastlines as familiar landscapes disappear underwater. Island nations face extinction while major cities confront inundation. Goodell combines scientific research with firsthand journalism to reveal scenes from an emerging water world. The book explains why this flooding will occur, how it will unfold, and what consequences await. International efforts continue, but the physics remains unforgiving. This account shows readers both the science behind rising seas and the human reality of communities already adapting to a wetter future.
Genres: science, social-issues, environment, non-fiction, global-warming, climate-change
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism
Setting: Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Island Nations, North America
Period: 21st Century
352 pages · Kindle Edition · Little, Brown and Company