The rising sea / Orrin H. Pilkey and Rob Young.

"A Shearwater Book."

Includes bibliographical references (p. 183-192) and index.

Living on the edge -- Why the sea is rising -- Predicting the unpredictable -- The 800-pound gorillas -- A sea of denial -- The living coasts -- People and the rising sea -- Ground zero : the Mississippi Delta -- Sounding retreat.

"Over the coming decades, hundreds of thousands of 'environmental refugeees' will be forced to search for new homes. Some of the world's largest and most important cities will face massive flooding. Small coastal towns and entire island nations will be abandoned. [The authors] warn that sea level rise isn't a distant, abstract fear: it's happening right now. Prominent scientists predict that ocean levels may climb by as much as seven feet in the next hundred years. That means coastal cities, from Miami to Mumbai, will be forced to construct immensely expensive seawalls or to relocate entirely. [The authors] deftly guide readers through the facts and debunk the bogus claims of climate change 'skeptics.' They show that, without thoughtful planning, the economic and human consequences of sea level rise will be disastrous. While rising sea levels are now inevitable, we are far from helpless. We can save live and our communities, but we face hard and controversial choices including abandoning storm damaged property, changing where and how we build, and developing a national exit strategy from our coasts." -- BOOK JACKET.