North Carolina considers outlawing accurate predictions of sea level rise

[Bucky]

No, really...

from I09...

[font size="4"]North Carolina considers outlawing accurate predictions of sea level rise[/font]

Faced with predictions that sea levels in the coastal areas of North Carolina will rise by a meter in the next century, legislators are considering bold action: making those predictions illegal. A bill being circulated in the Tarheel state would force scientists to estimate future sea levels on a linear path based on trends since 1900 — in other words, based on the simple assumption that trends always move in a straight line, no matter what.

In the interest of being fair and balanced (as is my wont), here's how the locals covered the story. from the Raleigh News Observer ...

State lawmakers are considering a measure that would limit how North Carolina prepares for sea-level rise, which many scientists consider one of the surest results of climate change.

Federal authorities say the North Carolina coast is vulnerable because of its low, flat land and thin fringe of barrier islands. A state-appointed science panel has reported that a 1-meter rise in sea level is likely by 2100.

The calculation, prepared for the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission, was intended to help the state plan for rising water that could threaten 2,000 square miles. Critics say it could thwart economic development on just as large a scale.

A coastal economic development group called NC-20 attacked the report, insisting the scientific research it cited is flawed. The science panel last month confirmed its findings, recommending that they be reassessed every five years.

Oh, well, so it's not so crazy after all. A guy at Scientific American got pissed and wrote this...

There is virtually universal agreement among scientists that the sea will probably rise a good meter or more before the end of the century, wreaking havoc in low-lying coastal counties. So the members of the developers’ lobbying group NC-20 say the sea will rise only 8 inches, because … because … well, SHUT UP, that’s because why.

That is, the meter or so of sea level rise predicted for the NC Coastal Resources Commission by a state-appointed board of scientists is extremely inconvenient for counties along the coast. So the NC-20 types have decided that we can escape sea level rise – in North Carolina, anyhow – by making it against the law. Or making MEASURING it against the law, anyhow.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Oh, how INTELLIGENT!

They think that by making this illegal, they can stop it?

[TheKentuckian]

3. I think the idea is to keep it from being stopped as such an effort might

hit profits of various entities, make folks think twice on certain investments, and slow some tourism.

[Jackpine Radical]

2. Amazing. And NC is generally one of the saner parts of the South,

with its great universities and all.

[SoutherDem]

4. NC is generally one of the saner parts of the South

[Digit]

5. I'm with you

seriously

[Jackpine Radical]

6. Well, compared to SC or parts of the Gulf states...

[Rittermeister]

10. We've got the 11th, 12th, and 36th ranked universities in the nation.

There are damned smart people in North Carolina. It's the redneck majority that fucks things up.

[Jackpine Radical]

12. For some reason, a number of people I went to grad school with at Wisconsin

ended up taking jobs in those highly-rated schools.

[Rittermeister]

13. Because they're excellent schools to teach at?

I'm hardly a nativist. I make no distinction between people born here and people who moved here. But the point remains, UNC and Duke were recently rated #11 and #12, respectively. Davidson College was, I believe, #36. If three institutions of higher learning of that caliber are present, ergo, everyone in the state cannot be a braindead redneck. I'm not sure a single deep south school made the top fifty.

[Jackpine Radical]

14. Yes, because of the quality of the universities.

[GoCubsGo]

11. SC and the Gulf states never considered any such legislation.

None that I am aware of, anyway. Just sayin'. Granted, this will probably plant a seed in the pea-brains of at least a couple of politicians in these parts.

[Burma Jones]

7. So, these brilliant legislators have figured out that anyone with serious money to invest.....

is not going to figure out this nonsense.....

[annabanana]

8. "...because,,,well, SHUT UP, that’s because why"

And THAT my dears, is the level of discourse that is the result of anti-scientific prejudice.

[Blue_Tires]

16. +1000

[cali]

9. good luck with that, morons.

what are ya gonna do about people who don't live in NC and make heretical predictions?

How stupid are these people?

[Jackpine Radical]

15. I understand that the legislature is also planning to reduce transportation costs in the state

by legislating a 20% reduction in the Gravitational Constant.