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A report released today by the National Wildlife Federation details the effects of sea-level rise on the Chesapeake Bay.

If global warming does indeed lead to rising sea levels as predicted, a sea-level increase of two feet would cause 415 square miles of dry land and marsh in our area to be replaced by open water. About 60 percent of the region’s beaches would also disappear. As a result, many habitats would also change or disappear, causing some species to thrive and others to suffer.

The report predicts that, to our south, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and Tangier Sound will both largely be underwater by the year 2100. The eastern shore of Virginia will lose half of its beaches; in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, 20 percent of undeveloped land will be submerged.

Maryland’s shores will be less affected than Virginia’s, probably losing only about 25 percent of ocean beaches and only 6 percent of undeveloped land. However, the state will lose about 80 percent of its estuarine beaches and will see saltmarshes increase by 235 percent. Smith Island is also expected to be completed submerged by the end of the century.

The report calls for a number of legislative changes, as well as for individuals to change their lifestyles to combat global warming. I know many people are still skeptical of global warning, so what are your thoughts on this report — scare tactic or call for change?

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