California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday signed an executive order calling for the state to begin preparations for rising sea levels resulting from global warming.
"The longer that California delays planning and adapting to sea level rise the more expensive and difficult adaptation will be," Schwarzenegger said, ordering a report by the end of 2010.
The report will include relative sea level rise projections specific to California, taking into account issues such as coastal erosion rates, tidal impacts, El Niño and La Niña events, storm surge and land subsidence rates; the range of uncertainty in selected sea level rise projections; a synthesis of existing information on projected sea level rise impacts to state infrastructure (such as roads, public facilities and beaches), natural areas, and coastal and marine ecosystems; and (4) a discussion of future research needs regarding sea level rise for California.
California, with 800 miles of coastline and the nation’s largest
population, has much to lose from rising sea levels. And this step by
the state government, reaffirms its leadership position on
environmental and climate change policy.
Link to the executive order below.
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