How much longer will Oahu's North Shore be around?
In a widely expected but also completely unexpected turn of events, sea level rise and increased hurricane strength has disappeared a small island belonging to the Hawaiian chain. And let us turn to Honolulu’s Civil Beat (one of the best resources around) for more:
Hurricane Walaka, one of the most powerful Pacific storms ever recorded, has erased an ecologically important remote northwestern island from the Hawaiian archipelago.
Using satellite imagery, federal scientists confirmed Monday that East Island, a critical habitat for endangered Hawaiian monk seals and green sea turtles, was almost entirely washed away earlier this month.
“I had a holy shit moment, thinking ‘Oh my God, it’s gone,’” said Chip Fletcher, a University of Hawaii climate scientist. “It’s one more chink in the wall of the network of ecosystem diversity on this planet that is being dismantled.”
I am no scientist nor am I an alarmist nor am I an ecologist but I do have a fever (still) so feel permitted to weigh in here.
Do you think that World Surf League CEO had this information available, that sea-level rise was going to knock out Hawaii, when she flew to Honolulu with bullish demands? Insisting that the WSL season should begin on the North Shore and not end there? Do you think she was worried about the North Shore being entirely vanished by the time the WSL rolled in to town in December?
Many things to ponder.
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There’s no way Oahu will wash away.
Think about all of the massive turds that are actually building up the island after plate lunches at Teds Bakery
Yes, that’s true. But aren’t they disappearing to the East? This is the West.
Maybe a volcano will pop and boom new land!
No mention of the sand ever possibly returning? Fucked that it’s gone, yea, but sand’s always moving. Essentially a pinch of sand on a skid mark of reef is even more susceptible I would presume. Perhaps the sand will be back. Perhaps not. Perhaps it now bolster’s the flanks of some other blip of reef somewhere? Maybe even birds might someday nest among those vary same granules, though elsewhere? Why is it that intense, but common natural forces always immediately signal the end of day’s with climate change alarmists?
If given the choice, I’m pretty sure 99.8% of the “environmentally conscious” would take their cell phone’s before guaranteeing the well-being of any monk seal.
The crucial part of the equation here is the loss of habitat. Without knowing the exact scale, it looks like a significant area of vegetation has been removed which would provide the stability for the sand to base itself around. Without that there, the sand doesn’t have anything to grip onto when the next hurricane/storm whips up swell, making it harder to establish a foothold, etc. If sea levels rise, even at the conservative end of the range, it’s going to happen more often, more quickly. Which, while it lead to new waves here and there, will have more serious consequences for future generations.
Wouldn’t a little bit of ‘maybe it would be a good idea to pullback on fossil fuel worship for a while and see if that isn’t a bad thing?’ not be a bad thing for a while? What’s the worst that could happen?
Sure its just not high tide??
Looks like a nice little peak at the Western end of the reef now, so every cloud has a silver etc.
Monk seals shun material possessions like habitats.
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
“Unfortunately guys, we’re going to have to shut down the tiger monastery, due to a shortage of monks who are willing to act as keepers after last weeks unfortunate incident”.
Have you tried some cowbell Chas?
No! What’s cowbell?
It’s a cure for a fever!
https://www.nbc.com/saturda…
@ricmatic:disqus That was ruthless. You have my upvote!
It’s obviously far too sensitive for non- geographically American eyes, because I cannot play it here in Oz.
Are they perhaps afraid the Chinese will reverse-engineer the Will Ferrell / cowbell joke and start mass production, undercutting the SNL market share in the developing world?
Hey man, I was just giving some amateur/expert medical advice to a blog dude with a fever bro.
I know, I’m just annoyed at the regional locks on media. Ain’t yer fault bro.
Not the original, but you will get the gist.
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
No no it’s just a money making scheme by these scientists. Honestly. You can TRUST the petroleum industry in this fact that climate change is a myth. Really. I mean, why would they lie?
– A message from the same people that brought you tobacco shills, and lead in your children.
Those filthy lying scientists picking on those poor oil tycoons, bullies, the lot of em!
Good