There's a considerable faction of conspiracy theorist types who insist that the "so called" global warming trend is just a figment of some paranoid tree huggers' imaginations. When his documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" was released, former Vice-President and environmental advocate Al Gore was labeled an alarmist, despite the credible data he presents in the film. The skeptics dismiss the phenomenon as a natural, "cyclical" occurrence. Comedian Dennis Miller writes off global warming as nothing to worry about now, and a problem that his great, great grandchildren will have to deal with. Miller adds that because the family tree will, by then, be so far down the line that he wouldn't care anyway. Yes, it's his job to sift humor out of just about anything and everything, but it's an exceptionally cavalier attitude and less than a laughing matter.


Geologists and oceanographers worldwide confirm that the warming trend is indeed present and accelerating at ominous speeds. They're witnessing first hand the steady decay of the polar caps and Greenland, where biblical scale geologic events are occurring. In March 2008, a huge 160 square mile slab of the Wilkins Sound in Antarctica cracked off and broke away, leaving a relative sliver of ice connecting the remainder of this immense ice shelf (some 5,000+ square miles) connected to the Antarctica mainland. It had stood in place, solid and unmoving, for thousands of years. Should the entire Wilkins shelf break off, the sheer mass and weight of the shelf will cause it to splinter and calf into giant icebergs. While by its self the effects may not be visible, it sets the imminent and mushroom pattern of giant, newly created bergs elevating sea levels around the world  Scientists estimate the current trend to be somewhere between four and seven inches per 100 year period, but they caution that as carbon emissions continue, it could increase radically, with global sea levels rising between three to ten feet during the period.


It's readily apparent here in Hawaii that natural shoreline transformation is afoot. Many saw the freakish high tides at Ala Moana Beach on the news where the ocean came all the way up to the wall and spilled onto the sidewalks. The beaches at Waikiki have eroded so badly, that the state has had to dredge offshore sand reserves to restock it. Along the Pipeline/Off The Wall stretch, the sand has receded so extensively during the summer that residents have had to install extension ladders to get up and down from the beach. Waialua homeowners have more frequently had to barricade their properties to keep the sea from rushing into their homes.


Personally, I've noticed that a favorite surf spot has changed conspicuously over the past few years. It's a shallow reef break that is extremely tide sensitive. It was best on an incoming medium high tide that padded the reef a little, gave the wave a bit of a shoulder, a predictable tube section, and one compact takeoff spot. Unfortunately, I haven't caught it that way since the late 80's, although I still surf there consistently. It's still a fun wave, but it just kind of crumbles and sections all over the place, and though it still gets hollow on lower tides, I'm not into rolling around on urchin infested reef. I'm convinced rising sea levels are a contributing factor.

Along with increased sea levels comes the often devastating byproduct of beach erosion, and this problem is exacerbated by seawall construction both legal and otherwise. The unnatural  presence of these walls alter and restrict the veritable flow of currents and sand movement, and the wave refraction they cause pull sand and rocks into the ocean, and natural sand replenishment is corrupted.


UH Professor of Geology/Geophysics Chip Fletcher says that sea levels in Hawaii could rise a full meter or so by the end of this century and points out the Mapunapuna area near the Honolulu Airport as living testimony of what we should expect as the condition persists, "In Hawaii, as the ocean continues to rise, natural flooding occurs in low-lying regions during rains because storm sewers back up with saltwater, coastal erosion accelerates on our precious beaches, and critical highways shut down due to marine flooding. The Mapunapuna industrial district of Honolulu adjacent to the airport is a good example. If heavy rains fall during monthly highest tides portions of the region flood waist deep because storm drains are backed up with high ocean water. The undercarriages of trucks suffer a rust problem because floodwaters become salty at high tide. Even when it does not rain, the area floods with salt water as it surges up the storm drain into the streets and local workers report seeing baby hammerhead sharks in the 2 foot deep pools."   That's just great. As if sitting in rush hour traffic on Nimitz Hwy. isn't bad enough already, we'd also have to worry about shark attacks too!  For more information, images, and some scary animations of Hawaii sliding further into the drink, click on this link;
http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/coasts/sealevel/index.html


Whenever I look at my children, I can't help but wonder what kind of existence they and their own will face in the future. Our islands, surrounded by the largest, warmest, and most dynamic ocean on Earth, is at the forefront of this nightmarish scenario, putting everyone living in Hawaii in the same boat (no pun intended). If you haven't already, take a moment and imagine the Waikiki, Kaanapali and Poipu resort areas, as well as the Honolulu, Pearl, and Hilo Harbor complexes being overrun by the sea. For Hawaii's environment, people, and economy, it would be a catastrophe of the highest order.  Someday, I'd like to own a beachfront home in Hawaii; I'd just as well prefer it not be the one I'm living at now up in Mililani!

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