Will Climate Change Swamp the Outer Banks?
The Outer Banks are a chain of low, narrow islands just off the coast of North Carolina. They stretch 130 miles north and south.
Most of the islands are part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Kitty Hawk, where the Wright Brothers flew the first airplane, is nearby. So is Roanoke Island, the site of the first English settlement in the Americas. Millions of people visit the area every year.
The Outer Banks are in trouble. Erosion by waves and tides has always caused damage there. Storms have often washed away beaches or roads. Now the damage is getting worse. Many scientists think it is because of global warming. The rise in the Earth's temperature may make it harder for the Outer Banks to survive.
Higher Seas, Bigger Storms
Rising temperature causes ice, especially around the North Pole, to melt. This causes the sea level to rise. Because hurricanes form over warm seawater, warmer oceans can mean bigger hurricanes. Even a change of a few degrees can make a difference. Together, rising sea levels and bigger storms mean more erosion of islands like the Outer Banks.
Stan Riggs, a scientist at East Carolina University has done some studies of the North Carolina coast. He says that rising sea levels are wearing away about 22 miles of shoreline on the ocean side of the Outer Banks.
The change is also felt away from the coast. As the sea level rises, salt water pushes further inland into rivers. That changes the river environment for plants, fish and other animals. For example, trees that can live near fresh water die in salt water.
Stopping Global Warming
Scientists are finding more and more evidence that global warming is caused by too much carbon dioxide (CO2) being released into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide, along with some other gases in the atmosphere, keeps Earth's heat from escaping into space. Carbon dioxide is released whenever we burn oil, coal, gas or wood.
Most experts agree that global warming is a serious problem. They also agree we can do something about it. Governments around the world are discussing how to cut back on the carbon gases that are released into the air. In the United States, many people are trying to conserve energy, use less electricity, and burn less gasoline.
If government and people take the right steps, it is possible to slow global warming. Then islands like the Outer Banks will have a fighting chance against the forces of nature.