A few weeks ago I went to a Climate Change workshop run by a local Community group (The Dora Creek Catchment Group) and our local council (Lake Macquarie City Council). All local residents were invited and I suppose about 50-80 people came. We were seated in groups according to our streets and after some interesting presentations from environmental scientists and local council officers were asked to think specifically about how we might be affected.
One of the more interesting little snippets was that if the sea level (and thus the Lake) rises by 91 cm by 2100 (council's current working hypothesis) then the tidal range on the Western side of Lake Macquarie could increase from it's current 9-10 cm to closer to 1m (or greater), because the channel from the Lake to the sea would become so much wider and the volume of water able to move in and out would increase. That's a 1m tidal range on top of nearly 1m rise in Lake height.
My own jetty would be under water most of the time, and my garden - and house - would be flooded more often that once every 30 years. And while that would be a devastating effect for me personally, it's really small beer compared to the greater effects on the wider community. Both the built environment of roads and bridges and treatment works and civic buildings, and the natural environment of wetlands and watercourses will be affected. How are governments and communities going to plan for and cope with such massive changes?
The Dora Creek workshop was too brief to let us go into depth on the issues, our table was only just beginning to identify and think about the practical consequences of Climate Change for out street. But co-incidentally ("randomly selected" according to the invitiation), I've also been asked to take part in another workshop, the "Central Coast Climate Consensus Workshops". This appears to be organised by both state and local government groups, and is a bit more substantial than the Dora Creek event, taking place over 3 days. I'm looking forward to it.
Sticking with my own parochial concerns for a moment, I wonder who is going to want to buy a place where they might get wet feet? Coupling this with the current downturn in the housing market makes me wonder whether I'll ever get my money back on this place. Not that I am in any hurry to leave, I'd just like be confident that I would be able to afford to move somewhere else if I need to.
One of the more interesting little snippets was that if the sea level (and thus the Lake) rises by 91 cm by 2100 (council's current working hypothesis) then the tidal range on the Western side of Lake Macquarie could increase from it's current 9-10 cm to closer to 1m (or greater), because the channel from the Lake to the sea would become so much wider and the volume of water able to move in and out would increase. That's a 1m tidal range on top of nearly 1m rise in Lake height.
My own jetty would be under water most of the time, and my garden - and house - would be flooded more often that once every 30 years. And while that would be a devastating effect for me personally, it's really small beer compared to the greater effects on the wider community. Both the built environment of roads and bridges and treatment works and civic buildings, and the natural environment of wetlands and watercourses will be affected. How are governments and communities going to plan for and cope with such massive changes?
The Dora Creek workshop was too brief to let us go into depth on the issues, our table was only just beginning to identify and think about the practical consequences of Climate Change for out street. But co-incidentally ("randomly selected" according to the invitiation), I've also been asked to take part in another workshop, the "Central Coast Climate Consensus Workshops". This appears to be organised by both state and local government groups, and is a bit more substantial than the Dora Creek event, taking place over 3 days. I'm looking forward to it.
Sticking with my own parochial concerns for a moment, I wonder who is going to want to buy a place where they might get wet feet? Coupling this with the current downturn in the housing market makes me wonder whether I'll ever get my money back on this place. Not that I am in any hurry to leave, I'd just like be confident that I would be able to afford to move somewhere else if I need to.
And just so you can see that this is not purely fatalistic fantasy, here's a couple of pictures - one taken last year after the June 07 floods, and one this afternoon.
1 comment:
Very fine......
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